Santa Monica Holiday Pub Crawl

Thirty bars and restaurants on the Santa Monica Pier, 3rd Street Promenade, Main Street and Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica will host a citywide pub crawl on Saturday, Dec. 13 beginning at 5 p.m., with proceeds benefitting the Westside Food Bank. Last year, the event raised enough money to provide 120,000 meals. Tickets are $12, and participants will receive an official pub crawl wristband giving them access to food and drink specials at each location. Joe’s Pizza is offering $3 pizza slices and Vita Coco drinks; Areal is offering $4 draft beer; Rusty’s Surf Ranch is serving two steak tacos for $5; Barney’s Beanery is serving specialty cocktails for $4; and Del Frisco’s Grille is offering $5 beer. Santa’s official after-party will be held at Wokcano Santa Monica — for an additional fee — and features a DJ, dancing and photo booth. The Big Blue Bus will offer passes for unlimited rides for $4 via the pub crawl website. Additionally, Santa Monica Free Ride will be giving rides along the pub crawl route and offering Vita Coco drinks. Participants can download the official “SM Pub Crawl” app, with a complete list of bars, routes, specials, a map, bus stops and updates, or visit www.santamonicapubcrawl.com.

The Malibu Country Holiday Mart

The Malibu Country Mart is celebrating the holiday season by transforming into a Winter Wonderland with festive holiday décor. Events for all ages will be held through Saturday, Dec. 20. Victorian carolers will stroll through the mart singing holiday favorites, and children can decorate cookies, stockings and dreidels, and have their faces painted. On Saturday, Dec. 13 from noon to 4 p.m., photos can be taken with Santa, and a cookie decorating party will be held. On Saturday, Dec. 20 from noon to 4 p.m, visitors can pose for photos with Santa and his reindeer, and the strolling carolers will perform from noon to 2 p.m. 3835 Cross Creek Road, Malibu, (310)456-7300.

Gingerbread and Cookie Decorating

Executive pastry chef Jen Shen, of Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air, will lead a holiday decorating class for children on Dec. 18 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on the restaurant’s patio. The class is $55 per person. Reservations are requested before Dec. 12. 701 Stone Canyon Road, (310)472-1211.

Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill Gift

Diners at Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill will receive a complimentary $10 gift card when they purchase a “taste-full” $50 gift card. The complimentary card can be used between Jan. 5 and March 31, Monday through Thursday, and is not valid on holidays. The promotion ends Dec. 31.  Visit www.woodranch.gostorego.com. 189 The Grove Drive, (323)937-6800.

Stir Market Opens

The 4,000-square-foot Stir Market urban market hall and restaurant has opened on Beverly Boulevard, and is offering seasonal choices served from multiple food counters such as the European Rotisserie and Expo Kitchen, a wine bar with charcuterie and cheese, and an artisan bakery and espresso bar. Epicurean takeaway fare and gourmet retail products are also available. Breakfast and weekend brunch items are priced from $3 to $12, highlighting sweet and savory foods. Artisan sandwiches range from $9 to $12 and are served with house pickled root vegetables. Seasonal market salads and bowls, and rotisserie items such as rotisserie chicken and porchetta, are also offered. Stir Market will also serve Intelligentsia coffee, beer on tap, Kilogram organic teas and handcrafted juice elixirs. Additionally, the Wine and Craft Beer Bar features 15 taps and 20 wines by the bottle from California, France, Italy and Spain. Hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily. 7475 Beverly Blvd., (310)600-2732.

The Rockefeller

The Rockefeller is offering the new “Rockefeller Lunchbox” with a choice of an entrée and a side, priced at $9.95. Entrée choices include barbecue chicken flatbread, seared ahi or braised short rib tacos, kalbi cheesesteaks, heirloom tomato and avocado salad, and the Southwest chicken sandwich. Side options include autumn salad, curried sweet potato, truffle and Parmesan fries, roasted Brussels sprouts and zucchini fries. A happy hour will be held on weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m., featuring gastro-pub fare with special prices. Appetizers by new head chef Cody Diegel will be priced under $6, and select beer and wines are available for $5. Additionally, The Rockefeller offers $1 oysters on Mondays, and burgers priced at 99-cents on Tuesdays. 1209 Highland Ave., (310)545-5810.

Breakfast With Santa

Terranea Resort’s Grand Ballroom is hosting a special breakfast buffet on Saturday, Dec. 20, with seating at 9, 9:30 and 10 a.m. Families can enjoy a breakfast buffet, and children can sit on Santa’s lap and participate in fun activities and crafts with Santa’s elves. The breakfast is $50 for adults; $25 for children ages 2-10; and free for children under age two. 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, (310)265-2800.

Winter Wonderland at Acabar

Acabar has been transformed into a “Winter Wonderland Carnivale” for the holidays, featuring motifs of classical myths set in a palace of ice and glittering snow. Specialty cocktails have been created for the season, as well as new dishes. Diners can enjoy the steamed lobster buns with caviar, which are exclusive to Acabar during the holiday season. 1510 N. Stanley Ave., (323)876-1400.

Ray’s & Stark Bar

Enjoy a “culinary bedtime story” with the launch of the Scrooge menu at Ray’s & Stark Bar, and the new late-night program, “Stark After Dark”. Through the end of the year, executive chef Viet Pham presents meals based on the classic holiday tale, “A Christmas Carol”, with dishes and hot and cold cocktails that capture the essence of Charles Dickens’ beloved characters. The “Ba Humburger” features a meatloaf patty, barbecue sauce, onion rings and bacon, and is served with tempura greens. The “Tiny pataTIM” is made with braised pork leg with star anise, hoisin, sesame, baby bok choy and shitake mushrooms. Cocktails include the Smokey Toddy and Three Spirit Nog, made with traditional eggnog, bourbon, brandy and dark rum, and served cold. The Scrooge menu is priced from $9 to $13, and is available from 8 to 10 p.m. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., (323)857-6180.

Getting Into The Holiday Spirit

Barneys New York in Beverly Hills’ newly opened restaurant, Freds, has been decorated with festive lights, decor and window dressings for the holiday season. The restaurant is located on the 5th floor of the newly transformed Barneys, which offers two outdoor terraces with panoramic views. Executive chef Mark Strausman’s Italian-inspired menu has a California touch, and includes dishes such as robiola with truffle oil, Estelle’s chicken soup (his grandmother’s recipe), the Beverly Hills club sandwich, salads and a sunset menu with seasonal cocktails. Freds will also offer made-to-order and pre-packaged holiday gift baskets that include gourmet assorted chocolates and edible treats. 9570 Wilshire Blvd., (310)276-4400.

Pastry Gifts and Baskets

Chef Joachim Splichal and executive pastry chef Carlos Enriquez are debuting holiday gift baskets with custom-created festive sweets and treats. They are also offering aspiring chefs the gift of a cooking class and a meal at one of Splichal’s award-wining restaurants, and students will receive an apron, oven mitts and a Korin chef’s knife. Purchasers of $250 in holiday retail items will receive a $20 gift card for any Patina Restaurant Group location. Patrons who order 100 party favors or more will also receive 10 percent off their bill. Pre-ordering is required by Friday, Dec. 19, and all orders require three days notice and pre-payment in full. Gift baskets, macaron towers, Buche de Noël, holiday cakes and orders of 100 or more pieces require five days notice. For information, call (213)814-3263, or visit www.patinagroup.com/holidayretail.

mar’sel Christmas

Terranea’s signature dining destination, mar’sel, is offering a three-course tasting menu, in addition to the a la carte menu, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The special tasting menu from chef Charles Olalia is served family style. Starters include poached oysters, scallop carpaccio, butternut squash veloute and chicory salad. Entrées include prime rib, turkey scallopini and milk fed poularde, and traditional Buche de Noel and pumpkin pie for dessert. The family-style meal is served 5:30 to 10 p.m. on Dec. 24 and 25 at $120 per guest. 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, (310)265-2836.