After weeks of shopping, gift exchanges and decorating, cooking for Christmas Eve or Day might seem overwhelming. Fortunately, many local restaurants offer dine-in or take-out specials to give yourself a well-deserved break. Whether you want the whole meal, just the sides or dessert, here’s who to call.

The Whole Meal

1. Aria

139 E. KILBOURN AVE. 

Serving holiday meals on Dec. 24 (from 2 to 9 p.m.) and Dec. 25 (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.), Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel’s fine-dining restaurant on its second floor will roll out on its menu prime rib, pork tamales, salad, soup, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots and four desserts, including chocolate silk pie ($79 for adults, $35 for children).

Book a table through opentable.com.

2. Clifford’s Supper Club

10418 W. FOREST HOME AVE., HALES CORNERS

On this restaurant’s à la carte Christmas Day menu (available for dine-in and take-out between noon and 7 p.m.) are a mix of surf and turf entrees ($27-$68), such as broasted chicken with cranberry sauce, broiled African lobster tails and filet mignon. Each order includes the following: salad, chicken noodle soup, rolls and butter, and corn or green bean casserole, along with a choice of potato and choice of dessert.

Call 414-425-6226 to make a reservation.

3. Mason Street Grill

425 E. MASON ST.

Serving from 1 to 8 p.m. on Christmas Day, the Christmas Chef Special ($85) is a prix-fixe menu of Beef Wellington, whipped potatoes, haricot verts almandine and a red-wine reduction sauce. The restaurant’s regular menu will also be available.

Book a table through opentable.com.

4. The Packing House

900 E. LAYTON AVE. 

This supper-club-type restaurant is open on Christmas Eve (4 to 8 p.m.) and Christmas Day (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and featuring many holiday specials. From shrimp cocktail and escargot as starters to entrees such as filet mignon, Canadian walleye and roast duck, this is an à la carte menu. All meals come with bread and butter, a salad, and baked or fried potatoes.

Call 414-483-5054 to make a reservation.

5. The Pfister Hotel 

424 E. WISCONSIN AVE. 

Kicking off with a complimentary mimosa or Bloody Mary, the Christmas Celebration Brunch ($85 adults, $30 children) is hosted in the hotel’s ballroom. This is a lavish spread that folds in a Wisconsin cheese station, seven starters and salads, a baked-goods table, four different “action stations” with food (like omelets) made-to-order, nine brunch entrees, a carving table, sculpted ice and seafood station, and holiday-specific mini-sized treats. 

Book a table through tock.com.

6. Tre Rivali

200 N. BROADWAY

Located on the ground floor of The Journeyman Hotel, the restaurant’s Christmas Day Brunch Buffet ($65 adults, $35 for children) balances sweet with savory options. There are 15 menu items total, from French Toast Bread Pudding to a bagel and smoked salmon station, plus artisanal cheese and salumi, sliced beef brisket and roast glazed ham. Meat-free and vegan options are plentiful, such as avocado toast, fresh fruit, crepes and beet salad.

Book a table through opentable.com.

Take-Out

7. Davian’s Catering and Events

N56W16300 SILVER SPRING DRIVE, MENOMONEE FALLS

This catering company’s holiday dinner packages ($260, serves 10) folds in what you might expect for a Christmas feast: ham with pineapple-brown sugar glaze, rolls with butter, toasted orzo with sliced almonds, and a choice of carrots or Brussels sprouts and Yukon mashed potatoes or honey-roasted baby-red potatoes, along with an apple or cherry pie.

Call 262-781-3333 to place an order 72 hours prior to pick-up on Dec. 23 and Dec. 24.

8. Movida at Hotel Madrid

600 S. 6TH ST. 

This Walker’s Point restaurant is selling Beef Wellington meals to take and bake ($45, recipe provided) at your holiday table. The meat entrée (two Beef Wellingtons in one order) comes with sides of cauliflower, broccoli, crispy potatoes and Simma’s cheesecake. 

Order here and pick up on Dec. 23 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

9. Sanford Restaurant

1547 N. JACKSON ST. 

Although the restaurant’s closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, you can pull up to the curb for its holiday dinner ($250, serves four) to reheat at home. On the menu are roasted prime rib (garnished with saffron poached pear, fig and golden raisin), roasted market root vegetables, duck fat potatoes with duck confit, rolls and butter, and holiday fruit cake. 

Call 414-276-9608 to order and pick up between noon and 3 p.m. on Dec. 23.

10. Smoke Shack

332 N. MILWAUKEE ST. 

On the restaurant’s holiday take-out menu, score a smoked boneless ham ($70, feeds 10-12) or five other meat entrees for a small group as well as yummy sides like a half pan of cornbread ($20) or half pan of au gratin potatoes ($20), plus an apple pie ($28) or sugar cookies ($25) for dessert.

Order here by Dec. 18 and pick up on Dec. 21 and Dec. 22.

11. Ward’s House of Prime

540 E. MASON ST. 

This downtown steakhouse’s Christmas To Go menu is centered around prime rib ($65-$600, servings for as few as one person and as many as 10) and you can tack on sides ($7-$10, from mashed potatoes to green bean casserole) and dessert, too ($8-$9, featuring chocolate cake, banana cake, carrot cake and cheesecake)

Call 414-223-0135 to order and pick up on Dec. 24 between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and Dec. 25 between noon and 1 p.m.

Just the Sides

12. Bavette La Boucherie 

217 N. BROADWAY

On this high-end butcher shop’s holiday menu are five items perfect for entertaining or pre-holiday meal, including a cheese and charcuterie plate, shrimp cocktail, charcuterie box (includes a bottle of wine), pimento cheese (made in-house) and Uplands Cheese Company’s Rush Creek Reserve cheese.

Order through the website by Dec. 20 for pick-up on Dec. 22 or Dec. 23.

13. Central Standard Crafthouse and Kitchen

320 E. CLYBOURN ST. 

This distillery is offering four cocktail kits ($98-$112, serving 16) to make sure everyone has a drink in hand at your gathering. Choose from Winter Spiced Old Fashioned, Holiday Brandy Cider, Cranberry Mule and Holiday Spritz.

Order through the website and pick up at Central Standard.