How Portobello Curates Seasonal Holiday Buffets in Oakland, NJ

How Portobello Curates Seasonal Holiday Buffets in Oakland, NJ

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Every season brings its own reason to gather around a table, and at Portobello Feasts, we build a grand buffet around each one. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, we plan seasonal buffet experiences around the occasion, with menus, seating times, and service details that help families celebrate without handling the cooking at home. Here is a look at how each seasonal buffet comes together and what you can expect when you join us.

Seasonal Holiday Buffets at Portobello 

Each holiday on our calendar gets its own menu, seating times, and set of details worth knowing before you book. Below is how the buffet takes shape for each one, along with what stays the same no matter which date you choose. 

Thanksgiving Brings a Grand Dinner Buffet Full of Tradition

Our Thanksgiving Day Grand Dinner Buffet runs with two seatings, one at 12:30 pm and another at 4:00 pm, so families can pick the time that fits their day. The spread opens with a cold station of antipasto, seafood salad, grilled vegetables, bruschetta, focaccia, and string bean salad, then moves into a hot buffet with thirteen to sixteen chafers. 

Guests find chicken scampi and chicken Valentino alongside rigatoni in pink vodka sauce, cavatelli and broccoli, stuffed rigatoni, and a meat and vegetable lasagna. Turkey lovers get both white and dark meat, paired with mashed potatoes, candied yams, and our own Portobello Thanksgiving stuffing. A carving station rounds things out with ham and top sirloin of beef, and every plate finishes with a dessert table of pies, cakes, Italian cookies, pastries, mini cheesecakes, and mini cake bites.

Christmas Eve Honors the Feast of the Seven Fishes

Christmas Eve at Portobello follows the tradition of La Vigilia, the Feast of the Seven Fishes, with seatings at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. The hot buffet leans into seafood, with baccala marinara, Chilean sea bass, flounder stuffed with crabmeat, flounder Francese, and baby lobster tails served alongside chicken Francese, penne in pink vodka sauce, cavatelli and broccoli, and stuffed veal Vincent in pomodoro sauce. 

The same cold station, carving station of ham and top sirloin of beef, and full dessert table from Thanksgiving return here, so the evening still feels familiar even as the menu shifts toward the sea.

New Year's Eve Turns Into a Full Evening of Dining and Dancing

New Year's Eve looks different from our other holiday buffets. Party seating runs from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am and is priced inclusively per person, covering a four-hour open bar along with DJ music and dancing for the full night. 

The hot buffet features chicken scampi and chicken Portobello, roasted veal marsala, horseradish-crusted sea bass, flounder with portobello mushrooms over risotto, and lobster tails, with a carving station of filet mignon and ham. 

Every Buffet Includes Full Service Stations and Dessert

Across verified holiday buffet events, the format often includes cold stations, hot buffet selections, carving stations, desserts, and beverages, with exact offerings varying by holiday. Each buffet opens with a cold antipasto and salad station, moves through a hot buffet built from ten or more chafers, and closes with a carving station and a dessert table of pies, cakes, cookies, pastries, and sliced fresh fruit. 

Beverage inclusions vary by seating, so guests should confirm details when reserving, and liquor is available in most cases as an additional purchase, with New Year's Eve being the one evening where liquor is built into the price.

Conclusion

Whichever holiday brings your family together, Portobello Feasts builds a buffet around it that keeps the classics on the table while still giving you room to try something new. Between the Thanksgiving stuffing, the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, a full night of dancing on New Year's Eve, or a relaxed brunch on Easter and Mother's Day, there is a seating that fits your plans.

Call us at 201-337-8990 or reach out at info@portobellonj.com to reserve your table for the next holiday buffet.

FAQs

Are there multiple seatings for holiday buffets?

Yes. Thanksgiving offers seatings at 12:30 pm and 4:00 pm, and Christmas Eve offers seatings at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Easter and Mother's Day each offer a brunch seating in the late morning and a separate dinner seating in the afternoon.

Is liquor included in the price?

For Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and the Easter and Mother's Day seatings, liquor is available as an additional purchase. New Year's Eve is the exception, since the per-person inclusive price already includes a four-hour open bar.

Is the New Year's Eve buffet refundable? 

No. Tickets for the New Year's Eve Grand Dinner Buffet are non-refundable, so it is worth confirming your seating time before booking.

How do I book a seating or ask about children's pricing? 

Guests should call to confirm current pricing for any upcoming holiday event. To book, call 201-337-8990.