It’s beginning to look a lot like Netflix, I mean, Christmas. As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, you’re probably feeling the need to snuggle up and get cozy. And, Netflix has a great mix of Christmas classics and new Netflix original holiday flicks that make for the perfect night in.
To make that night in even better, we’ve come up with a list of foods you can Favor that pair perfectly with a few Netflix holiday selections.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas | P. Terry’s
“6:30: dinner with me, I can’t cancel that again!” Don’t worry you don’t have to cancel dinner with the Grinch. Especially since calories or carbs have no value over the holidays. That’s how it works, right? Plus, if you count the amount of calories you’ll burn laughing at Jim Carry’s version of The Grinch, you definitely won’t feel bad stuffing your belly full of P. Terry’s classic cheeseburger, fries, and their seasonal peppermint chocolate shake (only available through December).
“A Very Murray Christmas” | East Side Pies + H-E-B
The 2015 Netflix original has plenty of surprise guests aside from the king of Christmas himself, Bill Murray. Since Murray’s been spotted doing shots at bars on the east side like Shangri-La, it seems appropriate to pair this Christmas special with a pizza from East Side Pies. Trust us, you can’t go wrong with anything off their menu. Seriously, it’s all delicious. To keep the perfect pairing going, we suggest ordering up a bottle of Francis Coppola wine from H-E-B, made by the director Sofia Coppola’s famous father.
“Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday” | Capital Taco
We just had to include this one since it premiered at SXSW in 2016. A chance encounter with a mysterious stranger, played by hottie Joe Manganiello, points Pee-Wee toward his destiny, and his first ever holiday. The Alamo may have played a big role in Pee-Wee’s original story, but, alas, Alamo Drafthouse doesn’t yet deliver. Instead, how about ordering some tex-mex from Capital Taco? In addition to a variety of taco and burritos, this South Austin trailer serves all-day breakfast. So you can stay in bed all day binge watching Christmas specials and simply pretend it’s still morning by getting a bag full of breakfast tacos.
“Mariah Carey’s Merriest Christmas”| Cafe Blue
Where do we begin? Do we even need to? It’s Mariah Carey singing Christmas songs the way only Mariah Carey can. In other words, it’s glamorous and a gift for your ears. Since Carey’s favorite food is salmon we think it’s appropriate to pair her Christmas concert with a dish from Cafe Blue. The Cedar Plank Salmon is brown sugar-ancho chile crusted with blue crab butter sauce, served with rice pilaf and mint cucumber slaw. It’s all you’ll want for Christmas.
This classic 1942 Christmas movie staring Bing Crosby is perfect for the whole family and perfect to pair with Kerbey Lane’s seasonal family favorite gingerbread pancakes. Kerbey Lane has a changing fall/ winter pancake menu so get them while you can. For the full line up, click here.
The Knight Before Christmas / The Christmas Switch | Kebabalicious
Vanessa Hudgens apparently loves Christmas so much she agreed to do back to back Netflix original Christmas films. Last year, she played both the princess and the baker in The Christmas Switch. This year, she plays the not so damsel in distress who finds herself a real knight in shining armor in The Knight Before Christmas. Since they probably didn’t have cutlery in 1334, I decided to give an ode to the medieval times and pair these movies with something you can eat with your hands. The wraps at Kebabalicious are beyond delicious and you can’t go wrong with any of their choice proteins. No utensils needed but you might need some stretchy pants before diving into this pairing.
“Merry Happy Whatever” | Newk’s Eatery
This Netflix original series starring part-time Austinite Dennis Quaid is a quirky sitcom revolving around an eclectic family doing their best to balance life and each other, especially around the holidays. We have a feeling you’ll be binging this one while decorating or wrapping gifts so we suggest ordering from somewhere quick and easy like Newk’s Eatery. They have a little bit of everything on their menu chock full of fresh takes on classic favorites.
“Home For Christmas” | Amy’s Ice Cream
If you’re not into subtitles skip ahead. This Norwegian Christmas rom-com series is a sassy take on the traditional “I’m single during Christmas and my family is worried I’ll die alone so I’ll lie and tell them I have a boyfriend when I don’t actually have one” story. This sweet and funny series might leave you with a cliffhanger, but it’s a fun ride. And speaking of rides, why am I not meeting MY soul mate while cruising up a mountain on the ski lift?Oh, that’s right, because I live in Texas not Norway. Ski dates are pretty pointless here in the Lone Star State, but being able to eat ice cream in December is not. The beloved local Amy’s Ice Cream has a sensational seasonal menu and we highly recommend it. A pint or two will make you appreciate the small things as you contemplate your dating life.
“Sugar Rush “/ “Nailed It” / “The Great British Baking Show” (Holiday Editions) | La Patissere
Repeat after me, calories don’t count, calories don’t count, calories do not count. Watching anything revolving around the act of making food makes me want said food. So what’s one to do when you’re watching “Sugar Rush” or “The Great British Baking Show,” or even “Nailed It?” You make sure you have enough sugar around to satisfy your craving so you don’t become a savage beast of deprivation. La Patissere has a lot to offer someone taking on a baking show. We suggest ordering one of everything. Just kidding… or are we? To be fair there are three show we’ve mentioned and multiple episodes so you’ll have plenty on time. We suggest the, mille-feuille, s’more tart, and the salted caramel eclair – to start.
Let It Snow | Lucky Lab Coffee Co.
Critics are calling this the millennial version of Love, Actually because it gives you all the same warm and fuzzies. Following a group of high school seniors through a snowstorm is much more entertaining than you’d think. It’s got the drama, the laughs, the sass, and it’s pretty damn perfect. When we think about what we’d want in the middle of a snow storm, the only answer is hot cocoa. So we’re pairing this adorable holiday rom-com with a chocolate chip sea salt cookie and hot cocoa from Lucky Lab Coffee Co. And if you’re feeling up to it, add in a banana Nutella croissant. Who cares about the calories? To me, you are perfect.
A Christmas Prince / A Royal Wedding / A Royal Baby | Walton’s Fancy and Staple
You’re going to need a lot of food to get through all three of these Netflix original movies. Might we suggest Walton’s Fancy and Staple, because they too have a little bit of everything. Try their pastrami sandwich paired with the soup du jour (soup of the day, because who doesn’t love a surprise), followed up with the Golden Egg. It’s a nutmeg infused yellow cake dipped in melted butter and coated with cinnamon sugar. There you go! You’re covered with the sandwich for the first movie, the soup for the second, and the Golden Egg for the finale! Again, we must stress, calories don’t count during the holidays.
El Camino Christmas | Austin Beerworks
This Christmas, a drifter, a drunk, a reporter, and a single mom are about to have a wild ride as they are all held hostage inside a liquor store. Tim Allen plays the drunk which is a far cry from his role in The Santa Clause. We think Tim the Tool-man would definitely approve of you calling your best buds over and ordering a case of Austin Beerworks Pearl-Snap along with some chips and salsa from H-E-B for this fun action flick!
This Rob Lowe and Kristen Davis starring film has to be one of the most original holiday romance movies we’ve seen. It’s about a woman who suddenly finds herself on her second honeymoon in Zambia, divorced. Even more surprising, she later finds herself on an elephant sanctuary as the resident vet, alongside Rob Lowe. This feel good rom-com has us wanting to skip the holiday shopping and save the elephants, even if there isn’t a shirtless Rob Lowe involved. While Favor doesn’t have options in the downtown area for African food, we think this movie should be paired with something to spice things up. So why not try Tex-Mex-indian fusion. Nasha offers a wide range of options, all of which are delicious. We recommend the chili relleno plate which consists of chicken or lamb over tikka, or millionaires sauces served with rice and guacamole. This perfect blend of savory exotic flavors will make you want to ask Santa for your own trip into the wild.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms | Nuha’s Sinful Desserts’s
The classic Christmas ballet takes a turn to the dark side in this Disney version, starring Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, and Keira Knightly. We thought we’d pair this one with something sweet to take the edge off. The Wrath cookie from Nuha’s Sinful Desserts will make you want to get up and attempt the Sugar Plum Fairy dance. It’s cinnamon and nutmeg spiced batter sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and comes with a warning: “Beware the rage unleashed upon anyone who even lays an eye on your cookie.” Talk about SINnamon spice and everything nice.
The Christmas Chronicles | Merit Coffee
Gotta admit, Tim Allen has always been my favorite Santa. But Kurt Russell is coming in as a close second with a fresh take on the big man in the Netflix original Christmas Chronicles. Since this film give us the timeless warm and fuzzy Christmas feels, we’re going with something equally as timeless. That’s right, it’s Santa’s favorite: milk and cookies. Merit Coffee has classically delicious chocolate chip cookies best paired with the milk of your choice, whatever that may be. They have it all; almond, oat, coconut, and, of course, regular. If you’re looking for more of a pick me up, swap the regular milk in for a seasonal peppermint mocha or hot chocolate. The peppermint syrup is house-made and a can’t miss. Fair warning though, you cannot pay in candy canes.
Tree Man |Sway
This documentary follows a mans journey to sell Christmas trees on the streets of New York every year and it really helps you put the holiday into perspective. It’s a nice, warm, informative documentary for the days where you need something a little less scripted in your life. We think the perfect paring for something that says winter in New York is the Pad Thai Ki from Sway. It’s roasted chicken, rice noodles, tofu, egg, toasted cashews, bean sprouts, and thai basil. And the best part? Sway can make most of their meals gluten free upon request.
Fireplace For Your Home – Classic or Birchwood edition | Halcyon Coffee
It’s the holidays and you’re in Texas which means it’s most likely too hot to actually turn on the fireplace. If you love the idea of relaxing by a cracking fire, we’ve got your solution. Well, Netflix does. Netflix has two different “fireplace” options for you: classic or birchwood. So order yourself up a scrumptious s’mores hot chocolate from Halcyon, then grab a fuzzy blanket and pretend it’s snowing outside. You never know with this wacky Texas weather. It just might happen tomorrow.
That’s a lot of good movies and a lot of good food, with a little bit of something for everyone. We hope we’ve encouraged you to take a night off to try out our Netflix and Favor suggestions. If you’re new to Favor use LOLAH34SUS and get $5 off your first order.
Oh, and don’t forget, the whole calories don’t count thing. Save that struggle for January 2.
Featured photo logos courtesy of Netflix and Favor.
Looking for more holiday fun?
Check out these posts:
- Holiday Markets, Art Bazaars, And Fairs In Austin 2019
- Ring In The Season With These Austin Area Holiday Parades
- Holiday Lights Displays in Central Texas
- 15 Perfect Ways to Have a Very Merry Christmas in Austin
