By Joy Donovan
Photos courtesy of Grapevine CVB
‘Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the home
Not a parent was smiling but was eager to roam.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
And Mom and Dad hoped not to be there.
Moms and dads who are asking Santa for a breather, a little time for fun and even more time to relax, here’s your list. You can check it twice and then decide whether being naughty or nice even matters. Find a sitter for the weekend, and let the visions of sugarplums, uninterrupted dinners and some no-kids fun be your Christmas present to yourselves. Ditch the holiday clatter and spring from your home to fun that matters in Grapevine, officially the Christmas Capital of Texas.
The three-day, two-night “datecation” begins at Hotel Vin, Marriott’s Autograph Collection boutique hotel perched right on Grapevine’s historic, walkable Main Street. Inside the lobby’s polished woods, the hotel pays tribute to Grapevine’s wine-soaked culture with an outstanding wine collection, pouring everything from Texas reds to international winners for visitors. Drop the bags, breathe out the stress and remember the little darlings at home are someone else’s problem.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of fun danced in mom’s and dad’s heads.
Just a short stroll away, Mac’s on Main welcomes parents, along with lively business clients and girls’ night out groups, with the menu from Rena Frost, chef and owner. Her lineup includes fresh seafood, steaks, prime rib and the signature Mac’s Salad of crisp greens, bleu cheese and a light vinaigrette dressing. Parents can choose a cozy table for two or a more social bar-stool perch, where the barkeepers keep the drinks flowing and the TV keeps the game on.
After dinner, wander back to Hotel Vin to hit the Holly Jolly Bar, a festive pop-up at the hotel’s Third Rail. The festive cocktails, live entertainment and a merry crowd make the holiday spirit mandatory for jingle bell rocking. Staying up until 2 a.m. here does not involve assembling toys.
DAY 2
When out on the street there arose no clatter
No one need worry, there was nothing the matter.
Away to the window, I gazed with no flash,
Grateful for time to restfully crash.
So, Saturday morning, the mom and dad can awake at their luxurious leisure, then stroll to nearby Bon Bon Cafe, 603 S. Main St. Its blue and white tiles give a nod to its chic Italian inspiration, and the TVs along the walls offer a chance to catch up on the daily news or the sporting events. Choosing an Americano, cappuccino or latte is a good start with a lilting “Buongiorno” before choosing from the omelet bar, a continental-style cart. On weekends, there’s a five-ingredient omelet for $19.95 or an optional beverage addition of cappuccino, mimosa or bubbles for $25. Then there’s the indulgent pastry choices — croissants, torta della Nonna, muffins and biscotti. At Christmastime? A cup of hot chocolate could add to the Saturday morning splurge.
Fueled by coffee and hotel-quality sleep, our couple can take time this first morning to dabble in creative pursuits without a preschooler “helping.” At Vetro Glassblowing Studio and Gallery, 701 S. Main St., the fire burns hot enough to give Santa pause.
Inside the studio, a 2,000 degree furnace stands ready for Mom and Dad to blow their own glass ornaments. Coached by artisans, people can choose their colors to make molten glass into a souvenir from the weekend. Reservations are required by registering at vetroartglass.com/glassblowing/public-events, and for $70 per person, these parents can walk out as proud of their ornaments as any toddler with a glittered paper chain.
Then that afternoon, our couple can stroll to lunch at Weinberger’s Deli, the award-winning corner deli of Grapevine. Owned by second-generation sandwich chef Dan Weinberger, this Grapevine institution of almost a quarter century stacks sandwiches that sometimes draw a line out the door. Forget the PBJs the kids probably are smearing on their faces; the parents can choose from an exhaustive list of subs, classic Reubens and Italian Beef. Want to channel your inner toddler? Go ahead and ask for something special, and Weinberger’s will indulge.
Now it’s time to create a personal Hallmark Movie moment. Hand-in-hand because the parents are tossing their heads back, laughing at each other’s jokes just like they did before being sleep-deprived, they glide to Peace Plaza Ice Rink, 815 S. Main St., at Grapevine Main Station. With a towering Christmas tree — just like in the movies — anyone, even parents, can ice skate for $20. And, yes, the ice rink’s sponsor actually is Baylor Scott & White Medical Center. Oh, the irony, let these parents toss back another laugh, and vow not to break anything or to break up.
His eyes—how they twinkled! Her dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, her nose like a cherry!
Her cute little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the man of the house said it was time to go.
After a day of holiday festivities, dinner on the town awaits at Dino’s Steak and Claw House, 342 S. Main St. Here, a vintage bank building has been transformed into a hideaway romantic enough to forget carpool schedules and lost soccer shoes. Inside, old-school tradition gets a holiday glow with a sleek black granite bar for pre-dinner cocktails, then a uniformed server welcomes diners to white-tablecloth elegance.
The Christmas tree, of course, is part of the decorations, but the real holiday magic comes from the grand piano where a pianist plays holiday favorites. Dinner choices here can be difficult since the menu carries such dishes as rack of lamb, Atlantic salmon, Chilean sea bass and Dino’s signature Seared NY Strip. It’s an evening definitely worth arranging to nab that babysitter at home with the little darlings.
Finally, before the night gets tied up in a Christmas bow, our couple walk to Main Street’s decorated gazebo hoping to hear a strolling musician, be dazzled by Christmas lights and to grab a quick pic. Social media eagerly awaits its posting.
DAY 3
Sunday morning begins with toasting each other “Joyeux Noël” with one of the bottles of champagne that pop all morning long at the cozy French bistro, Chez Fabien, 316 S. Main St. A favorite of locals, the popular brasserie features warm wood floors, red banquettes and a long bar where they go through 15 cases of French sparkling wine every weekend. The lucky couple will of course score a table in the back room with the glowing neon sign “La Place des Bisous,” the place of kisses. Certainement, omelets and quiches are on the menu, but not to be missed are the almond croissants and hot cup of coffee served in a proper cup and saucer.
They spoke some kind words, and went straight to their work,
And filled all the stockings; who wants to be a jerk?
Naturally, shopping Grapevine’s numerous boutiques is mandatory therapy for any guilt about leaving children behind for a weekend. The retailers, who compete against each other for who decorates best in this, the Christmas Capital of Texas, are filled with books, toys, clothes, home décor and a lot of Texas memorabilia. Certainly, seeing what’s available will help Santa know what to bring those children nestled all snug in their beds.
But one more educational stop remains on the three-day agenda. To be the most popular couple on the holiday party circuit, Mom and Dad must learn the “world’s best party trick.”
Thanks go to Holly Donnelly, owner of Off the Vine Wineshop & Cellar, 324 S. Main St., who teaches the willing how to saber a bottle of bubbly. Tasting six sparklings is part of the adventure, but learning how to open a bottle with a saber is the high point of these two-hour, 2 p.m. Sunday classes. Reservations are a must for these classes, which vary in price from $65 per person to $95 per person, depending on the wines served. Sabering is an impressive way to end a fun datecation, and maybe the mom and dad are beginning to miss those darling children all snug in their beds. It must be time to spring into their four-wheeled sleigh, to the top of their own porch and dash away all. Mom and Dad, revived and recharged, are ready to take on the season, relaxed, happy and all the batteries included.