Not everyone wants to spend Christmas afternoon in the kitchen cooking a feast for family and friends. Not to worry—there are options. You can enjoy fine dining with a view of the ocean or you can scan the take-out menu at local shops.

On the Waterfront

Rain or shine, enjoy oceanfront dining at Aquarius Restaurant, at the Dream Inn by the wharf in Santa Cruz. The regular menu is reason enough to make this your Christmas Day destination, with inventive dishes such as Dungeness crab wontons, wild mushroom strudel and short rib pappardelle. But for Christmas, Aquarius will also serve roast turkey and prime rib, both with all the fixings.

General Manager Paul Padilla couldn't contain his enthusiasm for the pan-seared halibut, a regular item on the menu where, Padilla says, "Santa Cruz meets Germany."

As Padilla described it, "The halibut is pan seared to lock in the beautiful flavors and juices and sprinkled with sea salt and black pepper. Then, for the piece de resistance, the fish is placed on a bed of wilted cabbage salad with bacon, meaux mustard [similar to dijon only grainier] and a house-made sherry vinegar."

The restaurant uses fresh and local products whenever possible, including local, sustainable seafood.

Aquarius will be serve on Christmas Day from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

For the Carnivore

For more casual dining, try The Hindquarter, where "the elite meet." The restaurant will serve from its regular menu of pastas, fish and shellfish, and house-smoked meats and chicken. And it will also feature some specials, including French onion soup, a baby greens salad with warm goat cheese, prime rib, baked ham and two fish specials—panko-crusted mahi mahi with fresh mango salsa and sprinkled with macadamias, and broiled salmon served on a bed of fresh, organic spinach and topped with lemon-crab buerre blanc.

The Hindquarter will be open Christmas Day from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Get in Line

For an elegant yet relaxed buffet with gorgeous views of Santa Cruz, head up the hill to Chaminade. Its buffets are legendary, and you can expect the spread on Christmas Day to be just as scrumptious.

For the first course, you'll have the choice of such tasty treats as Castroville artichokes in a caramelized shallot vinaigrette with a spicy chipotle aioli; local farm tomatoes and mozzarella drizzled with pesto vinaigrette; baby spinach salad with candied pecans, crumbled gorgonzola and cranberries; and an array of fresh fruit.

Seafood includes whole poached salmon, king crab legs, mussels and smoked salmon. There will also be a seafood gumbo.

Further down the buffet line, you'll find entrées of prime rib, roast turkey, honey-bourbon glazed ham, mushroom duxelle-stuffed chicken breast with porcini cream sauce, vegetarian ravioli and a variety of side dishes.

There's also a kid-friendly buffet that includes mac-n-cheese.

Both kids and adults will happily dig into the desserts—all displayed on the buffet so it's even harder to decide which one (or ones) to choose.

You can enjoy Chaminade's buffet on Christmas Day from noon to 6 p.m.

Take it Home

If you're feeling like cozying down in your own home but aren't up to the task of cooking, check out the menus for take-home dishes at Whole Foods and New Leaf Markets.

Whole Foods has a special Christmas menu of baked goods and prepared meals and sides such as roast turkey and a New York roast, butternut squash soup, Dungeness crab and brie mac-n-cheese, and broccoli-cheddar potato gratin.

New Leaf has a full menu of holiday favorites with an organic twist as well as appetizers that include smoked trout with horseradish, sweet butter and fresh dill on rye crackers; brie topped with toasted pecans and drizzled with maple syrup, fresh mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto, drizzled with olive oil and garnished with diced roasted tomatoes; and blue cheese with fig spread on toasted baguette.

Both markets are closed Christmas Day, so order early and pick up your order the day before Christmas.

Whether you're eating at home or dining out, I wish you a delicious and happy holiday meal!