Nut-Free

"I was making breakfast at home one morning, and my son suggested using croissants for the French toast instead of bread," says owner Michael Stein. The swap was such a hit with his family that the dish soon made the restaurant menu. Stein is thrilled that the dish caught the eye of our young reader: "Sometimes you just have to let the kids have their way."

Serve these pillowy rolls along with our Holiday Ham with Riesling and Mustard (click for recipe) and set out bowls of your favorite mustards. Double the recipe for a large crowd–or, if you want to forgo baking your own, brush store-bought rolls with the egg wash, sprinkle with caraway salt, and warm them in the oven.

Kurt Gutenbrunner, the New York City chef and author of Neue Cuisine: The Elegant Tastes of Vienna, gave us this Wiener Schnitzel recipe for perfectly crisp, golden veal cutlets.

You'll want crusty bread for sopping up this San Francisco fish stew.

If you manage to have any leftovers, this moist spice cake makes a nice afternoon treat with a cup of tea. For an extra-tart garnish, serve with Citrus-Cranberry Compote (click for recipe).