My mom and I unknowingly started a tradition several years ago. We started going to dinner at Rick Erwin’s Nantucket Seafood. It’s been voted the best seafood in South Carolina. Yes, the food and service are always outstanding, but the real reason we go is to catch folks skating at Ice on Main in Greenville, South Carolina. For us it’s festive, fun and each year makes a special memory.

This year we got the best seat in the house. A seat by the window is my mom’s prerequisite. We’re the early birds and make a reservation at 5pm since the ice rink closes at 6pm on Christmas Eve. Sipping Prosecco and watching the skaters we laughed about when my mom fell backward like the Nestea plunge while looking at Christmas trees in the Courtyard by Marriott as we were leaving in 2016 and EMS had to be called to check her out. It wasn’t funny then, our first Christmas without my brother, but we laugh at it now.

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Each year we get the same thing. We split a salad and the trout entree. This year was no different. We dined on the Gourmet Greens salad with dried cranberries, toasted almond slivers, and Clemson bleu cheese (a nod to my brother). The trout entree changes slightly every year and this year the cornmeal crusted trout was served with cheddar-tomato grits, roasted crispy Brussel sprouts and drizzled with almond brown butter.

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Saving a little room for dessert, we really indulged this year. My mom said she hadn’t had a Baked Alaska in years, so we went for that. Our server Sean topped the dessert with a little Grand Marnier and lit it on fire. The flambé was an ultra-festive way to top off our dinner.

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Afterwards we strolled through the lobby of the Courtyard by Marriott to look at the trees. Don’t worry – I held my mom’s hand to ensure she didn’t fall. Our favorite was the patriotic tree. Since my dad and brother were both in the military, guess they really were with us on Christmas Eve!

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