Homegrown Angelenos and those who skip the travel are rewarded with empty freeways and easier-to-nab dinner reservations, plus a rare almost-stillness that feels akin to the season’s first snowfall (this native Southern Californian is guessing as to what that actually feels like).

As for where to soak in the holiday spirit, you’ll find it at the most anticipated food event of the year — the reveal of The Times’ 101 best restaurants list by critic Bill Addison, held at Rolling Greens on Tuesday, Dec. 5. You might even feel it at a restaurant in or near your favorite shopping destination (because what could be more miraculous than indulging in a delicious meal after facing holiday crowds?). Or perhaps the solution is to skip town to Riverside for a day of festive lights, good food and small-town charm.

Here are 25 more ideas for how to fill your dining and drinking calendar this December, including a Cypress Park patio serving vegan Levantine cuisine, a downtown sandwich shop that marries Mexican and French influence, and a Studio City wine bar that’s hidden in a plant shop.