cooking 101.

planning a holiday soirée? make it a show stopper by taking the parish: foods & goods holiday themed cooking class. on tuesday, december 8th, join exec chef nick melvin as he teaches how to make cajun-inspired holiday dishes such as "million dollar eggnog," melted brie, creole shrimp and crab dip and chocolate cayenne truffles. the one-hour class costs $40 per person and includes a glass of bubbly during the instruction. december 8th. 240 north highland avenue NE. at inman village. 404.681.4434. www.parishatl.com

tea'd off.

there's no better time to resurrect the age-old (but still elegant) tradition of afternoon tea than the holiday season. until december 30th, the st. regis atlanta will convert its afternoon ritual into their inaugural holiday event ($38pp, $42pp with a glass of champagne). guests sit in front of fireplaces in the stunning long gallery to sip on hand-selected teas while pastry chef ryan wells serves holiday treats such as shortbread snowflake cookies, miniature gingerbread men, white chocolate and coconut snowmen truffles and vanilla panna cotta with peppermint gelée. got the time? enjoy a glass of bubbly and celebrate the season even more. 88 west paces ferry road. at paces ferry. 404.563.7910. www.stregisatlanta.com

mistletoe and holly.

the only thing better than a huge christmas feast is one you don't have to prepare yourself. head over to restaurant eugene on christmas eve to enjoy a four-course dinner prepared by chef linton hopkins. each diner will have choices among the chef-selected courses, and when it's priced at $85 per adult, there's no denying it's the most wonderful time of the year. december 24th. 2277 peachtree road. at peachtree memorial. 404.355.0321. www.restauranteugene.com