Dickensian festivities

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

— Ebenezer Scrooge

“A Christmas Carol”

With the weather dropping below freezing this December, thoughts have turned to all things holiday.

Here are some Charles Dickens-inspired choices for a splendid season:

Irish Dickens Dinner, Muldoon’s Irish Pub and Country Kitchen

Muldoon’s in Newport Beach has become well-known for its annual Irish Dickens Dinner, which takes the Victorian theme to the hilt, from bodices to bangers and mash.

“It just gets busier every year,” Muldoon’s General Manager Mary Murphy said. “We’ve been taking reservations since as early as springtime.”

The seasonal menu includes favorites like wassail (mulled wine with rum), Scottish smoked salmon potato pancakes, and Christmas duckling, and is available for lunch and dinner through Christmas Eve.

“All our servers are dressed in Dickens costumes,” Murphy said. Some have attended acting school, and bring a little something extra to the table.

The wood-paneled dining room is decorated to the hilt in antique- inspired swag like glittery pine cones and evergreen boughs. Warm chestnuts are served at each table, and the windows appear iced.

“We’re making it look like Ireland,” Murphy said.

Popular dates are filling up fast; to make reservations, call (949) 640-4110 or visit muldoonspub.com.

“A Christmas Carol” at South Coast Repertory

Ebenezer Scrooge is turning 30 this year, and he’s celebrating with local school children.

South Coast Repertory’s 30th annual production of “A Christmas Carol” will feature 16 young actors from the rep’s Theatre Conservatory and Teen Acting classes, along with many seasoned professionals.

The 16 kids alternate in eight roles through Dec. 26 at the repertory’s Costa Mesa theater.

“The actors and other artists who have been a part of ‘A Christmas Carol’ over the years are a very special group, most of whom return from season to season, so it’s great fun as we begin rehearsals to welcome the youngsters,” Director John-David Keller said.

He has directed every one of the productions since their inception, as well as acting in most of them; he likely could perform the entire show by heart.

Keller auditions the kids after they have completed at least one year in the repertory’s acting program.

This year’s troupe include Angeliki Katya Harris of Corona del Mar, and Benjamin Dilsisian, Charlene J. Geisler and Karl Schreyer of Costa Mesa.

For more information, call (714) 708-5555 or visit scr.org.

Strolling Carolers at Five Crowns

The grande dame of prime rib, Five Crowns in Corona del Mar, offers an old English ambience and a seasonal menu. Strolling carolers will perform nightly through Dec. 30.

The renowned restaurant, which opened in 1965, has earned the AAA Four-Diamond Award and the Mobil Travel Guide Four-Star Award.

It’s noted as the most authentic replica of an English country inn in North America.

For more information, call (949) 760-0331 or visit LawrysOnline.com.