If you’re intent on attending the enormous annual Montage Tree Lighting event on Monday, Dec. 1st, allow me two small pieces of advice that will make the entire evening a most excellent affair for you.
Tip #1. Go early. The event begins at 4:30 p.m., and if you’re there (especially with your family and kids) before 5:30 p.m., you still have an opportunity for actually strolling the grounds without crowding, kibbitzing with Montage personnel at various food and drink stations, and positioning yourself for the tree lighting, which occurs after 6:00 p.m.
Tops #2. Plan on eating across the street. The Starfish Asian Cuisine folks figured out early in the game that they were the closest restaurant in proximity to the Montage Resort. This was both a blessing and a curse, especially in that first year of unexpected (somewhat panicked) discovery.
Now, the Starfish Asian peeps have this evening down.
They offer their usual happy hour (Opium Hour) menu to any and all interested parties, even though it’s a substantially crazier night in sheer volume of visitors at Starfish. And, this year as an added plus, they’re continuing to honor their Industry Night standard, which allows anyone in the industry (hotel, restaurant, etc.) to bring a guest and enjoy the entire cocktail menu and dinner menu at 50% off.
Given the sheer volume that Starfish will be handling this coming Dec. 1st, this is actually quite a gift to the community.
For me, Starfish Asian is a very welcome retreat from the marauding crowd and the packed-to-the-gills restaurants on the Montage grounds during the tree lighting event. Granted, the Montage Resort handles as many dining guests as possible on this grand evening, and they are graceful to the end … the Starfish solution is simply another alternative you might want to consider. To arrange an actual reservation with Starfish, call (949) 715-9200.