Once upon a time I celebrated Christmas Eve with the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Part of our Italian family tradition, we gorged ourselves on seafood that consisted more of crustaceans than actual fish. Although it has been years since I have celebrated the holiday with my extended family, and thus years since I've had one of those feasts, I went looking for something equally unique this past Christmas. My mom was coming to visit for the first time in several years.

I couldn't find an ideally located Italian restaurant serving up Seven Fishes (not from where we had to walk in the bitter cold anyway). But I did come across the Mediterranean restaurant Avila, which had its own take on traditional holiday fare.

Each of five courses in Avila's Christmas Eve prix-fixe menu ($65.00) represented five Mediterranean countries' traditional cuisines, as described below.

But before I dive into the menu, let me set the scene.

My mom and I were being do-gooders, volunteering at The Hale House on Christmas Eve. After an hour or so of lively holiday trivia with several adorable elderly folks, we walked over to Avila near Boston Common. A block away from the entrance -- which we could not find -- we were approached by an inebriated homeless man, who somehow guessed correctly that we were New Yorkers. It must show on our faces. He walked with us the rest of the way. This would have been fine except for the fact that, in his excited-to-talk-to-someone state, he repeatedly grabbed me and my purse, which is enough to put any chick walking on the deserted streets of Boston on a cold winter night with her petite, somewhat fragile mother a little on edge. By the time we finally found the door and walked into the restaurant, I was ready for a drink and had one in hand about 60 seconds later.

I should also note that the valets got a kick out of the whole scene. They smirked and pointed to the door when I asked, over the rambling of our new campanion, where we enter the restaurant. I'm so glad we provided some entertainment. I wonder if these are the same guys would would take your 1961 Ferrari 250 MG for a joy ride.

Back to the alcohol. I ordered said drink -- a sangria -- at Avila's large drop-shaped bar, which is the biggest draw for this restaurant. It's a wide, warm-toned wood bar with all the alcohol stationed in the middle. You can catch a game on the flat-screen TV, peruse the unique cocktail menu as you lean back in your comfy bar stool, order some apps at one of the small bar tables along the windows or maybe canoodle on the lounge benches if you're into that sort of thing. (It seems a bit like a place where someone would be caught "canoodling.") The lighting was dim and relaxing, and the bartender was quick to serve, though not pushy when we needed more time to decide.

The cocktail menu was intriguing. So intriguing in fact that Foodie Mom ordered the Pickle Tickle Martini, made with Gherkins. I would have liked to see a little more creativity with the name, but anyone who likes pickles will certainly know what they're getting, and enjoy it.

After about 20 minutes, the hostess asked if we were ready to be seated. I could have easily stayed at the bar, but we were ready to eat, so off we went to the land of white table cloths and primary color paintings. 

The paintings did add some pop to the room, but it's just one big open room with a few mirrors to make it seem longer. I didn't get that happy, jovial, warm holiday dining sort of feel -- at all. The crowd was equally stuffy. The dining room faces out onto Charles Street and our table, in the middle of the room, faced out onto other couples and small groups facing us. I kept my head down or faced toward my mom through most of the meal to avoid eye contact with the people along the window. I could have done without that seating arrangement, but the alcohol was kicking in so I let it go and hoped the waitstaff would bring us some holiday cheer.

No such luck. Our stiff waiter only came by once per course. The rest of the time, we were waited on once by a pleasant woman who seemed like a manager, and several times by various men bringing and taking away food. I never really got a good sense for any one person's helpfulness or personality because so many people were running around. One man who delivered most of our dishes was the only one who happily humored my mom's need for some chit chat about how good the food was. He was my favorite for that sole reason. 

It was Christmas Eve! Loosen up. I could have done with a bit more interaction, especially considering it's a Mediterranean restaurant. Our waiter didn't seem happy at all, so I wonder if he was missing out on his own festivities.

Now, I think you've read far enough, so I'll get to the food itself.

I enjoyed the mixed bread basket, though no one bread stood out as a strong option to fill the basket alone. Foodie Mom sure enjoyed it. She even spoiled her appetite for the five-course meal to come.

First Course in Portugal: Tomato Manilla Clam Soup with Parsley Croutons

Holiday note from the menu: "On Christmas Eve in Portugal, families come together for a supper called 'Ceia de Natal.' Instead of hanging stockings, each child leaves a shoe 'sapatinho' by the chimney to be filled with treats."

Quick review: Solid A. I loved this soup. It was jam packed with clams, tomatoes and spices. Definitely something I would order again on a cold winter night... at the bar.

Second Course in Greece (above): Phyllo Wrap Tuna Rolls with Warm Eggplant Puree and Baby Mache Salad

Holiday note from the menu: "On Christmas Even in Greece, children go from house to house and sing kalanda, the Greek equivalent of carols. In return, they receive treats. Christmas trees are decorated with presents that remain on the tree unopened until New Year's Day (St. Basil's Day)."

Quick review: B-. I love tuna rolls, I love phyllo and I like eggplant. Put all that together and I should have enjoyed this dish more than I did. The problem for me was that beneath all that tasty tuna was a smoky mayo that overwhelmed the mild flavors of everything I normally enjoy. I would only order it again without that dressing.

Third Course in Spain: Cherne Fish with Saffron Paella Rice and Chorizo Mayo

Holiday note from the menu: "The Spaniards refer to Christmas Eve as la Nochebuena ('the good night')."

Quick review: B. Another mild flavored dish, the Cherne fish was light and pleasant, but once again the mayo killed it for me. Without the mayo, which I scraped off, it easily would have rated higher.

Fourth Course in France: Duck Confit Cassoulet with Surry Country Sausage, White Beans and Baby Brussell (above, right)

Holiday note from the menu: "Christmas Eve traditions in France include midnight mass. Afterward, families gather for a nighttime feast called le Revellion... the culinary high point of the season."

Quick review: A-. A stew of juicy duck, sausage, beans and brussells, this dish was delicious. At this point of the meal -- and after several full portions of food -- I was so full I barely ate any. That doesn't mean I didn't want to! I loved this dish as did Foodie Mom, though she pushed a good amount of brussel sprouts to the side. She never eats her vegetables.

Fifth Course (Dessert!) in Italy: Ricotta Tart with Sauterne Marinade Berris (below)

Holiday note from the menu: "In Italy the very important Chrismas Eve meal is completely meatless and consists of 7, 9 or 13 fish dishes. Children receive gifts from Babo Natale (Father Christmas)."

Quick review: A+. Being an Italian, of course I'd love to end this meal in Italy. Forgetting entirely that I was full to the gills, I cleaned my plate of this light and tasty tart. 

Talk about eating. We practically rolled out of the restaurant, at which point I noticed it was located in a cold, nondescript building. No wonder I had such a hard time finding it.

Overall the meal was good and I doggy bagged the duck stew because I hated leaving so much behind. But, considering the less-than-lively holiday waitstaff, the fact that the valets did not start me off on the right foot, the face-to-face seating arrangement, and the few dishes that I had to scrape apart because of one dollop of mayo, I'd say it was just an ok place for us to spend our Christmas dinner.

We probably should have just driven into the North End and knocked on some doors until some family let us in.

If you give Avila a shot, I would start at the bar, stay put and not expect too much of the people.

Avila is located at One Charles Street South in Boston's Theatre District. To make reservations call (617) 267-4810 or visit OpenTable.com.