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Indulging at the holidays

At old-fashioned feasts, eat like a king or tycoon.

If you're in the mood to loosen belts as well as wallets, the holidays are the time to do it.

At madrigal dinners, channel portly Henry VIII in a Tudor castle settling. During Dickens dinners, wallow in 19th century England — the England of "A Christmas Carol,'' not "Oliver Twist.''

Which is to say, there's no gruel course. When I ate my way through the Victorian Progressive Dinner in the mansions of Dubuque, I dined on chicken salad in puff pastry, bisque, London broil and English trifle.

During the holidays, dinners at mansions built by early entrepreneurs — Capt. Frederick Pabst in Milwaukee, Chester Congdon in Duluth — are as sumptuous as the decor. But the frontier folk feasted, too; at Old World Wisconsin, guests will dine on delicacies favored by Irish immigrants.

Here are some of the best holiday feasts in 2009; reserve early.

Nov. 14-Dec. 19, Victorian House Tour & Progressive Dinner in Dubuque, Iowa: A five-course dinner will be held Nov. 14 and 28 and Dec. 5, 12 and 19 in four Dubuque mansions  decorated for the holidays: the 1856 Ham House, the 1873 Ryan House, the 1894 Redstone Inn and the 1908 Mandolin Inn. Cost is $48; reserve at 800-226-3369, Ext. 214. For more, see Feasting eyes in Dubuque.

Dec. 3-20,  "Fezziwig's Feast" in St. Paul. Diners are entertained by members of the Actors Theater of Minnesota on three stages of Wigington Hall Pavilion on Harriet Island, with live music. Tickets are $74.50, 651-290-2290.

Dec. 5-6 and 11-12, Madrigal Dinners in Bemidji, Minn. Singers at Bemidji State University create the atmosphere of a Renaissance feast in an English castle, with performances by the king's players, the royal court, beggars, minstrels and troubadours during a five-course dinner, $35. Reserve at 218-755-3406.

Dec. 5-6 and 12-13, Swedish Ethnic Holiday Dinner at Old World Wisconsin in southeast Wisconsin. A traditional celebration of dinner, music and dancing, 2:30-7:30 p.m., $65. This 576-acre complex of 10 ethnic pioneer farmsteads celebrates a different ethnic group at each year's holiday celebrations. Reserve at 262-594-2922. For more, see In search of Christmas past.

Dec. 12-13 and 19-20, Holiday Brunches at Glensheen Mansion in Duluth. Tours of Chester Congdon's mansion on Lake Superior, decorated for the holidays, are followed by brunch and a wassail toast, $27, $16 for children 6-12. 888-454-4536.

Dec. 12-13 and 17-22, Dickens Dinners at the Pabst Mansion in Milwaukee. It's a traditional English feast, with Charles Dickens reading from "A Christmas Carol.'' All-inclusive cost is $80-$89, $45 for children 12 and under. Reserve by calling Bartolotta's at 414-727-6980; for Pabst Mansion details, 414-931-0808. People who visit Old World Wisconsin or the Pabst Mansion get admission to the other site free.

Last updated on November 30, 2009