The modern limitation of Christmas food to a specific set of dishes like turkey and sprouts is a relatively recent convention, as Christmas food was historically much more varied.

“One of the things that's really interesting about Christmas's past is how varied the meals were. Bearing in mind that now we are effectively told that we should all be eating turkey and Brussels sprouts and pigs in blankets which are really quite modern and there's not a lot of variety.”

The roast beef sandwich at Brennan & Carr is a historic Brooklyn institution that has maintained consistent quality since 1938.

“This is an institution. And as an institution, because of guys like Richie, because of the attention, the care, the respect for tradition, and knowing that they have a great product.”

Maintaining consistency in ingredients and preparation methods is essential for the longevity of a long-standing restaurant.

“No. So the secret here is consistency in this business is so important. We stayed the course as we say.”