Thanksgiving

photo by William Dalton

For those of you who have apartments that are too dang small to cook ~THANKSGIVING~ dinner, or just can't cook, here's a roundup of a few options around town. I also find the OpenTable list to be pretty extensive of what's open on turkey day.


Turkey and a View

EPIC Roasthouse is offering a multi-course dinner with Dungeness crab cocktail with avocado, pomelo, and cucumber salad and Meyer lemon aioli and radishes; caramelized butternut squash cannelloni with prosciutto, huckleberry relish, and blood orange vinaigrette; pan-roasted Maine scallops with ragout of sunchokes and cipollini onion, foie gras sauce, and fennel-pear salad; wood oven–roasted Branigan turkey with andouille stuffing, ginger sweet potato puree, black pepper cranberry sauce; and pumpkin gnocchi with chanterelle mushrooms, spinach, and chestnut sage–brown butter; desserts include warm apple tart with Tahitian vanilla whipped mascarpone; persimmon pudding and spiced pecans with Van Winkle bourbon ice cream and caramel sauce.

$85 per person (12 and under are $40), plus tax and gratuity. Supplemental wine pairing is $35. From 1:30pm–6:30pm. 415-369-9955.



Slow Food Thanksgiving

Americano is offering a three-course dinner with selections that include roasted butternut squash soup with toasted almonds, crème fraîche, and Dungeness crab; pear salad with little gem lettuce, arugula, gorgonzola cheese, and riesling vinaigrette; and Sausalito Springs watercress salad with Fuyu persimmon, ricotta salata cheese, and pomegranate vinaigrette. The main course includes a family-style Thanksgiving platter filled with all-natural heritage turkey, Brussels sprouts with lemon confit and chestnuts, Hog Island oyster and fennel sausage stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, and cranberry-orange relish. The sweet finish is a sampler of seasonal desserts.

Seatings at 2pm, 4pm and 6pm. $85 per adult and $35 per child (under 12). Wine pairings are an additional $25. 415-278-3777.



Mr. Miyagi's Thanksgiving

Ame will offer its regular menu in addition to a Thanksgiving Day tasting menu, featuring tuna tartare, roasted squash soup, seared Hokkaido scallops, turkey "porchetta," and pumpkin glacé with cranberry orange compote.

$85. 4pm–8pm. 415-284-4040.



I Don't Wanna Eat Turkey

Hate turkey? Want a steak instead? LarkCreekSteak is offering a prix-fixe three-course menu with multiple options. For starters, guests can choose from a little gem wedge, Sonoma Liberty duck terrine, or roasted pumpkin and hazelnut soup. Entrées include roast turkey with fennel sausage cornbread stuffing, certified Angus prime rib, or wood-grilled fresh fish. For dessert, there's old fashioned pumpkin pie, bread pudding, or apple-cranberry crisp.

$49 per person, $24 for children 10 and under, and there is no charge for children 3 and under. Seatings from 2:30pm–6:30pm. 415-593-4100.



Boozy Turkey

Palio d'Asti will be serving their third annual Italian-American Thanksgiving Feast, featuring chef Scherotter's famous bourbon and gin–braised turkey, grilled wild boar chops with sundried tomato tapenade, and a dessert buffet.

$59 per person, and children under 10 only pay their age. 415-395-9800.

510 Thanksgiving

Henry's at the Hotel Durant in Berkeley will be offering a Thanksgiving Day version of its popular "TV Dinners," with slow-roasted turkey with gravy, savory cornbread stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, house-made cranberry sauce, and sweet potato pie with cinnamon whipped cream, and a holiday mulled wine.

Only $19.95. 12pm–9pm. 510-809-4132.

(NOTE: Both Pican in Oakland and FIVE in Berkeley are doing Thanksgiving events, call to inquire about details.)



Turducken

You know you wanna try one. Chef/butcher Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats is offering specially prepared turduckens: a duck stuffed inside a chicken inside a turkey, all never frozen and free range. The birds will be stuffed with a chicken and duck sausage cornbread stuffing. The turduckens will be approximately 18–20 pounds and will feed 18–22 people, with some leftovers. Each bird is $250 and they require a 50% deposit via PayPal to process your order.

Each turducken comes with a electric thermometer and alarm probe in the center of the duck breast (the very center of the turducken); directions on how to cook it will also be provided. The turducken comes on a bed of root vegetables with assorted herbs in a roasting pan ready to cook.

The deadline for all orders is Sunday the 15th (act fast since they are only making a limited amount and they go quick). The birds are available for pick up only at their kitchen in Potrero Hill on Friday the 20th after 2pm, Tuesday the 24th after 2pm, or Wednesday the 25th after 2pm.

If you would like to order a turducken, email meat [at] 4505meats [dot] com to confirm and include the date that you would like to pick up. Once you have replied with the date, they will invoice you via PayPal for the deposit.



I Don't Want to Cook the Damned Bird

Here are a few Thanksgiving "please cook it for me" options I found:

Joanna Karlinsky's Sweet Jo's at the JCC will take pre-orders of holiday dishes to-go (the cafe will be open until 4pm on Thanksgiving). Sweet Jo's will allow you to pick and choose exactly what you want and how much of it you need.

Fine Foods at Home has a menu of side dishes available (available for pick up or delivery).

Debbie Does Dinner offers everything from potato chestnut soup to turkey and gravy; all available a la carte (the menu should be posted soon on her site).



Wondering what to pair with your turkey dinner?

Past tablehopper winos include Ian Becker and Carl Grubbs on what they like to pair with their Thanksgiving meals.

On Wednesday November 18th, Steve Sherman is hosting his 9th Annual "Wines for Turkey Day" at William Cross Wine Merchants (and there will be bird!). 6pm–9pm, $15 plus tax. 2253 Polk St. at Green, 415-346-1314.

Beau Timken has this piece about sake pairings.

Thanksgiving
Thurs. Nov. 26th, 2009

various locations