Though this year, many folks are looking toward tradition and the comforts of home, the idea of spending hundreds of dollars and several days in the kitchen just doesn’t always make sense. Especially if you’re a crummy cook. Take the stress out of the holidays by letting someone else do the work.
BiteClub dishes on where to go and what to eat...
Have a favorite holiday tradition or spot I’ve missed? Add your thoughts below.
BEST VALUE
Stark’s Steakhouse: Roast Willie Bird Turkey, Chef Mark’s Andouille Sausage & Wild Mushroom Stuffing, Traditional Giblet Gravy and Pomegranate-Cranberry Relish for just $18, or the usual steakhouse menu (except burgers and entree Caesar salads) from 3 to 7pm. No corkage on the holiday. Thirsty? Three new fall cocktails are on the menu: Bootlegger’s Breakfast, The Warm Up, and Moroccan 75 (a refreshing fave of BiteClub). 521 Adams St (at 7th St.), Santa Rosa, 546-5100.
Estate: Chef Sondra Bernstein’s new family-style Italian restaurant in the former General’s Daughter offers a 3-course menu w. optional wine pairing ($50/adult; $20/child under 10). 2-7 pm. Menu includes prosciutto and pumpkin soup, Blue crab spaghetti, sugar pie pumpkin ravioli with sage butter, roasted turkey, pumpkin cheesecake. FULL MENU (PDF). 400 West Spain Street
Sonoma, 933-3663.
Rancho Nicasio Thanksgiving Dinner: Three course dinner from 12 to 7pm, reservations recommended. Menu includes homemade clam chowder, turkey, ham, salmon Wellington with champagne sauce, prime rib, pumpkin, apple or pecan pie. $34.95pp, 29.95 65+, kids under 10, $24.95. Three course vegetarian option available by reservation. FULL MENU. On The Town Square, Nicasio, 415-662-2219.
Girl and the Fig: Bon Appétit names this Wine Country institution one
of their Top Ten Thanksgiving Restaurants. 3-course menu w. optional
wine pairing ($50/adult; $20/child 10 & under). Menu includes: heirloom apple, endive and pomegranate salad, wild mushroom
strudel, roasted turkey and turkey leg confit, brown butter Bartlett
pear tart. FULL MENU. 110 W Spain St., Sonoma, 938-3634.
Willie Bird’s Restaurant: Family-favorite
serving up local Willie Birds. Full holiday turkey dinner along
with other menu items. Reservations required and most are nailed down
well in advance, but some walk-ins accepted. Open until 8pm. 1150 Santa
Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707.542.0861. Can’t get in for Thanksgiving:
Grab a turkey Monte Cristo on Black Friday.
MOST INDULGENT
Madrona Manor: Michelin-starred chef Chef Jesse Malgren does annual
four-course turkey dinner for $71pp. Call ahead for seating between 1:30
and 7:30pm. 1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, (707) 433-4231.
Central
Market: Seventh annual Thanksgiving dinner, three course meal with
holiday favorites. $60pp, kids under 12, $20. Menu: Spicy Hog
Island clam and pumpkin chowder, housemade duck ham, Diestel turkey,
shortribs, pecan pie, sugar pumpkin pie with Mexican caramel. FULL MENU 42
Petaluma Blvd N., Petaluma, (707) 778-9900
John Ash and Co.:
Traditional turkey dinner from Chef Thomas Schmidt. Call for
reservations. 350 Barnes Rd., Santa Rosa, 707.527.7687
Bardessono:
A traditional Thanksgiving menu served family-style ($55/adult) at this
luxe new resort, 6526 Yount St., Yountville,(707) 204-6000
Carneros
Bistro: Chef Janine Falvo’s three course fixed price dinner; $55
(Choose from two apps, three entrees and three desserts), 2 to 8pm. 1325 Broadway, Sonoma, (707) 931-2042.
Sassafrass
Restaurant: Thanksgiving dinner seating from 1 to 6pm for $45
per person. Check out the menu
http://www.sassafrasrestaurant.com/HTML/events.html. 1229 North Dutton
Ave., Santa Rosa, 578-7600.
Mosaic Restaurant & Wine Lounge:
Chef Tai will prepares a gourmet 5-course meal with all the traditional
trimmings.6675 Front St., Forestville, 887-7503.
Domaine
Chandon: Dine at this recently Michelin-starred Napa restaurant at
Domaine Chandon. Chef’s Thanksgiving Tasting Menu (3-course $75/person;
$95 w. wine pairing, 5-course $90/person; $110 w. wine pairing).
Children’s options available. Menu includes: Oyster and caviar service,
venison terrine, roasted chestnut soup, Liberty Farms Duck Breast,
Turkey, Sweet potato cheesecake: Full menu (PDF). 1 California Dr, Yountville, 944-2892
(Restaurants: Want to add yours? Email me.)
Slow Food Russian River: There are only about 50 left Heritage turkeys left, one of the most flavorful turkeys you’ll ever put on your table, hand-raised by local 4-H kids. Download the order form here. For more information about our SFRR/4-H Heritage Turkey project,
Zazu/Bovolo/Black Pig: You cook the turkey, Zazu does the rest. A la carte sides with flair including Black Pig Bacon (for your left over BLTurkey!); Cranberry & Quince Chutney; Riesling Gravy, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, maple and browned butter yams, cornbread stuff, pumpkin and ginger cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin spice gelato. All orders must be received by Friday, Nov. 20 for pick up on Wednesday at ZAZU restaurant + farm, 3535 guerneville road, santa rosa from 3 to 9pm or at BOVOLO, 106 matheson street, healdsburg from 12 to 6 pm. Call 707.431.2962 to place your order.
Pearson and Co: Mix and match everything from sides to stuffing. Menu includes: Butternut Squash Soup, turkey, ham, garlic mashed potatoes, root vegetables, green beans, wild rice stuffing, breads, pies and more. All orders must be placed by Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Some additional items will be available first-come first-served Wednesday (11/25) and Thursday (11/26). MORE DETAILS.
Wanna Know What BiteClub Loves Best? Check out: Best Pies in SoCo and Quest for Pumpkin Pie
Mom’s Apple Pies will be open 10am to 3pm on Thanksgiving day. Expect lots of pumpkin. Order ahead if you want something different. 4550 Gravenstein Hwy. North, Sebastopol, 707-823-8330
Humble Pie: If you’re a fan of Miriam Donaldson’s pies at the funky Humble Pie in Penngrove, you’ll have to get in line this Thanksgiving. She’s only making 35 of her precious confections for Turkey Day, and they’ll sell out fast. The good news? You can still get them the rest of the year. Early birds can get their holiday pie at humblepiepenngrove.com.
Desserts By Emily: Emily Nagen is the new pastry chef at the Schellville Grill in Sonoma, and her cheesecakes are some of the best I’ve had in recent memory. She’s doing some super-secret pre-orders of her pumpkin whiskey, vanilla bean, pumpkin, lemon, lime, chocolate, peppermint, butterscotch and Bailey’s desserts (in addition to regular cakes and other goodies) via email or phone: dessertsbyemily@gmail.com or 479.9532.
Betty’s Bakery: The newly opened Betty’s Bakery (next door to
Betty’s Fish and Chips) is a butter-scented slice of flaky heaven.
Though best known for their fried fish and fries, co-owner Susan Corso
has been making pies since she was a girl. Her lush Lemon Cloud and award-winning peach-raspberry pies are already well know, but this week she’s started baking a light and airy pumpkin will win your heart.
The bakery opens at 8am each morning and features muffins, cookies and
purse-sized pies (so you don’t have to share) daily. 4046 Sonoma Hwy.,
Santa Rosa, (707) 539-0899
* Whole Foods: Thanksgiving hours are 8am to 2pm.
* Safeway: Most locations: 6am to 12pm
* G & G Market/Santa Rosa: Closed on Thursday
* Olivers: Montecito, Stony Point, Cotati, open from 7am to 3:30pm
* Pacific Market: Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Rohnert Park: 7:30am to 2pm.
OTHER THAN EATING
Save a Turkey Trot: A 5k run-walk at Analy High School in Sebastopol to give thanks. Registration at 8am on the 27th, race starts at 9:30. More details. Price: $25 for preregistration ($35 on day of event); $15 for 18 and under (no late fee); Kids 12 and under race or walk for free.
Terbriskafil: You’ve heard of
Terducken? How about the Kosher version with turkey, brisket and
gefilte fish that’s become an Internet sensation after the character of
Howard on CBS’s “Big Bang Theory” gives credit to his mom for making it
each year. It’s “not as good as it sounds” according to Howard. File under: “No Thanks”.
thanks for the blog. This was mega refreshing.
What about community dinners on Tksgvg? Anyone know anything?
I second that!
Apologies to Jesse. I actually know better. I need to stop trying to write my blogs at 4am in the morning.
Jeffrey Madura is the Chef at Jeffrey’s Hillside Cafe in Santa Rosa. Jesse Mallgren is the chef at Madrona Manor. John Ash & Co. with Chef Tom Schmidt is serving traditional as well as non-traditional fare on Thanksgiving for $58.
I’m a traditional, at home with family, hands-on cooking kind of guy. However, if my car explodes traveling to the motherland, I will surely take aforementioned suggestions into consideration. Bottom line, on Thanksgiving, cook at home with your family and/or friends when the opportunity presents itself.
I had the WORST thanksgiving meal EVER at John Ash a few years back. I hope things have changed since then, but I’d check before going there. Although there were other menu items, I ordered the turkey dinner since hey, it was thanksgiving. What I received was a couple of slices of turkey, literally like 3 pieces of zucchini and carrot, and a slab of stuffing. When I say slab, I mean it. The stuffing was literally a perfectly formed rectangle of what tasted like (I kid you not) Stouffers. The dish is indelibly printed in my memory because of the pure shock of receiving such measly portions that were not even up to par in standard with a meal at Lyons (I am not a fan of Lyons). And then there was dessert. My sister and I ordered pumpkin ice cream. Yum we thought! We were so looking forward to dessert after this inadequate meal, but when our waiter brought our plates out, on each was what looked like a little pool of melted ice cream and a big dollop of whipped cream. We were confused, so we called the waiter over and said – “it looks like there has been some kind of mistake – I think the chef forgot to bring our ice cream out.” The waiter apologized and said he’d bring the ice cream out. A few minutes later, he did and…this is NO joke…the ice cream was in a little white paper container the size of one of those little paper cups that you spit in in the dentists office. The really little cups….a couple of times bigger than a thimble, maybe 1/3 of the size of a cupcake liner. They hadn’t forgotten the ice cream after all…it had just melted into a little tablespoonful that was hidden by the whipped cream.
This experience was witnessed by my entire family on the one year that we decided to go out on Thanksgiving. It is family legend now but I have not stretched the truth one bit. We will never again eat out on Thanksgiving and I’d hesitate before spending good money to eat at John Ash.
Jimtown Store in Healdsburg does a great Thanksgiving menu for pick up the day before (turkey’s too).
You can see it on their website: Here or Facebook: Here
One of the best Thanksgiving dinner’s I’ve ever had was at The Villa…..I’ve been gone from Santa Rosa for a couple of years now, so don’t know if it’s still there, but it was great food and great service too.
Jack & Tony’s will be serving Turkey Meals with all the fixing for $22 per person, all day on Thanksgiving day.
What a great deal…
I am making a reservation right now…
Jack & Tony’s will be serving Turkey Meals with all the fixing for $22 per person.
What a great deal…
I am making a reservation right now…
I found the Heritage turkey information on the Slow Food website. Thanks for mentioning Slow Food, 4-H Project and Heritage turkeys–the best turkey ever!
HELP! I was thrilled to see information about Heritage turkeys….but the info is incomplete and the link does not work. Can someone provide contact info for reserving a Heritage turkey? Thanks!
One year we didn’t make plans so we took a change on Willie Bird Restaurant…it was great! Down home, no frills just good turkey dinner with all of the fixins