Like most Americans, I have never dined out on Thanksgiving. After all, it is, traditionally, a homey holiday, where tradition is sacrosanct. We usually spend Thanksgiving at my brother’s house, with our extended family. But this year, all the birds have flown, the family is headed off to points south, and, for the first time, my husband, daughter and I are left to fend for ourselves.
So guess what? We’re going out. And I can’t wait!
If eating out on Thanksgiving is in your plans this year, and you are in New York City, here are a few suggestions for delicious food, a festive atmosphere, and big enough portions piled high on your plate to elicit that familiar gut-busting feeling! Also, a traditional Japanese Tea for Thanksgiving, to bookend the holiday weekend.
Waldorf Astoria New York Thanksgiving Brunch
Inspired by the Waldorf’s iconic Sunday brunch, the Thanksgiving Brunch is absolutely, utterly, deliciously over the top! Brunch stations include a raw bar, smoked fish, caviar, omelets, charcuterie, an exquisite array of cheese and, for those who appreciate a touch of Eastern Europe, blintzes!
If you are hungry for a traditional Thanksgiving feast, you can enjoy that, too: free-range turkey, with all the trimmings, plus a wide array of other meaty mains and fish: prime rib, honey-glazed ham, shepherd’s pie, lemon sole. And there is plenty to please vegetarians, too. Don’t forget about dessert, with over 50 sweet treats to choose from! $145 per adult, $70 per child ages 12 and under (plus beverages, tax and gratuity). waldorfnewyork.com/dining/
Bacchanal Thanksgiving Dinner
This downtown Bowery bistro, a favorite of wine aficionados, features the refined cuisine of Chef Craig Hopson, of Picholine and Le Cirque fame, who just came on board last month.
The three-course Thanksgiving feast begins with butternut squash soup, followed by choices that will leave you wracked with indecision: for appetizers, think roasted carrot with harissa, almonds, beluga lentils, sheep milk yogurt and kale salad; Long Island fluke crudo or chestnut pappardelle with duck and chanterelles ragout. The main course features a choice of turkey, grass-fed beef, wild striped bass with pumpkin chutney, or squash with buckwheat and apple cider miso broth.
Five incredibly yummy traditional side dishes are served family-style, as are four amazing desserts (pumpkin, apple, pecan pie and cookies). And what a deal, at $55 per person! bacchanalnyc.com
Kitano Tea Ceremony for Thanksgiving on Sunday November 23
Not traditional unless, perhaps, you are Japanese, and then, of course, it has nothing to do with Thanksgiving. But if you are looking for something unusual, this is it. Served in the Japanese Tatami Mat Suite, the ceremony includes two tea gatherings. Tea master Fujiko Sasaki will be pouring “thick” tea, a ritual ceremony drawing on the Japan Folk Crafts Movement. Edmond Papantonio will pour “thin” tea, or a “tea of imperfection.” Tickets are $50 and include one sitting of thick and thin tea, plus a cocktail reception featuring an open bar and hors-d’oeuvres from the Kitano’s Michelin-rated Hakubai restaurant including sashimi, sushi rolls, Japanese appetizers and petit fours pastries. Contact: rsvp@kitano.com to make a reservation.