As we careen full-steam ahead into the holiday season, it can all start to feel like quite a lot. If you're looking for ways to minimize effort and yet still get maximum enjoyment out of Thanksgiving, at least, might I recommend letting someone else do the cooking?
It's only been in recent years that my partner and I have started claiming Thanksgiving for our own, a late-November Thursday to do what makes us most grateful rather than what forces outside our little bubble would thrust upon us. Sometimes that looks like a simple meal with friends, but lately we've taken to going out to eat on Thanksgiving, and it is, in a word, delightful.
Though it's hard knowing the staff and service people taking care of us on the holiday are missing time with their own loved ones, I take solace in the fact that not everyone elevates the holiday to the meanings others ascribe to it, and frankly, we're pleasant people to be around and we tip well, so win-win.
In Chicago, there is no shortage of options for allowing someone else to handle the holiday menu; below are a few recommended options, whether you're looking to cater or dine out.
Thanksgiving Catering
Farm Bar
A staple in Lake View for a reason, Farm Bar was one of my go-tos during the pandemic for great delivery options that are always fresh and unfussy. For Thanksgiving this year, order your pickup package ($150-$290 for up to 8 people) to include classics like herb-roasted turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, homemade pumpkin pie, and more.
Goddess and the Grocer
With a few locations (and iterations) around town, Goddess and the Grocer is the brand's sundries and food store with stellar Thanksgiving catering options. Of particular note, options include small portions for just two people (or, let's be honest, one if you're flying solo this year) and even a vegan menu if you need a meat-free holiday feast.
Daisies
With a Michelin star to its name, Daisies catering is the way to go if you have company to impress but still want to serve Thanksgiving dinner on your own special china. At $295 for four servings, the meal isn't exactly a steal, but it does include confit turkey legs and broccoli gratin, among other things. What's more, add in a sommelier-approved wine pack and dessert (including gluten-free pie options), and your holiday meal is covered from start to finish.
Tengoku Aburiya
Though they don't seem to be advertising their catering as such, the take-away menu at downtown's Tengoku Aburiya would give any Thanksgiving celebration the flair of the international. Skip the turkey and mashed potatoes and choose from pre-selected maki trays or create your own with plenty of selections of signature maki, bento boxes, and more.
Louella's Southern Kitchen
Channel your southern roots (or aspirations) and let Irving Park's Louella's Southern Kitchen bring the brown butter green beans, cornbread dressing, and peach cobbler to go with their turkey and other mains. With options to feed four or eight (with a whole turkey), Thanksgiving will be a holiday of indulgence if Louella's is invited.
Holiday Dine-In Options
Alpana
Whether you're an early holiday dinner diner or prefer to wait until a reasonable hour, Alpana in River North offers a three-course prix fixe menu ($85 for adults, $28 for children) available from 11:30 am through 8 pm. The holiday menu includes classics like roast turkey and pumpkin pie, but you could also opt for braised short ribs and raspberry sorbet or salmon with autumn vegetables and chocolate layer cake.
Hawksmoor
Skip the turkey all altogether and lean into Hawksmoor's European vibes with a Thanksgiving Roast; the in-house menu looks more like a British Sunday Roast—dry-aged prime rib with beef-dripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, roasted carrots, and more—and that's not a complaint.
Olio e Più
For Italian vibes, Olio e Più will offer a small but focused special menu (in addition to their full service) that brings Thanksgiving flavors to some unexpected dishes. There's a butternut squash tortelloni with brown butter and sage, for example, and a dessert that appears to combine the best of classic cheesecake and pecan pie. Second helpings welcome.
Tortoise Supper Club
One of the Loop's best-kept secrets, dining at Tortoise Supper Club feels like escaping to a time of dressing for dinner and drinks at the bar after. Served buffet-style, the approach might not be for everyone, but the spread more than makes up for it. There's a dedicated raw bar with oysters, shrimp cocktail, and tuna poke; a carving station with turkey, prime rib, and salmon; and a dessert table featuring key lime pie, bourbon spice cake, and an assortment of homemade cookies.
Shaw's Crab House
Enjoy something completely different with a holiday meal at Shaw's Crab House, where their $68 prix fixe menu includes options like a lobster bisque or seafood gumbo to start, Chilled Norwegian King Crab (an extra charge) "carved" tableside, and sides and desserts to complement the meal. Even better, opt for their downtown location or, if you have guests in town who don't want to be in the city, there's a Schaumburg option, too.
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