<< previous   next >>

pot luck

“The Strong Buzz Guide to Thanksgiving Dining”

There’s probably no better holiday than Thanksgiving for people who love food. But if you're ready to sit this one out, and sit back and have someone else brine the bird and perfect that pumpkin pie, The Strong Buzz team has put together a number of recommendations, from family-friendly options to higher-end dining experiences (and a few choices in between). Just remember to pick up the phone or hop online to a reservation early — that way you can just sit back and truly enjoy everything you’re thankful for this year.

 — Bao Ong 

 

Fatty ’Cue
Where: 50 Carmine Street in the West Village, 212-929-5050; www.fattycue.com.
On the menu: Thanksgiving is made to be a communal dining experience. If you’ve been to Fatty ’Cue, you know the food is meant to share (and that you may need to bring those looser fitting pants). At the recently-opened location in the Village, a family-style tasting menu will be available for $85 per person (doesn’t include tax and tip). You’ll want to book early either for the 4 or 7 p.m. seatings on Thanksgiving. Your palate gets teased with oysters for an amuse bouche before you jump into multiple courses — which include ham, kale salad, poached chicken and smoked eggplant and of course a Heritage turkey with a number of sides.
 
La Promenade des Anglais
Where: 461 West 23rd Street (close to 10th Avenue), 212-255-7400, http://www.lapromenadenyc.com/
On the menu: Dining at Alain Allegretti’s recently opened La Promenade des Anglais is like taking a gastronomic tour around the south of France. For the Thanksgiving dinner, $65 per person, you can take advantage of a four-course meal. There’s the French touch in dishes like the autumn cassolette to jumpstart your meal before moving on to dishes like a mushroom risotto before you choose among entrees such as a hanger steak, Arctic char and roasted turkey. The desserts are very French with a choice of a chestnut pot de crème and warm chocolate fondant or pumpkin pound cake. Bon appetite!
 
Neely’s Barbecue Parlor
Where: 1125 First Avenue (East 62nd Street), 212-832-1551, http://neelysbbqparlor.com/
On the menu: Cooking a Thanksgiving meal in a New York apartment is often a tough proposition. Deep-frying a turkey? Forget about it. Leave it to a restaurant like Neely’s Barbecue Parlor, especially if you want a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that you can pick up and that easily feeds four people (all for $160). Besides that juicy deep-fried turkey, you also get eight side dishes and dessert. Think buttermilk biscuits, cornbread dressing with country sausage and roasted squash laced with honey. You can pick up your order as late as 8 p.m. on November 23. If you’d rather dine in the restaurant, which is great if you have kids, there’s a $29.95 three-course menu with slow-smoked turkey. Or you can stick with barbecue classics like Memphis-style baby back ribs ($25.95).
 
Burger and Barrel
Where: 25 West Houston (near Mercer Street), 212-334-7320, http://www.burgerandbarrel.com/
On the menu: If you feel like Thanksgiving gets a little stuffy with all the traditions surrounding the big meal, we’d suggest going to Burger & Barrel in SoHo. We love the burgers here and laid back vibe. For Thanksgiving, you’ll get a touch of the traditional side but it’s a little more playful. From noon to 10 p.m., you can order off chef Josh Capon’s menu, which features not only an herb-roasted turkey but also turkey tacos with crispy braised turkey and jalapeno salsa and a Long Island duck breast with spaetzle. Instead of pumpkin pie, there’s a warm cheddar apple pie for dessert among the options.
 
Prime Meats
Where: 465 Court Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, 718-254-0327, http://frankspm.com/
On the menu: One thing I’m grateful for on Thanksgiving is that I’m not a vegetarian. Sure, it’s gotten a lot better for my non-meat eating friends during this holiday, but eating no turkey is like not having cake for your birthday. Prime Meats is one place where you can get a good protein fix. While the regular menu will be served on Thanksgiving, there’s also a special three-course menu that day for $40 per person (tax and tip not included). This meal isn’t meant to leave you in a tryptophan-induced food coma, though. There’s an apple-chestnut soup or fall fennel salad with a heady juniper vinaigrette to start before you dig into an all-natural roasted turkey breast served with seasonal side dishes.
 
Saxon & Parole
Where: 316 Bowery (at Bleecker), 212-254-0350, www.saxonandparole.com
On the menu: A lot about Thanksgiving these days is about serving food that’s local and organic. Executive chef Brad Farmerie took a step in that direction when he recently opened up Saxon & Parole. For Thanksgiving, between 1 and 9 p.m., you can enjoy a $75 three-course meal that includes a carrot and ginger soup with chili marshmallows, a slow-roasted turkey and pumpkin mousse cheesecake. There are a number of side dishes, like Brussels sprouts with chili caramel, available, too.
 
Park Avenue Tavern
Where: 99 Park Avenue (39th Street), 212-867-4484, http://www.parkavenuetavernnyc.com/
On the menu: Midtown East or even the edges of Murray Hill aren’t exactly hotbeds of good restaurants, so why would we point you to Park Avenue Tavern? Their Thanksgiving deal is not only budget friendly, but the food is dependably good. The prix-fixe menu for adults is $35 and only $15 for children under 12. It’s a traditional holiday feast with all the fixings — turkey, roasted butternut squash soup, pecan pie. The barrel room downstairs is especially worth checking out with its booths that have their own table taps featuring a number of special beers for the holidays.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

<< previous   next >>

Posted: November 20, 2011

Share ! Post a comment