Looking for a different kind of sustenance this holiday?
Check out our guide to Thanksgiving Eve bar and club events.
We bet whipping up a Thanksgiving feast brings sheer bliss to the kind of people who subscribe to Martha Stewart's magazine and TiVo the Food Network. But the rest of us—those of us with a Chinese takeout number on speed dial—dread the dance of whipping up a turkey dinner with all the fixings. To our luck, we can give thanks for living in a city full of restaurants willing to do all the stuffing, carving and baking for us. Just be sure to come as prepared as a pilgrim; most of these spots require reservations.
Bin 36
It's a bit amusing when a restaurant bills its Thanksgiving specials as "all American" but then churns out items that you need to speak French in order to pronounce correctly. Nonetheless, we're sure the roast turkey consomme, duck confit rillette and salmon and crab coulibiac at Bin are mighty tasty. And for those of us not armed with a Francophile's lexicon, there's also prime rib, rotisserie turkey, butter whipped potatoes and apple and hazelnut stuffing. For dessert, score slices of warm date pudding cake and pumpkin pithivier (that's got to be French!). All of it will only set you back $40 (that's American dollars) for adults, $19 for kids, and it runs from 3 to 9 p.m.
Birch River Grill
Even if your culinary skills rival those of Charlie Trotter's, chances are you wouldn't labor over a Butternut Squash and Kentucky Bourbon Bisque for round one at your family meal. But that's exactly what'll kick off your experience at Birch River Grill, along with an Autumn Salad studded with toasted pecans and poached pears. Naturally, the highlight of the three-course feast will be the free-range turkey breast, though the pumpkin pie will vie for your appetite as well. Bring the kids along for $12.95; adults cost $22.95 and reservations are recommended. Dinner served from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Chicago Diner
Those vegans act fast! The vegetarian-friendly Thanksgiving dine-in meal at this diner has already sold out, but you can still get the meatless goods to go. Trust us; nothing will make your Boulderite, Birkenstocks-wearing niece happier than a big plate of tofu turkey or "Beefy" Wellington, made with seitan, mushroom pate and tofu filling. You can even score a raw plate for the ultra-health conscience, complete with an herb loaf with wild mushroom gravy and cranberry relish. Call or order online.
Cyrano's Bistro & Wine Bar
Fool your friends into thinking you're a regular Julia Child by getting Thanksgiving dinner to go from this French spot. The six-course meal costs $39 a person, and all eats come pre-cooked and ready for reheating. To place an order, email chefdidierdurand@yahoo.com. Yep, that's right; it's the chef's private email address, which can only mean that he puts as much thought and care into sides like potato lyonnaise, corn meal and barley cake as he does when treating his customers. And, should you so choose, you can bypass turkey altogether and opt instead for duck or chicken.
Dine
Dine had us at the andouille sausage-cornbread stuffing, but they took us one step closer to total Thanksgiving nirvana buy serving up pumpkin cheesecake with, get this, a pecan crust and cinnamon ice cream. Squash soup and turkey breast round out the $24.95 per person ($16.95 for 12 and under) meal, available from noon to 10 p.m. And for those who say "bah humbug" (wait, wrong holiday) to the festive eats, Dine's regular menu will be offered, too.
Fairmont Chicago
Locavores are a particularly grateful bunch, provided they've got their pick of locally grown produce and organic goods. These eco-conscience eaters will find the perfect to-go meal, with items like organic mashed potatoes with Wisconsin cheddar, free-range turkey and fresh organic butternut squash bisque, at the Fairmont. All the green buzz words are there, but Green City Market-inspired chef Brad Parsons isn't just talk. The Thanksgiving-at-Home package costs $195; call (312) 565-6665 to place an order all the way up until 3 p.m. the Wednesday before. You can have it all delivered for an extra charge or pick it up in the hotel's lobby from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Fireplace Inn
From the outside, Fireplace Inn looks like it jumped the holiday gun: The exterior is already bedecked in red bows, white lights and pine tree garland. But owner Dick Novak and his crew haven't completely over looked Turkey Day, and will dish up a special menu of turkey served with dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie. The bird and all the fixings will cost you just $17.95 per adult, $12.95 for children under 12. Barbecue fanatics can still score the restaurant's acclaimed ribs, as well as all items of the standard menu, too.
Harry Caray's (Rosemont)
Can you imagine having Harry Caray over for Thanksgiving? "Holy Cow!" he'd exclaim, and then grandpa would chime in with the too-tired joke, "No, Harry, that's a turkey." The great announcer may be gone, but his spirit lives on through a feast of hand-carved turkey ($27.50) or prime rib ($37.50, with endless access to a doozy of a side buffet—think sausage stuffing, sweet potato mash, roasted cremini risotto and so much more. Children under 12 get a discount. Note to west suburban dwellers: The same meal is available at the Lombard locale.
Karma
Karma's Asian-inflected cuisine doesn't exactly get you thinking about pilgrims and pumpkins. But in honor of the holiday, it traded pad thai for a buffet of maple-glazed ham, cranberry sauce and all the other usual Turkey Day suspects (including the turkey, of course). It runs noon to 8 p.m., with adults costing $18.95 and $11.95 for kids ages four to 13. Tots three and under are free, and reservations are suggested.
Meritage Cafe & Wine Bar
If the pilgrims had Maine lobster at the first Thanksgiving, they likely would've never left the East Coast. And you might not leave Meritage after indulging in the crustacean, along with pumpkin bread pudding and cranberry-stuffed quail, not in the least of which will be because you're too full to move. At least the meal runs until 8 p.m. (starting at 2 p.m.) so you may be able to squeeze in other $55 go around.
O'Donovan's
This is one of the iffy events that either falls into the dining category or the bar one, depending on what you consider sustenance. This cozy neighborhood pub opens at 7 p.m. on Turkey Day and offers plenty of drink deals for your uncle who has a propensity to pound a few post-feast. Specials like $2.50 PBRs, $5 Barcadi Bombs, $2 Wild Turkey shots and $4 hot glogg will pair splendidly with a menu of burgers, quesadillas, nacho and other bar eats—just like mom used to make. The kitchen stays open till 1 a.m., should you stave off a food comma for that long.
Park Grill
A day spent ice skating in the shadow of the Bean (aka Cloud Gate), followed by a gastronomic feast at a nearby eatery overlooking the city's skyline. Talk about an idyllic way to spend the holiday! Park Grill, a restaurant smack dab in Millennium Park, will serve up inspired fare, like duck ravioli with mushrooms and leeks, citrus-tinged beef short ribs and roasted bass with lobster mashed potatoes (talk about a genius combo), all Thanksgiving long. Prices range from $19 to $29 for entrees, and all items are served a la carte.
Pops for Champagne
It's nice to find a restaurant that doesn't go over-the-top, slinging more Thanksgiving-specific eats than any plump pilgrim could choke down. Pops keeps things simple by adding a few special items to its standard menu, all of which will be available from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. If you haven't quenched your pumpkin fix by nighttime, you're covered here: Pumpkin risotto, pumpkin ravioli and pumpkin bread pudding are on the table. Entrees run $12-$14.
Powerhouse Restaurant and Bar
This yet-to-open eatery promises to be in business just in time to bring in the high rollers on Thanksgiving. The four-course meal from chef John Peters (of Naha, Alinea and Trio fame) starts off the same for everyone with the ubiquitous squash soup, but then lets diners customize their meals by choosing between a salad and risotto for the second course, and options ranging from a $55 whole roasted turkey with sage stuffing to a $74 bone-in rib eye for their entree. Bonus: Take your pick from dessert options like pumpkin panna cotta and pecan pie. The meal is available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
SushiSamba Rio
SushiSamba has never opened on Thanksgiving before, but it's taking its chances this year by offering its usual menu from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., along with a couple special eats that won't scare off grandma.(The same can't be said for Sawagani, tiny, fried, spider-like river crabs listed under "aperitivos".) For $25, you can order a whole free-range poussin, aka a Cornish game hen, that comes with sides as sweet as cornbread stuffing and collard greens. End your day with a Cornucopia Surprise, a dessert of squash, vanilla ginger glaze and pie crust, topped with ice cream.
Viand
Hands down, the best part about dining at Viand from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Turkey Day is its six pie dessert sampler. Let us repeat: six flaky slices of pure goodness. Pair that with an antipasto buffet of numerous salads and starters and entree choices like pork loin stuffed with mushrooms and cheese and honey mustard-glazed ham, and you may never need your turkey baster again. And, as if it couldn't get any better, it'll only set you back twenty-four big ones ($10 for kiddies), leaving you with plenty of cash to blow on Black Friday.
Zed 451
This suburban spot is relatively new on the scene, but it's already learned one important lesson: Kids won't eat things like vanilla blanched green beans, Granny Smith coleslaw, turkey with port wine giblet gravy and goat cheese lamb chops. That's why it'll serve up chicken fingers, mac and cheese and other tot-friendly fare, making this truly a dinner fit for the entire family—including your uncle with a propensity to tipple, as specialty cocktails include a vanilla-pomegranate mojito. Adults cost $42.50, $12.50 for kids ten and under, and it runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Looking for a different kind of sustenance this holiday?
Check out our guide to Thanksgiving Eve bar and club events.
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