The big meal is coming up, and the cousins are flying in with nephews and friends of uncertain origin. No matter: They’re invited and they’ll all be here on (or about) Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27.
While in normal times cooking a big meal at home is possible if not enjoyable, this year’s ballooning guest list makes it all but essential to call in reinforcements and pick up a Thanksgiving meal in advance, in order to be ready for the holiday.
Barring a last-minute invitation from a friend with a larger larder (and table), there are basically two choices: order a pre-cooked turkey dinner from a local supermarket, or find a place to go for that Thanksgiving feast. In either case, order well in advance or make reservations now, if it’s not already too late.
Take-Out
Thanksgiving dinners at Big John’s include fresh-roasted Mary’s Free Range turkey, traditional bread stuffing, cranberry orange sauce, haricot vert (green beans), mashed potatoes, gravy and potato rolls. Dinner for 6-8 is priced at $180, or $25 for one; 1345 Healdsburg Ave., 707.433.7151.
Oliver’s menu is similarly traditional, with a medium Diestel Family Ranch turkey, holiday stuffing, mashed potatoes with chives, a “roasted vegetable medley,” gravy, cranberry sauce and pull-apart rolls. The meal is fully cooked but as it requires two hours of reheating, a roasting pan and instructions are included. Price is also $180 for 6-8 people though individuals can order from the ala carte menu. The closest Oliver’s is in Windsor, at 9230 Old Redwood Highway, 707.687.2050.
Molsberry, a Lakefield family market formerly in Healdsburg, is another local possibility. Unlike the other stores they don’t feature a Thanksgiving dinner ad, but a Nextdoor user helpfully reported, “Hi there! $199. 12lb turkey, 4 lbs of dressing, 4lbs mashed potatoes. I think it’s a pint of gravy, green bean casserole, soft rolls & 2 pumpkin pies. Plentiful with leftovers. Mon, Wed & Fri. It’s in their hot bar so you can try it out during the week if you’d like. Oh, and cranberry sauce!” 522 Larkfield Center, Santa Rosa, 707.546.504.
The inclusion of pumpkin pies in the Molsberry menu is interesting—the other markets offer pies separately and their bakeries vary, including Costeaux and Kotzwinkle.
Whole Foods is a national chain with a local flavor, but it doesn’t seem to have a single price for a Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, it has a “buying guide” page with such useful information as two pounds of turkey per person, one pie for four, two quarts of veggie sides for eight—a full spread sheet of the elements of the traditional feast broken into columns for scale. 390 Coddingtown Mall, 707.542.7411.
Even Safeway has a “homestyle turkey dinner,” and it’s only $80 for six to eight people. It includes the high-carb staples of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce, fully cooked but in need of reheating. The local store is at 1115 Vine St., 707.431.7102.
Dine-Out
Those all sound like the traditional turkey dinner that Norman Rockwell painted and grandma tells about her grandma making. But for those looking forward to escaping the kitchen altogether next Thursday, there are options:
Celebrate Thanksgiving with a festive buffet at Spoonbar on Nov. 27 from 1-7pm. It includes a blend of traditional favorites and modern seasonal flavors, including roasted Sonoma Pasture-Raised turkey, braised turkey legs, brioche stuffing with smoked bacon and chestnuts, autumn salads and “decadent” house-made desserts. $90, $45 for under 12. Spoonbar is located at 219 Healdsburg Ave., 707.433.7222.
Dry Creek Kitchen invites guests to craft their own three-course Thanksgiving meal with optional wine pairings. Appetizers include Hog Island oysters, pork belly biscuits or fall vegetable pie. For the main course, select from sage-roasted turkey breast, autumn squash lasagna, grilled Ora King salmon, balsamic braised pork shank or Painted Hills bistro filet. End the meal with “indulgent” desserts, including pumpkin cheesecake, a chocolate peanut butter bar or a cookie butter mousse bomb. $110, kids under 12 $55. Dry Creek Kitchen, 317 Healdsburg Ave., 707.431.0330.
Healdsburg’s newest destination restaurant is Folia Bar & Kitchen, at the just-opened Appellation Hotel from “OG celebrity chef” Charlie Palmer, as they call him. They offer both an in-house dining experience (good luck getting a table) and a take-home menu. The take-home is $150 for two: Waldorf salad, Heritage Diestel Ranch turkey, giblet sauce, green beans with chili crunch, Yukon gold purée, cranberry citrus relish, cornbread and more; pie is extra. The take-out dinner is $150 for two. The restaurant menu for Nov. 27 is similar, with a price of $115 per person, an optional wine pairing for $85; $55 for children under 12. 101 Dovetail Lane, 707.723.2130.
For the middle ground between dining out and cooking up the whole shebang, consider buying the menu a la carte, one plate at a time as it were. Especially if there are vegans or vegetarians at the table, the place to start might be Little Saint, the plant-based restaurant, coffee bar, wine lounge, etc. at 25 North St. Another choice is Shelton’s Natural Food Market where the deli always has a turkey-and-cranberry-sauce sandwich, and Diestel turkeys can be ordered in advance. 428 Center St., 707.431.0530.
