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If turkey-baking and stuffing-making aren’t your thing, Northern Virginia restaurants can help.
Pick-Up & Take Home
Thanksgiving Wine Festival
Nov. 23, 12—5 p.m. What better way to bond with relatives than a little social lubrication? Impress your in-laws with your impeccable taste in wine by attending the Thanksgiving Wine Festival at The Wine House. With 25 wines to taste, you’ll be sure to pick just the right bottle or case for your family gathering. / The Wine House, 3950 University Drive Suite 212, Fairfax; $15pp.
Society Fair
If local is important to you, these Whole Heritage Turkeys hail from the Fields of Athenry Farms in Purcellville. Just pop your turkey in the oven per the included instructions, wait, and out comes a golden bird. Stuffing? Try Society Fair’s traditional sage variety. To make your meal more classic, pick up a green bean casserole and maybe some roasted sweet potatoes. Order by Nov. 16 and your bird comes with a bottle of red wine. / Final orders must be placed by Nov. 23. Society Fair, 277 South Washington Street, Alexandria.
Salud Pantry
Thanksgiving with all its pies, stuffing and biscuits can be difficult to the gluten-free. Salud gives you three options to decide where your turkey comes from, and a fourth if you just want the the breast. Ready-to-cook, your turkey comes with a local wine pairing, Tarara Vineyard Blush. There’s gluten-free stuffing and gluten-free pies from Goldilocks Goodies to round-off this meal with Shoofly Pie from Pennsylvania molasses, pumpkin and apple varieties. / Order by Nov. 14 for turkeys and Nov. 20 for the pies. To place your order, call 703-757-0120 or make your orders in-store. Pick up begins Nov. 24 and goes until the day before Thanksgiving, Nov. 27. Sides are available in-store. Salud Pantry, 1137 Walker Road, Great Falls.
Buzz Bakery
Pastry Chef Tiffany MacIsaac has officially covered the other Thanksgiving necessity: pie. Cinnamon whipped cream adorns classic pumpkin pie. Chocolate-bourbon pie becomes doubly decadent with chocolate whipped cream. Classic sweet potato pie is topped with cranberry jam and ginger whipped cream. Would you like that double gala apple pie a la mode? Home-spun ice cream with flavors such as toasted marshmallow and cookie dough are sold by the pint. But because you may need some side dishes before you get to the pie, Buzz Bakery will also sell ham and cheese scones and sweet potato biscuits. The Morning, Noon & Night Take & Bake Kit includes six sweet potato biscuits, spinach and Parmesan quiche and a pie of your choice. / Place orders by 72 hours before desired pick-up date. Buzz Bakery will have extended hours Thanksgiving week. Buzz Bakery, Multiple Locations.
Butcher’s Block
Have your bird fly from across the pond. Butcher’s Block offers a Kelly Bronze Turkey, imported from England and available for the first time in the US. But if you want to be patriotic about this Thanksgiving, eco-friendly turkeys from Southern VA are also available along with a pre-cooked spiral ham. Like with their restaurant BRABO, Butcher’s Block offers the potatoes pureed, either in the normal or the sweet potato variety. A hearty fennel sausage stuffing and fragrant vanilla-cranberry relish fill out the rest of your spread, along with the giblet gravy. Pear crostata, chocolate-pecan tarts and pumpkin pies—Any one could be the perfect ending to your Thanksgiving meal. / Orders must be placed by Nov. 20. To order, contact manager Chris Hall at 703-894-5253. Butcher’s Block, 1600 King Street, Alexandria.
Red Apron
Chef Nathan Anda prepares turkey two ways, ready to take home and pop in the oven. Buy the birds either fresh or brined, prepared in Anda’s mix of fennel, coriander, black pepper, lemon, bay leaf, salt, sugar, pepper flakes and garlic. These Animal Welfare Approved Heritage Turkeys come in four different sizes, but for those who want to mix it up this year, Anda has also prepared brined pork rib roast. Because Thanksgiving meals are clearly incomplete without sides, Red Apron also offers mashed potatoes, savory bread pudding, Brussels sprouts with pancetta and a cranberry mostarda made of the dried berries and mustard seeds. Other accompaniments include gravy—a Thanksgiving necessity—and herb with truffle butter. / Online orders can be placed until Nov. 25 along with a desired pick-up location and time. In-store pick-ups start Nov. 22. Red Apron will have extended hours Thanksgiving week. Red Apron, 8298 Glass Alley, Fairfax.
Purple Onion Catering Company
Why settle for having just the turkey and the stuffing you have every year when you can have a new and innovative Thanksgiving dinner? Begin with cauliflower soup shooters and petite doughnut sliders filled with roasted turkey breast, brie and cranberry mayo. While Purple Onion Catering focuses on interesting sides such as a roasted beet stack with goat cheese and walnuts in a black pepper and honey vinaigrette, they are also providing non-turkey entrees, such as seared sea scallops with a truffle potato stack and an apple pie braised short ribs. All your desserts come in fingerling sample sizes. / Orders will take at least 48 hours to prepare. Place your orders by Nov. 25. Pick-up will run until Nov. 27 at 5 p.m. Food is prepared and ready to eat with instructions on how to heat. To order, call 703-631-0050, place your order at info@purpleonioncatering.com or use this online form. Purple Onion Catering, 416 Maple Avenue West, Vienna.
Bayou Bakery
You don’t want the family getting antsy while waiting, so give them pre-meal nibbles. Bayou Bakery offers candied spiced pecans with Creole seasoning and buttermilk biscuits with a choice of ham-ful or ham-less in two sizes. Cornbread muffins pair great with the cranberry-orange preserves. So what about the post-meal, the other star of Thanksgiving, dessert? Chef David Guas offers sweet potato pie and a bourbon chocolate-chip as well as the classic pecan. For those who prefer savory pies, there is a bacon and cayenne option. / Orders must be placed by Nov. 25. To order, call 703-243-2410. Pick-up orders by close of business on Nov. 27. Bayou Bakery, 1515 N. Courthouse Road, Arlington.
Dine Out
Goodstone Inn
Instead of staying home, take your family on a quick trip to the country. Goodstone Inn overs a four-course meal with “Fixin’s for the table,” that include the traditional mashed potato, stuffing and vegetable casserole sides. Diners start off with a sunchoke soup followed by a second course and then a main course with choices such as turkey (of course), filet mignon and Chilean Sea Bass. Along with pumpkin pie, homemade vanilla ice cream with pear crisps or a cheesecake pumpkin ice cream with chocolate-hazelnut palette are among the options. / To reserve, call 540-687-3333. Goodstone Inn, 36205 Snake Hill Road, Middleburg; $85 for adults, $45 for children under 12.
BRABO
While traditionally-inspired, the Thanksgiving dinner at BRABO gives the holiday classics a gourmet twist. Chef de Cuisine Harper McClure’s pumpkin soup has fried Brussels sprout petals, Argan oil and even duck confit. The Eco Friendly Broad Breasted Turkey gets dressed up with a roasted breast and a leg that gets turned into confit. Mashed potato opts to be pureed while the Brussels sprouts come seared, all with a side of giblet gravy. If for some reason you’re sick of pie, the Kabocha Squash Cake might be more to your taste, graced with the presence of roasted apples, coconut sherbet and pomegranate bubbles. Still craving autumn? Try the pumpkin creme brulee, topped with Chai spiced cream and hazelnut macarons.
Chima
Why limit the stuffing? Eat an unlimited amount of roasted turkey with gravy and other meats such as lamb and filet mignon, served via rodizio by Gauchos. Sides such as stuffing and mashed potato will also be available on a salad bar piled with items both hot and cold. Traditional Brazilian drinks such as Capirinha will also be available. / Chima, 8010 Crescent Dr., Vienna; $52.50pp, not including dessert and beverage; For reservations, call 703-639-3080.
2941
For those who don’t believe in eating meat, 2941 has a dine-out option for you. The prix-fixe meal gives diners three courses with three choices in the appetizer section, ravioli or crostinis and roasted vegetables as the entree, and enough desserts to make you salivate. / 2941, 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church. Vegetarian prix-fixe meal $45pp; Standard prix-fixe meal $65pp; Children’s menu $25pp. Standard deposit of $25. To make reservations, call 703-270-1500.
Wildfire
And now, a gluten-free Thanksgiving menu. Enjoy a prix-fixe menu with four courses and two sides, with starter choices, salad options, then turkey, salmon or New York strip roast. Side options include the classics, and dessert features are pumpkin pie, chocolate flourless cake or fresh berries. A portion of the proceeds go to Food for Others, an organization dedicated to bringing food to local families in need. Make your reservations fast, though, as there are few spots left. / Reservations are made on a first-call, first-serve basis. Call 703-442-9110 or go to the website to make reservations. Wildfire, 2001 International Dr, Second Floor, McLean.
The Liberty Tavern
Slots are filling up fast for this smorgasbord. The Liberty Tavern’s buffet starts with a huge selection of breakfast items, including house-smoked salmon, stoneground grits and even an autumn squash soup. As the day passes and morning becomes lunchtime, they begin serving helpings of turkey breast, confit turkey leg, salmon fillet and even mulled apple cider. Finish the meal off with as much pie as you want, in any—or even every—flavor: Apple, pumpkin, pecan, pear cranberry, chocolate chess and chocolate chip cookie dough. For those who want more confined portions, there is a breakfast and lunch a la carte menu. / To place your reservation, call 703-465-9360 (recommended to know all available time slots) or make your reservation at OpenTable. The Liberty Tavern, 3195 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington; $30 for adults, $9 for children.
Jackson 20
Celebrate the power of choice this Thanksgiving. Jackson 20 lets you decide on a prix-fixe meal or the buffet in their Paris room. The prix-fixe meal has three courses in a Southern style as the turkey is accompanied by slow country roasted ham and house made pimento cheese ravioli. An optional wine pairing comes with the prix-fixe menu for $25. Prefer all-you-can eat? Get ready for Virginia roasted ham, glazed sweet potato hash and lots and lots of pie with whipped cream. Feel like something’s missing? Don’t worry: Roasted turkey is also on the buffet menu. / For reservations or more information, call (703) 842-2790. Jackson20, 480 King St, Alexandria, VA; Prix-fixe: $50pp, Buffet: $45 for adults, $20 for children 12 and under.
Tuscarora Mill
Tuskie’s puts the entire meal together in one big package. Not only do you get an herb-roasted turkey with sausage sage stuffing and Madeira turkey gravy, but a whole spread with cranberry sauce, whipped potatoes, green beans with almonds, glazed carrots, Caes ar salad, and pumpkin pie—unless you want a different seasonal one. To start off your meal, this Thanksgiving package also includes ciabatta bread. Want to get into some holiday spirits a little early? Get to Tuscarora Mill between 10 a.m. and noon for a wine tasting with the sommelier. / Orders must be placed by Nov. 25. To order, either use this form or call 703-771-9300. Pick up is on Thanksgiving morning from 10 a.m.—12p.m. Tuscarora Mill Restaurant, 203 Harrison St., Leesburg.
Vinifera
Get soup, salad and dessert with your main course at Vinifera’s prix-fixe meal. Going from 12—7 p.m., you can choose whether to have your Thanksgiving goodies for lunch or dinner. Soup-lovers can enjoy a butternut squash or wild mushroom soup for their first course, unless they prefer a more solid toasted brioche crouton. Salad options include beets, spinach or a Caesar. While the expected turkey and fancy steak are of course options for the main course, vegetarians will find a welcome choice in the artichoke and goat cheese ravioli. Pumpkin and pecan pie are available, but so is a blueberry strudel. / Reservations not required but recommended. To reserve, call 703-234-3550. Vinifera, 11750 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston; $55pp.
Harrimans @ Salamander Resort
Head south for the holiday. Salamander Resort’s own Virginia Piedmont Grill, Harrimans, serves up a lobster and mascarpone crepe and cider braised acorn squash. Where’s the turkey? Paired with a Virginia ham, glazed in wildwood syrup. Though there’s pumpkin and pecan pie for dessert, consider trying the sweet garlic beignets for something different. / Harrimans, 500 North Pendleton Street, Middleburg.