If the mere thought of menu planning stresses you out, leave the Thanksgiving Day cooking to the pros. Here’s a rundown on where you can pre-order Thanksgiving feasts to-go and Triangle restaurants that will be open Thanksgiving Day.
THANKSGIVING TO-GO
PoshNosh Catering
Hummingbird chef-owner Coleen Speaks is offering a full Thanksgiving meal to-go through her Raleigh catering company PoshNosh, available for pre-order through November 18. The menu is available a la carte or the full menu can be ordered for $35 per person (minimum of ten people). Highlights include spatchcocked herb-roasted turkey, pink peppercorn cranberry sauce, grit dressing, curried maple sweet potatoes, and pumpkin chess bars. View the whole menu here and email sales@poshnoshraleigh.com to place an order.
Acme Food & Beverage Co.
Carrboro’s Acme Food & Beverage Co. recently launched Acme To-Go, a take-out service that features a takeout menu of chef Kevin Callaghan’s homey Southern cooking, all served family style. They’ve thrown an a la carte Thanksgiving menu into the mix—turkey by the pound, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and whole pies—which can be pre-ordered here through November 17. Acme is also open Thanksgiving Day for dine-in (see below).
Driftwood Southern Kitchen
At Raleigh’s Driftwood Southern Kitchen, chef Nunzio Scordo and his team are offering a pre-prepared Thanksgiving feast for pick-up. Feasts serve 6-8 people ($150) or 12-16 people ($280); all feasts include smoked turkey breast, mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, bacon green beans, cranberry sauce, gravy, rosemary biscuits, mixed house salad, and pumpkin pie. To pre-order, click here (through November 17).
OPEN THANKSGIVING DAY
CHAPEL HILL & CARRBORO
Acme Food & Beverage Co.
The best Thanksgiving hack we heard about is how one Acme regular reserved a table for the dine-in Thanksgiving prix-fixe (soup or salad, entrée, including a classic Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings, and a dessert) and pre-ordered Acme To-Go’s Thanksgiving menu so they can have leftovers too. The restaurant serves around 450 people every Thanksgiving Day from 12:00 to 8:00pm so reservations go quickly; we hear there are a few tables left for small parties and that walk-ins are welcome for dining at the bar or on the patio (weather permitting).
Il Palio
Il Palio at Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill will offer a prix-fixe, four-course Thanksgiving menu; highlights include 500-day-aged Prosciutto di Parma, caramelized mushroom tart, roasted heritage turkey with apple fontina bread pudding, and a Videri chocolate torta. The cost is $75 per person; call (919) 918-2545 to make reservations.
DURHAM
Counting House at 21c Museum Hotel Durham
Chef Thomas Card is bringing back Counting House’s popular Thanksgiving buffet at 21c Museum Hotel Durham from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m. The menu includes cold dishes such as heirloom squash with roasted honey crisp apples and chicory; hot dishes such as sorghum glazed fried turkey and braised short ribs with Parmesan polenta; and desserts such as apple galette and pumpkin pie from pastry chef Nicole Lourie. The cost is $80 per person ($40 for children under age 12) call 919-956-6760 to make a reservation.
The Durham
Chef Andrea Reusing will be slinging Oysters Rockefeller and Cathis Farm turkeys with all the trimmings as part of The Durham‘s four-course, family-style Thanksgiving dinner. The cost is $85 ($35 for children under the age of 12). Reservations can be made via Opentable or by calling 919-768-8831.
Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
Durham’s Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club will host a Thanksgiving buffet in the Presidents Ballroom with seatings at 12:00, 3:00, and 6:00 p.m. The spread will feature chilled seafood and salads, a chef’s carving station with herb-roasted turkey and garlic-and-rosemary-roasted Angus beef, and an array of desserts. The cost is $82 per person ($25 per child between the ages of six and twelve; kids 5
and under are free); call 919-493-6699 to make a reservation.
MarketPlace at the JB Duke Hotel
MarketPlace at the JB Duke Hotel in Durham is offering a Thanksgiving Day family-style brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. featuring carved turkey, beef, and ham plus a medley of seasonal side dishes and desserts. The cost is $55 per person ($17 per child between the ages of six and twelve; kids 5 and under are free); call 919-419-2540 to make a reservation.
RALEIGH
41Hundred
41Hundred at the Renaissance Raleigh North Hills will offer a special Thanksgiving menu from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. which includes both a cold and hot buffet as well as a dessert table. From the cold side, there’ll be cheese and charcuterie, lobster salad, oysters, and smoked salmon; on the hot front look for brined turkey, glazed ham, and sides such as truffle and chive mashed potatoes and smoked cheddar macaroni and cheese. The cost is $55 per person ($18 for children ages 12 and under); call 919-278-1478 to make a reservation.
Hibernian Pub
Both the downtown and North Raleigh locations of Hibernian Pub will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will offer special Thanksgiving menus, including a $16 Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and the like) and an a la carte pub menu, including dishes such as bacon cheddar pub chips and fish ‘n’ chips. For more details, click here.
The Pit
For a barbecue twist, feast on pit-cooked turkey at The Pit. The restaurant will serve its Thanksgiving menu (which also includes staples such as candied yams and pecan pie) at both the Raleigh and Durham locations from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; the cost is $29.99 per person.
CARY & APEX
Herons at The Umstead Hotel & Spa
Buffets are not typically synonymous with truffles. But we’d expect nothing less from executive chef Steven Greene, who is serving truffle macaroni and cheese as part of Herons’ Thanksgiving Buffet. The classics are all here too, including carved turkey, cornbread stuffing, and a dessert station filled with pastry chef Jonathan Fisher’s creations. The buffet is $89 per person ($25 per child ages 3 to 10); reservations are available between 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. and can be made by calling 919-447-4050.
La Farm Bakery
La Farm Bakery’s West Cary location (inside Whole Foods) will be open until 2:00 p.m. and the full cafe and bread menu will be available. It’s also worth noting that the Preston Corners location will open early on November 23 for Black Friday—you can fuel your shopping trip with drip coffees and pastries as early as 5:00 a.m. (the full menu starts at 7:00 a.m.).
Peak City Grill & Bar
Downtown Apex’s Peak City Grill will serve a buffet-style menu, including turkey, a seafood bar, and a mac and cheese car, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The cost is $39.95 ($33.95 for seniors age 65 and older, $21.95 for children ages 12 and under); call 919-303-8001 to make a reservation.
