Holiday Happenings: Thanksgiving Bounty

food2018.10.29_GumboBros-419.jpg — Gumbo Bros

Yes, the Thanksgiving holiday is rife with potential stress: problematic roots in colonialism, possible family strife, finding recipes that satisfy everyone’s nostalgia, and likely dining-table debates about, say, the $2.1 billion tab for the potential new Titans stadium.

The local chefs who made your pandemic easier by feeding you when you were tired of cooking for yourself can do the same for Thanksgiving 2022. Here’s an annual, not-at-all-comprehensive list of places to eat on the fourth Thursday of November. Remember, almost everyone else is plotting their big meal for that day, so plan ahead: Make reservations for dining out and place your takeout orders in advance. There are many more options out there, so check our website for more holiday eating options, including Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s.

Get Ready

Want to serve family and friends at home but don’t have the skills or the space (or the inclination) to do it all yourself? Try these options for ordering a pie or some sides to supplement what you’re cooking up, or go whole-hog and get the entire dinner to go.

Audra Guidry’s baked goods are things of beauty. Order quiche, pies, breads and other treats from Slow Hand Coffee + Bakeshop in East Nashville to give your guests the gift of some of the best carbs around. Order by Nov. 19; pick up on Nov. 23. CaityPies’ incredible — and limited-time offering — CranRaspberry Gingersnap Pie is a scene-stealer with its rich red color. Preorder it, the Frankenpie (that’s one slice of six different pies in one tin) or a classic variety online and pick it up at Hunters Station on Nov. 23.

Go classic Nashville with take-and-bake sides (your kitchen will smell great when you warm up this squash casserole and dressing and gravy), pies and puddings from Arnold’s Country Kitchen. Order no later than Nov. 21. The pickup date if you have banana pudding or chocolate pie in your order is Nov. 23; orders without those items should be picked up Nov. 22. Get it all — smoked turkey, cornbread dressing, yeast rolls, green beans, mashed potatoes and, of course, pie — from Southernaire Market downtown. Order by Nov. 18, pick up Nov. 23.

If you have vegetarians and vegans coming to dinner, don’t force them to pick through sides like second-class guests. Order special plant-based dishes from AVO by Nov. 20 or BE-Hive Deli & Market by Nov. 18. Also, East Park Donuts and Coffee in East Nashville has vegan options, plus breakfast quiche, biscuits and dinner rolls, and orange-spice apple cider.

Holiday takeout isn’t limited to food. Order Thanksgiving bundles of specialty cocktails from The Fox Bar and Cocktail Club. Pick up Nov. 23.

Tired of the traditional menu? Remember, it’s your call. Wedgewood-Houston’s The Hart will help you break the rules with a Tropical Thanksgiving meal that feeds four to six guests. Everyone will be talking about the Brussels sprouts glazed with kimchi BBQ and Hawaiian sweet cornbread stuffing with Portuguese sausage and Maui onion. Pick up Nov. 23.

Another option for a twist on the tradition is Sunda’s East Meets West Thanksgiving Dinner at Home. Order confit turkey legs, adobo pork belly, shishito mashed potatoes and street corn stuffing by Nov. 17; pick up Nov. 22 or 23.

Miss Linda is known as “the Pie Lady,” so of course you should consider ordering your holiday pies from her at Elliston Place Soda Shop. You can also order the whole dinner to go, with turkey and cornbread stuffing. Place orders by Nov. 19 for Nov. 23 pickup. Spice things up with a Cajun fried turkey from The Gumbo Bros. While placing your order, add on the turducken gumbo, a dark roux-based gumbo with turkey, duck and chicken. Pick up in the Gulch Nov. 18, 19, 22 or 23.

Place your order by Nov. 18 for the Thanksgiving Meal Kit from Von Elrod’s. It includes a rosemary and sage turkey, cranberry relish, stuffing and your choice of three sides (or pay extra for more). Pick up Nov. 22 or 23.

Game Time

Want someone else to do the cooking and the cleanup? Consider these options for dining out on the big day.

Six different Tennessee State Parks are serving Thanksgiving meals on Nov. 24, and several of them are in easy driving distance from Nashville, meaning you get to eat out with a view and then have a lovely place for a post-feast stroll. Check out Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill (50 miles south) or Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns (35 miles west), both within an hour’s drive of downtown.

Thanksgiving at Merchant’s is a Nashville tradition, and you have two different options at the Broadway stalwart. The First Floor Bistro has a special Thanksgiving plate for $32 (in addition to the regular menu), which is a great option if you aren’t into overindulging. The Second Floor Steakhouse offers a full three-course menu, complete with traditional fixings. Kick it old-school — Sean Brock style — with a five-course prix fixe menu at The Continental. There are several menu items from which to choose, but the place is famous for prime rib, so that’s the smart play.

Puckett’s allows you to have the best of both worlds: eating out in a restaurant and eating all you possibly can. Make a reservation downtown or in Franklin, Columbia or Murfreesboro for their all-you-can-eat menu of turkey, meatloaf, sweet potato casserole and everything else you can imagine. Or let celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s team cook Thanksgiving for you in the historic veranda at the Hermitage Hotel. They’ll even pack up your leftovers for you so you can have that classic turkey sandwich over the weekend.

The Day After

There’s a feeling among some folks that the downside of going out to eat for Thanksgiving (to a restaurant or to someone else’s house) is that you miss out on the best part: leftovers all weekend. If that’s you, book a reservation at 1 Kitchen in the 1 Hotel Nashville downtown. The menu all weekend features Thanksgiving Leftovers Brunch with turkey hash, sweet potato waffles and turkey frittata.