Thanksgiving To Go 2016
You’ve got a full house but just can’t face myriad trips to the supermarket and days slaving over the stove. You don’t have to! Get your full-on feast from any of the following:
Thanksgiving to-go is a 30 year tradition at Elizabeth’s Cafe. Whether you’re looking for take-out for two ($30 per individual dinner with all the fixings) or just the roasted bird, you’ll find it here, plus brown-buttered gravy, three kinds of stuffing, and all the traditional and not-so-traditional sides (Puree of Celery Root and Apple, Roasted Cauliflower au Gratin) plus classic pies and their famous XL sized cupcakes. Vegetarians in your party will happily tuck into Elizabeth’s famous Three Cheese Mac and Cheese. Find the menu here: perfectparties.com/thanksgiving
Meet a friend for lunch and shop for holiday edibles at The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center. This hybrid grocery-café-caterer is offering up four kinds of turkeys: free-range Willie Birds, Bell and Evans, Plainville or Gozzi’s. Gluten-avoiders will be happy to find gluten-free sausage and mushroom stuffing and gluten-free gravy here, and vegans can feast on Quinoa Stuffed Delicata Squash with Braised Kale and Roasted Root Vegetables. Classics like creamed onions and brussels sprouts with bacon are on their extensive Thanksgiving menu, too. www.themarketplaceatgfc.com.
Count on tradition with a capital T at Walt’s in Old Saybrook. Something is done right at this shoreline institution where over 1,000 pounds of Walt’s housemade gravy is sold each year. Yup, you read that right. Available for pre-order every year are Waybest turkeys between 10-28 pounds. Not inclined to roast a whole bird? Order any combination of parts or even complete dinners, with comforting sides you’d expect like Mashed Potatoes, Sausage or Bread Stuffing and Whole Cranberry Sauce, Butternut Squash with Marsala Wine or Butternut and Acorn Squash Medley with Maple Syrup and Brown Sugar. (860) 388-3308.
At Guilford’s La Rosticceria, you can order an all-natural turkey from Ekonk Hill in Moosup or, for smaller crowds, just the breast. This is also a good option for vegetarians, with Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli and Vegetarian Lasagna on the take-out menu. Plenty of sides are available here, too (a gluten and dairy free Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque sounds delish) and consider ordering some of their famous cupcakes. This season they’re offering Pumpkin Ginger and Sweet Potato Maple. Find the menu here: www.guilfordtakeout.com.
At either of the Cooking Company’s Haddam or Killingworth locations, you can order up dramatic appetizers like a Roquefort Pear Phyllo Star (poached pear and tangy Roquefort hand formed into a start with crunchy phyllo dough, $19.95 dozen) or keep it classic with scallops wrapped in bacon (always a crowd-pleaser). If you’re on the hunt for basic individual dinners, they’re only $9.95 here for turkey, gravy, apple bread stuffing and cranberry sauce, but you can augment with classic sides like creamed onions and herbed green beans, cider roasted autumn veggies, and of course, a variety of potatoes. The Cooking Company is well known for their bakery, and they’re offering up everything from classic pumpkin, apple, and pecan pie to cranberry blueberry lattice and marbled pumpkin cheesecake in a gingersnap crust (yum!). Find their menu in store and place your order by Saturday, November 19th for Wednesday, November 23rd pick up. thecookingco.com.
Coffee’s Country Market in Old Lyme provides an enormous dinner for 10 – 12 at a set reasonable price of $285. You’ll be serving up an 18 lb. brined and herb-rubbed bird with homemade gravy, cranberry walnut chutney, butternut squash bisque, PLUS a choice of four sides and stuffing. A pumpkin pie AND mile-high apple pie accompanies the feast. Or skip the pre-Thanksgiving baking marathon and just order pie (we’re fans of theirs!): choose from pumpkin, ginger sweet potato, apple cranberry, pecan and more.
Order by November 19th. www.coffeescountrymarket.com/seasonal
Create your own feast at Mystic Market. Two options serve either 12 to 16 ($160) or 16 to 20 ($210) and include the basics: an oven-roasted Gozzi’s Turkey with Sage and Vegetable Stuffing, pan gravy, and buttermilk mashed potatoes. Next, choose your sides a la carte from a long menu of classics like green bean casserole to fresh tastes like smashed cauliflower with cream and parmesan. Oven-ready Gozzi’s turkeys are available here, too, plus plenty of pies and take-out turkey dinners for two. Orders must be placed by Sunday, November 20th and pick up is Wednesday, November 23. Find the full menu here.
You can find an all-natural oven-ready, local Ekonk Hill bird at Guilford’s La Rosticceria or, for smaller crowds, an organic breast. Vegetarians will be happy with the options here: order up Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Shitake Mushrooms and Mascarpone, Vegetable Lasagna or gluten and dairy free Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque. This is the place that made cupcakes famous on the Shoreline, and they’re offering Pumpkin Ginger and Sweet Potato Maple for turkey day. You’ll find plenty of fixings here, too, but place your order sooner rather than later. Here’s the menu.
Have a hankering for pie? If you’re covered with the cooking, but just need a few desserts, here’s last year’s Thanksgiving Sweets article with plenty of mouth-watering options. Other go-tos that we heart for pie are:
Zest Fresh Pastry’s Thanksgiving menu
Wright’s Steakhouse is making pie, using handmade pumpkin puree and other local ingredients.