Thanksgiving Dining Guide To-go

OK OK OK. Despite restaurants being open and serving Thanksgiving dinner, it's true that Thanksgiving is a homey holiday ideally spent around a home dining table with family members. We feel you. So if going out to dinner is not something you'd enjoy for some soul-sucking reason, you can still enjoy a restaurant-caliber meal at home thanks to a bevy of takeout and catering options. Here are a few top picks this year: 

(Pies to-go at Shaw's Crab House)

The Winchester: All the Turkey Day fixins are available for takeout from The Winchester this year, so you know your holiday table will be wholesome and properly sourced/cooked. The spread includes local amish turkey and produce aplenty from Mick Klug and Nichols Farms. The goods are available for pickup on November 26. 

Blue Door Farm Stand: Turkey, sides, and desserts are all on hand courtesy of Blue Door Farm Stand, your one-stop shop for all things thankful and delicious. Sourced from local farms, expect everything from whole or half smoked turkeys to turkey giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin dip, sweet potato hummus, Brussels and kale salad, green bean casserole, herb-roasted potatoes, cornbread stuffing, pumpkin pie, carrot cake, and more. The half turkey order costs $47.50, while the whole goes for $95 with all the accoutrements. Pies are $25, carrot cake is $50, a dozen chocolate chip cookies is $24, and cornbread muffins by the dozen are $18. Orders are due by November 24 and must be picked up on November 26. Call 312-456-7282 or email stephanie@ideologyentertainment.com to place an order. 

Honey Butter Fried Chicken: You take care of the turkey, Honey Butter Fried Chicken will tend to the rest. And you can be damn sure Honey Butter's sides and desserts will be stealing the show from any turkey. Side dishes available include schmaltz smashed potatoes with chicken fat gravy, apple-cheddar-collard greens stuffing, whipped sweet potato and balsamic marshmallows, creamed corn with Thai green curry, kale and cabbage slaw, and chicken noodle soup. Sweets include cranberry dump cake, chocolate toffee cocoa nib cookies, and corn muffin bread. To place an order, email catering@honeybutter.com or call 773-231-5060. Deadline for orders is November 23 at 5:00 p.m., to be picked up on November 26 between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. 

Shaw's Crab House Chicago: You love Shaw's Crab House for its nautical delights, but now you'll love it even more once it saves Turkey Day with its venerable spread of holiday provisions. Available for pickup from the Chicago location on November 26 or 27, the to-go menu includes turkey, sides, and desserts of all sorts, for just $40 per person. The restaurant even throws in a leftovers kit of sandwich buns, cranberry relish, mustard mayo, turkey soup essentials, and recipes. 

Goddess and Grocer: One of the best outlets for holiday catering of any sort is The Goddess and Grocer, and Thanksgiving is no different. With a full-fledged menu that runs the spectrum of holiday flavors both sweet and savory, The Goddess and Grocer continues to reign supreme in the catering/takeout department. This year's Thanksgiving menu, seen here, contains a slew of dishes classic and contemporary, from curried cauliflower soup and butternut squash risotto cakes to roasted turkey, vegetable pot pie, and so much more. Orders must be placed by November 21, plus the Thanksgiving catering menu will be available in stores November 25 through November 30. 

Bad Wolf Coffee: Now that it's time for dessert, it's no secret that scratch-baked pie can be as intimidating as the turkey. Fortunately there are places like Bad Wolf Coffee navigating the tough stuff for us. The coffee shop with a serious penchant for pastry is serving up sweet potato pies with pumpkin seed praline this year, for $25 per pie. They're also offering assorted fancy cookies for $25 per dozen. 

HotChocolate: Then there's pastry queen Mindy Segal of HotChocolate. You know you want to eat her pie on Thanksgiving and make everything better. Offering her unique twist on the typical pie fixings, Segal's to-go pie menu this year includes apple cider caramel, pecan and stout fudge, pumpkin cheesecake, and milk chocolate mousse. 

- Matt Kirouac