Thanksgiving Dining Guide 2017
The holiday season is upon us, with Thanksgiving drawing near. Rather than fret over hosting relatives for a laborious cooking experience at home, why not take the brood to a restaurant in Chicago? Where the meal will be guaranteed delicious, and you won’t have to fuss over cleanup. Fortunately, there are plenty of options in the city this year, from prix fixe to pie specials. Here are some of the best places to dine on Thanksgiving:
Cherry Circle Room: This gorgeous show-stopper of a restaurant inside the Chicago Athletic Association hotel is offering a prix fixe menu on Thanksgiving this year, with seatings available from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Served family-style (as it should be), dishes include choice of cheddar cheese soup or endive salad, turkey roulade and turkey leg confit, green beans, garlic mashed potatoes and more. There will be seasonal pies to finish, and optional wine and beer pairings. The cost is $80 per person, and reservations can be made on OpenTable.
Bistronomic: Once again, Bistronomic proves itself to be one of the best, most reliable restaurants to enjoy a holiday meal. This year, the Gold Coast French staple is offering up a special tasting menu on Thanksgiving, with three courses between 11:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. For the first course, guests choose from smoked salmon salad with celery root remoulade and citrus caviar; hand-cut Yukon gold potato gnocchi with cranberries, sweet potato, house-cured duck confit and aged red wine vinegar sauce; and Belgium endive salad with blue cheese, black Mission figs, caramelized walnuts and mixed greens salad. For the second course, options include roasted turkey breast and stuffed leg with chestnut stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, glazed quince and haricots verts; pumpkin ravioli with broccoli, Parmesan shavings, butternut squash puree and mostarda; and a fall vegetable medley with Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, broccoli, garlic pomme puree and red cabbage confit. Finally, dessert choices are lemon tarts and chocolate hazelnut bars with orange and Grand Marnier sauce. The cost for the dinner is $65 per person and reservations can be made online. Wine, beer and cocktails will be available for additional prices.
The Gage: No Thanksgiving is complete without pie front-and-center. While homemade versions or store-bought are fine and all, it’s hard to outdo the dessert options available at The Gage. Especially this year, as pastry chef Kym DeLost is offering a unique “pie flight” during dinner service from November 24 through November 26. This entails a slice of all three pie flavors she’s making this year: pumpkin swirl cheesecake, caramel apple pie and fudgy chocolate pecan. All pies are also available whole to-go through November 19, with orders accepted on The Gage’s website or via phone.
Longman & Eagle: One surefire way to up the ante on the standard family-style Thanksgiving meal? Add bourbon and foie gras to the mix. At Longman & Eagle, chef Joshua Mutchnick is preparing a family-style spread with unique, memorable indulgences like bourbon-orange-cranberry sauce and chestnut foie gras stuffing, along with roasted turkey and green bean casserole. In addition, the restaurant’s adjoining bar, OSB, will be serving “Thanksgiving leftovers” sandwiches starting at 3:00 p.m. The cost for dinner is $65 per person and reservations can be booked on Longman’s website.
Bub City: An all-American holiday calls for an all-American restaurant, a sentiment that easily fits the bill at Bub City. This year, the River North barbecue bastion is getting in on the Thanksgiving festivities with a slew of specials available all day, along with late-night karaoke to help work off some of that excess energy. Specials on deck include General Joe’s chicken and “Giddy Up” fries, plus a holiday buffet brimming with cornbread-sage stuffing, sweet potato fluff, smoked turkey, brisket and more. The cost for the buffet is just $24.95 per person. Reservations can be made by calling Bub City or visiting its website.
Tanta: If you’re hell-bent on celebrating the holiday at home, but still don’t want the hassle of cooking a turkey, then look no further than Tanta. The Peruvian favorite is offering a feast to-go, featuring their signature pollo a la brasa and three sides and dessert. The whole meal, which serves three to four people, comes with Peruvian corn cakes stuffed with goat cheese and raisins, Peruvian potato pie and a roasted vegetable medley, along with a mazamorra tart with purple corn jam and fruit and almond crumble for dessert. The whole spread costs $66.99 and orders must be placed by November 20 at 3:00 p.m. Pre-payment is required and orders can be picked up between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on November 22, with re-heating instructions.