Thanksgiving in foil, with instructions for re-heating, from Craftsman Table & Tap.
Ah, Thanksgiving. The celebration of the harvest that America has managed to infuse with travel obligations, big box store sales and, of course, football. This year, travel plans are off and gatherings discouraged. Football and markdowns remain.
Look upon this weird year as an opportunity to reinvent the harvest fest as the meal you always wanted it to be. Have it your way. And while you’re at it, help those less fortunate to be able to have it their way.
Many area restaurants are eager to take the responsibility for cooking the feast, or mini-feast, off your hands this year. Some are going traditional, others are giving the meal a more personal spin. I like the idea of takeout Thanksgiving. Remember, you can still put the food on Grandma Alice’s good china.
Vintage Brewing Co. is going the traditional route, with takeout meals for curbside pickup at its west Madison, East Washington Avenue and Sauk City locations. Its turkey dinner serves four to six persons ($60) and features light and dark turkey meat, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, salad, rolls and pumpkin pecan bars. The last day to order is Nov. 20. Pickups are Nov. 24 or 25.
From the Food Fight restaurants, the diners — Monty’s Blue Plate, Hubbard Avenue and Market Street — are cooking traditional takeout Thanksgiving feasts for curbside pickup Nov. 25; orders must be placed by Nov. 22 and include a choice of pickup time slot (yum). Meals are available for one, two, four or six persons ($20-$110) and feature turkey breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans, cranberry apple sauce, rolls and your choice of pie from pumpkin, apple, pecan or French silk. Vegetarian dinner is available from Monty’s Blue Plate only and it stars Veggie Loaf of the Gods with ginger-cashew sauce and a vegetarian stuffing. The Eldorado Grill’s smoked turkey dinner is already sold out, but you can still pre-order the Craftsman Table and Tap’s five-course beer-themed dinner (again for one, two, four or six persons, $33-$198) with beer used in all the recipes, including turkey brined with Ale Asylum’s Tripel Nova. Growlers are available to take home, too. Orders must be placed by Nov. 22 for pickup Nov. 25.
Melly Mel’s is already sold out of its soul food Thanksgiving dinner. May we suggest ordering for Christmas now? Likewise, Brasserie V’s turkey dinners are already all spoken for.
The Green Owl’s vegan Thanksgiving is takeout this year. On the menu: wild veggie soup, cashew chèvre chickpea salad, housemade tofu loaf, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, roasted vegetable medley and pumpkin cheesecake; call 608-285-5290 to reserve your meal ($55/person) and a pickup time slot.
Merchant is prepping family Thanksgiving meal kits for both meat-eaters and vegetarians. The meat version stars both turkey and ham, as well as plenty of veggie sides; the vegetarian version features a lentil and tempeh “meatloaf.” Meals ($65/two persons; $120/four persons) are available for pre-order.
The Dorf Haus Supper Club in Roxbury won’t be open for its usual Turkey Day buffet; however, it will be offering takeout. Dinners ($20/ea.) need to be ordered before Nov. 23 at 2 p.m.; pickup is on Thanksgiving Day between 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. As it does every year, the Dorf Haus is donating a portion of the proceeds to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in memory of Betty Maier, who co-founded the restaurant. To order, email dorfhaus@chorus.net or text 608-516-3053.
Another longtime purveyor of Thanksgiving dining is the Essen Haus, and it is going ahead with in-house dining with added precautions; takeout will also be offered. Essen Haus will use additional dining room space in the Come Back In next door to adequately space tables; dining parties will be limited to six persons. The menu is traditional (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams, cranberry sauce, mixed vegetables, dinner rolls, assorted pies) and you get to take the leftover turkey home. Make reservations for in-house or takeout five days in advance — by our reckoning, that’s Nov. 21 — by calling 608-255-4674. Dinner ($26/adults, $10 ages 6-10) will be served 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Just want to eat pie for Thanksgiving this year? Go ahead. There are no rules anymore. Graze and L’Etoile are selling pies made by pastry chef Kristine Miller for pickup at L'Etoile between 5-7 p.m. November 19, 20, 24 and 25 (and yes, looking toward Christmas, Dec. 18, 19, 22 and 23). Basque cake is also on the menu.
The Willy Street Co-op has Thanksgiving favorites available from its deli, sized to fit solo dining as well as servings for the family. Preorder here; pick your fave Willy Street location and then scroll waaaay down the page for “Thanksgiving.” Vegan options are available.
Cook It Forward, the chef-driven initiative to cook for those in need and employ those in the restaurant industry, is fundraising for Thanksgiving meals. The WisCan Crowler fundraiser is selling fresh draft beer in 25.4-oz. crowlers for contactless pickup at Wisconsin Brewing Co. headquarters in Verona. WBC and Lake Louie are donating $3 from each crowler to Cook It Forward through Nov. 28. And through Nov. 30, Metcalfe’s Market will discount your grocery purchase 5% and match that amount as a donation to Cook It Forward; details here. The goal is to serve 2,500 Thanksgiving meals.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church soldiers on this year, too, offering its free meal from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Drive through the parking lot at 5701 Raymond Road to pick up the traditional dinner, which includes turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberries and dessert.
Don’t see your fave restaurant on this list? Check its website or call to see what its takeout options are through the holidays.
Thanksgiving is not the only meal you will need to be eating, nor it is the only meal restaurants need you to order. The Middleton Takeout Takeover runs Nov. 28-Dec. 12. Takeout specials at participating restaurants will include a $15 lunch, $25 dinner or $50 “family dinner” option.
Soup’s On, an initiative from Dane Buy Local to support area restaurants, debuted Nov. 17 to great success, says Dane Buy Local executive director Colin Murray. The next Soup’s On will take place Dec. 1. Order soup in advance (menu will be posted by Nov. 23; orders must be placed before midnight Nov. 28) for drive-through pickup at the FEED Kitchens, 1219 N. Sherman Ave.
