Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Sips & Nibbles: Thanksgiving Edition

I am offering a special Thanksgiving edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events. Today, you'll find some restaurant options for Thanksgiving if you just don't feel like cooking this year.
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1) Join Beat Brasserie on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, from 11am-10pm, for a special Thanksgiving menu featuring traditional Thanksgiving foods, wine on tap, specialty cocktails featuring Jim Beam and live country, Americana and bluegrass music all day long.

Beat Brasserie has created a one-of-a-kind, à la carte menu that puts a new spin on the traditional Thanksgiving feast with items such as Roasted Delicata Squash Salad with cracked bulger, grapefruit, mint & burrata ($14). The traditional Organic Farm Raised Turkey with wild mushroom stuffing, whipped potatoes, Brussels sprout hash, fresh cranberry sauce and herbed gravy ($39), the Vegan Thanksgiving with roasted vegetables delux, mushroom & leek stuffing, parsnip mashed potatoes, fresh cranberry sauce and herbed gravy ($38), and the Thanksgiving Bowl Azteca with adobo-spiced quinoa, tomatillo salsa, fresh corn, squash, green beans, avocado, baby spinach, with the choice of vegan ($29) or roasted shrimp ($32). Traditional Thanksgiving classics will also be served. For the Little Pilgrims, 10 and under at the table, enjoy a special menu catered to their tiny tummies.

What feast would be complete without an abundance of wine? Beat Brasserie boasts 36 American wines on tap, all available in 2.5 oz., 5oz, or 12oz pours. Throughout the day Beat will have live bluegrass, country and Americana for guests to enjoy while they eat their Thanksgiving meal.

Cost: No cover charge. Dishes are à la carte.
Reservations are strongly encouraged so please call 617-499-0001.

2) The Thanksgiving brunch buffet at Aura at the Seaport Hotel will feature Thanksgiving favorites and brunch classics on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, from 11am-4pm, with live jazz music from the Lance Houston Jazz Quartet. This Thanksgiving spread includes something for everyone, with a raw bar featuring clams, oysters, and shrimp cocktail, breakfast offerings like eggs Benedi​ct, leek and truffle quiche, and French toast as well as traditional turkey-day dishes like roast turkey breast with gravy, roasted honey ham, sweet potato & maple syrup casserole, cornbread stuffing, buttermilk mashed potatoes, and roasted Brussels sprouts. Finish off the holiday meal with indulgent treats from the dessert including cakes, pies, mini pastries, and a chocolate fountain.

COST: $85 for adults, $25 for children under 12, free for children 4 and under
To make Reservations, please call 617-385-4304

3) On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, from 11am-3pm, Pantry, the signature restaurant located at The VERVE - Crowne Plaza Boston–Natick, will happily host friends and family for an impressive brunch that will allow the cooks of the group to simply enjoy the company of their loved ones. From carving the turkey to preparing the dessert spread, even creating special kid-friendly options for the smallest guests, all Thanksgiving Day duties will be handled! Clean up included!

Traditional with a modernized twist, this year’s harvest-themed menu is the proud creation of Chef de Cuisine Jim Booth, who specializes in inventive farm-to-plate American fare. His unique approach to this abundant feast includes mouthwatering dishes like Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, sprinkled with toasted pumpkin seeds; Maple-Brined Turkey, laced with apple-sausage stuffing, fig-port wine chutney, and cider-giblet gravy; Five-Spiced Maple-Glazed Ham; and Cape Cod Dusted Salmon, sided by crisp, buttered green beans and heirloom cherry tomatoes. There will also be a variety of savory soups, farm-fresh crudités, a mashed potato bar, and rich desserts.

COST: $42 per adult; $25 per child (4-12 years-of-age); complimentary for children under the age of three (excludes tax and gratuity)
To make Reservations, please call 508-416-1352

4) Deuxave & Boston Chops continue their yearly tradition of working on Thanksgiving to share their cheffed-up takes on holiday favorites.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, from 12pm-8pm, Boston Chops will feature their full menu for the day, because don’t we all secretly wish we could cut into an 18-ounce Bone-in Rib Eye instead of mom’s dry turkey? Traditionalists have a place at the table, too. There will be roasted turkey with all the fixings, like herbed brioche stuffing with walnuts, a medley of heirloom squash, and the best green bean casserole in Boston. The whole bountiful dish will be $49 a plate, but the Thanksgiving sides are available as family-style sides, as well.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, from 12pm-8pm, Deauxave will offer a three-course Thanksgiving feast ($89 per person; optional wine pairings at $40 a head) which will be helmed by executive chef and owner Chris Coombs, with the kitchen turning out elegant twists on the classics.

A quick sample of a few menu options:
* Pumpkin soup with spiced heirloom pumpkins, pancetta, lobster, and a chestnut and apple puree.
* In addition to the traditional turkey and sides, there’s an appropriately epic turducken of turkey breast, duck rillette, chicken boudin, and potatoes.
* Pastry chef Shaun Velez’s desserts will range from a homey apple coffee cake with oat streusuel, apple butter caramel, and pecan ice cream to a sophisticated chocolate mousse and chiffon cake topped with roasted perimmon and a ginger-persimmon glaze.

To make reservations, please call Deuxave at (617)-517-5915 or Boston Chops at (617)-227-5011.

5) Celebrate Thanksgiving with loved ones at Davio's Boston. On Thursday, November 24, from 12pm-8pm, guests are invited to enjoy a special Thanksgiving Day menu prepared by Executive Chef Eric Swartz. Guests will enjoy items such as Oven-Roasted Vermont Free-Range Organic Turkey, Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Cipollini Onions with Fresh Peas, Challah Bread Herb Stuffing. We all know Thanksgiving isn’t complete without an All-American dessert and this year’s options include Homemade Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie and a Pecan Tart with Wild Turkey Anglaise, along with Davio’s traditional dessert cart. Guests can also order “Tomorrow’s Turkey Sandwich” to go for $13 which includes oven roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry apple chutney and gravy.

COST: $59 for adults, $15 per child 12 years and under
For reservations, please call 617-357-4810

6) Christina Allen-Flores, Executive Pastry Chef, Royal Sonesta Boston, is baking house-made Apple-Cranberry Crumb Pie, Chocolate Pecan with Caramel Bacon Drizzle and Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving To-Go Orders. These specialty pies will be a fabulous surprise for the Thanksgiving table this year.

To Order: http://artbarcambridge.com/specials/pies/
Prices: Apple-Cranberry Crumb Pie: $26, Chocolate Pecan with Caramel Bacon Drizzle: $28, Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake: $26
Pick Up: Monday, November 21 – Wednesday, November 23, from 6:00AM – 8:00PM, Thanksgiving Day, 6:00AM – 3:00PM
Where: Studio Coffee & Pastry Shop, lobby level, Royal Sonesta Boston

Executive Chef Brian Dandro is also preparing all your favorite fixings for the Thanksgiving Dinner Feast served family style in ArtBar on November 24, 12pm-8pm. The warm hospitality of the ArtBar staff combined with the amazing menu will create a delicious, stress-free and memorable Thanksgiving Feast for you and yours. Just to give you a taste of what Executive Chef Brian Dandro will be cooking: Creamy ginger pumpkin soup / Roast Turkey with bourbon cider brine / Brioche stuffing with sausage, green apple and rosemary / Sweet Potatoes with brown sugar pecans, toasted marshmallow / and more...

Price: Adults: $50; Kids 10 & Under: $19; 3 & Under: Free
To make Reservations, please call 617-806-4122

7) This Thanksgiving, November 24, from 12pm-8pm, Scampo chef-owner Lydia Shire will dish out a delightful family-style prix fixe menu. Available in addition to a la carte specialties, Scampo’s Thanksgiving feast is filled with the tastes of traditional holiday home cooking. To start, there is Arugula Salad with butter toasted pine nuts and Moliterno truffle cheese. For the second course, guests will have their choice of four options: Cape Scallops with parsnip puree, butternut squash sauce and pea tendril salad; New England Macomber Truffle Turnip Soup with green garlic flan; Winter Place Rum & Tobacco Smoked Salmon with Boston brown bread; and, Burrata with crisped baby red kale leaves, poached pear and maple croutons. Main courses include the Roasted Heritage Turkey with Muscat gravy and Anadama bread and fig stuffing with celery heart and sausage; Halibut poached in Spain’s Arbequina olive oil with risotto nero and candied buttercup squash; and, Bone-In Filet Mignon with beet raviolini and gorgonzola dolce.

Sides are served family-style at the table: Deluxe Mashed Potatoes; Maple Glazed Yams; Blistered Green Beans with quince & marcona almonds; Roasted Cipollini Onions with robiola crema; and, Edmund’s Cranberry Sauce. For dessert, choose between the Apple Crostata with buttermilk ice cream or Pecan Pie with bourbon zabaglione.

COST: $65 per adult; $25 per child (12-and-under)
For reservations, please call (617) 536-2100

8) Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar, in Davis Square, is now offering folks the chance to pre-order their delicious pies just in time for the holidays. Featuring festive flavors sure to complement any feast, the Rosebud pie program will satisfy everyone at the table while delivering the high-quality Rosebud has become known for. Since Rosebud’s re-opening, the pie program has been an integral component of Chef/Owner Joe Cassinelli’s vision for the restaurant as nothing completes a meal at the classic, neighborhood diner quite like a warm piece of pie.

Thanksgiving pie orders are being taken now through Sunday, November 20th. Pre-ordered pies will be available for pickup from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Tuesday, November 22nd and Wednesday, November 23rd. Freshly baked whole pies are $25 each and are available in the following flavors:
Dutch Apple
Pumpkin
Chocolate Cream
Blueberry Crumble
Peanut Butter Fudge
Cranberry Pear

Thanksgiving pie orders can be placed on location at Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar or by calling (617) 629-9500.

9) Guests are invited to Bistro du Midi to indulge in a Provençal Thanksgiving with a special three-course feast. The prix fixe menu boasts an array of seasonal selections from Executive Chef Josue Louis and decadent desserts from Pastry Chef Robert Gonzalez.

Sample menu items include:

First: Belgian Endive Salad (poached pear, hazelnuts, fourme d’Ambert); Heirloom Squash Soup (apple compote, chestnut, spiced crème); Yellowfin Tuna (cucumber, avocado, black olive, shortbread crumble); Pork Terrine (dates, house accoutrements); Spanish Octopus (fennel, capers, almonds, Romanesco)

Main: Ricotta Agnolotti (black trumpet mushrooms, butternut squash, sage); Sea Bream (kale, cauliflower ‘couscous’, golden raisins, salsa verde; Roasted Turkey (pumpkin brioche stuffing, seasonal vegetables); Duck Breast (stuffed cabbage, concord grape); Sirloin (Vidalia beignet, soubise, radicchio, sauce bordelaise)

Dessert: Chocolate Kahlua Custard (applewood brownies, marshmallow ice cream); Caramel Apple Panna Cotta (gingersnap, almond brittle ice cream); Sweet Potato Beignet (cinnamon meringue, cranberry caramel); Pumpkin Cheesecake (pecan shortbread, maple sage ice cream).

Foie Gras Course (supplement $21) – Foie Gras Terrine (pain au lait, strawberry gel)

The prix fixe menu will be served in the main dining room and café; reservations can be made for the main dining room from 1 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Cost: The prix fixe menu is $75/guest or $32 for children 12 years and younger. An a la carte menu will be available at the bar only.
For reservations, please call 617-426-7878

10) Start a new tradition this Thanksgiving with Chef Tony Susi at Capo in South Boston. The Capo team invites guests to enjoy an Italian-inspired Thanksgiving, suitable for an intimate dinner or a special celebration for the whole family. In addition to Capo’s dinner menu, Chef Tony is preparing a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner featuring Misty Knoll Farms All Natural Turkey, Housemade Sausage, Chesnut and Apple Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, and Choice of Side (options include broccolini, delicata squash, roasted cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and Yukon potatoes).

Beverage Director Kevin Mabry offers a selection of seasonal cocktails for guests to enjoy while gobbling up their turkey day meal, like the Apple Blossom (Bols genever, mulled apple syrup, bitters) and the Cornucopia (Bulleit bourbon, Cardamaro, butternut squash, chocolate molé bitters).

Thankgiving hours will be from 12 – 8 p.m.
For reservations, please call 617-993-8080

11) Executive Chef Steve Zimei of Chopps American Bar and Grill is pulling out all the stops for Thanksgiving 2016. Guests can dig into an à la carte menu featuring selections like Yellowfin Tuna Tartare, Oven Roasted Chicken Breast, Skirt Steak or dig into a three-course Chef’s Turkey Dinner featuring creative interpretations of classic Thanksgiving eats.

The menu for the special Chef’s Turkey Dinner is as follows:
Appetizers
Butternut Squash Bisque (apple, rosemary, maple crème fraiche, grated nutmeg)
Endive & Pear Salad (frissée, radicchio, radishes, gorgonzola, spiced pecans, balsamic honey dressing)
Entrees
Traditional Turkey Dinner (cider roasted carrots, brussel sprouts, whipped potatoes, corn bread stuffing, orange cranberry sauce, traditional gravy)
Pumpkin Ravioli (roasted squash, hazelnuts, sage butter)
Desserts
Chef’s Seasonal Selections

Both the special a la carte Thanksgiving menu and Three-Course Chef’s Turkey Dinner are available from 12 – 5 p.m.
Cost: The Three-Course Chef’s Turkey Dinner is $42/person exclusive of tax and gratuity.
For reservations please call 781-221-6643.

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