10 restaurants opening their kitchens for Thanksgiving Day feasts
Put down the turkey baster and opt for a stress-free Thanksgiving this year by heading to one of these 10 Sacramento-area restaurants. After you book a reservation, the rest is just gravy.
33rd Street Bistro
Give thanks over a table of Pacific Northwest-inspired fare at this East Sacramento eatery, which will dish out your choice of traditional roasted turkey or a trimmed prime rib plate, accompanied by classic sides like stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, seasonal veggies and cranberry sauce. Don't sail past the bistro’s new fall drink menu, featuring the Pumpkin Sumpin’—a martini spiked with Captain Morgan's pumpkin-spiced rum, brown sugar syrup and a rim of crushed graham crackers—or the Winter Spice Old Fashioned with Crown Royal vanilla whiskey and black walnut bitters. $24.99 for turkey dinner; $28.99 for prime rib dinner. 3301 Folsom Blvd. 455-2233. 33rdstreetbistro.com
Dawson’s Steakhouse
Dawson’s Steakhouse at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento is hosting a Thanksgiving brunch buffet replete with food-coma-inducing breakfast dishes like apple cider waffles with honey-roasted apples, vanilla butter, cinnamon-spiced vanilla icing and maple syrup. For something more savory, peruse the omelet station, seafood bars, an artisan salumi and California cheese display and a carving station that will include slow-roasted free-range turkey with sourdough stuffing, sage gravy and cranberry relish. For dessert, you’ll find an assortment of executive chef Michael Grande’s seasonal favorites, including vanilla bean crème brulee, triple-chocolate bread pudding, carrot cake squares and mini pumpkin pies. $64.95. $32.95 for kids 5-12 (free for children 4 and under). 1209 L St. 321-3609. hyatt.com
The Firehouse Restaurant
Round up your loved ones to gobble down a four-course dinner at this historic Old Sacramento establishment, where you’ll find hors d’oeuvres of house-cured salami, smoked salmon and local olives, followed by a salad course with a bed of fall lettuce and chicory topped with heirloom apple confit, roasted shallot vinaigrette and walnut pralines. Select from the main course menu featuring herb-roasted organic turkey with sides of buttermilk mashed potatoes and sage cornbread, pan-roasted Skuna Bay salmon with white truffle butter or butternut squash ravioli. Valrhona chocolate cheesecake and pumpkin pie with a toasted sugar and butter crust round out the feast. $59.95. $24.95 for kids 12 and under. 1112 2nd St. 442-4772. firehouseoldsac.com
Formaggio Taverna & Patio
With a three-course meal and a "topped-to-order" dessert bar, Turkey Day diners won’t go hungry at Formaggio inside the Marriott in Rancho Cordova. Nosh on dishes like herb-stuffed turkey roulade in cranberry sauce, slow-smoked beef ribs coated in bourbon barbeque sauce, or the popular chicken mushroom marsala served with duck fat potatoes and braised chard. Expect tempting Thanksgiving fixings like roasted butternut squash and turnips in browned butter and baked mac and cheese, but make room for sweets at the dessert station, where you can add ice cream, whipped cream and caramel sauce to your choice of pumpkin pie, six-layer chocolate cake, berry cobbler or strawberry panna cotta. $45. $29 for kids 12 and under. 11211 Point East Dr. Rancho Cordova. 638-1100. formaggiorestaurant.com
Il Fornaio
Book a reservation at this elegant Italian eatery in downtown Sacramento to savor everything from traditional options like baked hickory-smoked ham with grilled pineapple and roasted turkey breast with stuffing (using house-baked bread), cranberry sauce and baked yams to Italian entrées like a mixed grill of salmon, calamari, scallops, sea bass and prawns in lemony olive oil sauce. While the kitchen works their magic, order some butternut squash and russet potato soup topped with Grana Padano cheese croutons and a winter salad with frisée, radicchio and endives sprinkled with toasted walnuts. Cap the meal with a generous helping of pumpkin pie served with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. $49 for turkey dinner (entrée prices vary). $19 for kids 12 and under. Wells Fargo Center. 400 Capitol Mall. 446-4100. ilfornaio.com
La Provence
This Roseville restaurant with a grand hearth, open cathedral ceilings and exposed beams will transport you to the French countryside for a Thanksgiving meal with hors d'oeuvres like sweet potato croquettes, butternut squash blini and smoked salmon crostini. Loosen your belt for your choice of entrée, including roasted turkey breast with cornbread stuffing, herb-crusted prime rib with Brussels sprouts and bacon, and maple-glazed salmon on a bed of butternut squash risotto. Family-style sides like garlic mashed potatoes and candied yams will fill the table, along with desserts like pumpkin cheesecake topped with cinnamon crème anglaise and candied ginger whipped cream. $45. $12 for kids 10 and under. 110 Diamond Creek Pl. Roseville. 789-2002. laprovenceroseville.com
Monkey Cat
At this fine dining restaurant in historic downtown Auburn, all entrées start with a harvest salad with mandarin slices, followed by vegetarian butternut squash soup. Generous main-course options include filet mignon with brandy mushroom sauce, broiled lamb chops topped with Argentinian chimichurri, Skuna Bay salmon with sun-dried apricot cream and a traditional roasted turkey with apple sausage stuffing, green beans and cranberry sauce. Fill your glass with local beer from Knee Deep and Auburn Alehouse or one of 30 Placer County wines like Fawnridge Winery’s old vine zinfandel, and opt for dessert à la carte from a selection of pumpkin pie, tiramisu, flourless chocolate cake and cheesecakes. $22-$38. Kids prices vary per plate. 805 Lincoln Way. Auburn. 530-888-8492. monkeycat.com
Osteria Fasulo
Say buon appetito before dinner at this Italian restaurant in Davis, which starts off with appetizers like ahi tuna carpaccio in pistachio dressing and continues with dishes like homemade turkey-stuffed tortellini served in turkey broth or lobster- and shrimp-filled ravioli resting in saffron sauce. Executive chef Marcello Fasulo will also craft entrées like Dungeness-crab-stuffed petrale sole bathed in white wine sauce and breaded turkey breast topped with mozzarella cheese, stuffing and gravy. For dessert, there’s panna cotta al caffè or homemade chestnut cake, just like Nonna used to make, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. $60. Kids prices vary. 2657 Portage Bay. Davis. 530-758-1324. osteriafasulo.com
Scott's Seafood on the River
Dive into a Thanksgiving feast at this restaurant at the southern end of the Sacramento River Parkway Trail. Executive chef Bill John and chef de cuisine Matt Seevers will prepare oven-roasted Diestel Ranch turkey that comes with mouthwatering sides like roasted garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing with pancetta and sage, candied sweet potatoes, sun-dried cranberry sauce and French-style green beans amandine. Nab a slice or two of pumpkin cheesecake for dessert, which you can walk off with a post-dinner stroll along the nearby Sacramento River. $34. $16 for kids 12 and under. 4800 Riverside Blvd. 379-5959. scottsseafood.net
Ten22
Executive chef Jay Veregge and chef de cuisine William “Matty” Love have pulled out all the stops for Turkey Day at this popular Old Sacramento eatery. Soup and salad options include butternut squash bisque made with locally sourced roasted squash, nutmeg and crème fraîche and an apple-romaine salad served with candied walnuts and Point Reyes blue cheese. For the next course, choose from roasted Berkshire pork shoulder, a leg of lamb sauced with English mint, free-range turkey breast with Turkish dried apricot and brandy-almond stuffing, or organic fall squash risotto. Finally, indulge your sweet tooth with a slice of pumpkin pie topped with fresh whipped cream or classic Dutch apple pie with a cinnamon crumble topping. $34.95. $12.50 for kids 12 and under. 1022 2nd St. 441-2211. ten22oldsac.com
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