9 last-minute Thanksgiving feasts around the region

This Thursday, if the idea of sweating it out in the kitchen suddenly makes you feel a lot less grateful, put down the turkey baster and pick up the phone to make a reservation. Here's our list of nine places around town that are each rolling out a Thanksgiving feast worthy of its name.

The Firehouse

Indulge this holiday at this Old Sacramento favorite with a traditional four-course Thanksgiving meal created by executive chef Deneb Williams. Starting off with a trio of hors d’oeuvres (wild mushroom bread pudding, duck confit salad and pork belly with a wine-spiced, quince-roasted chili jam), diners can move on to light second courses including a potato-cauliflower bisque and a harvest green salad with goat’s milk feta and dried cranberries before tucking into the decadent main dishes, which features a choice of herb-roasted turkey accompanied by a spiced apple-pecan stuffing; herb-and-sea-salt-encrusted slow-roasted prime rib; Chilean sea bass with a white bean ragout; or a fried onion Gruyere-crusted pork chop. For dessert, the Firehouse will present a chocolate-pomegranate tartlet and an apple brandy upside-down cake. $54.95 for adults. $17.95 for kids 12 and under. 1112 2nd St. 442-4772. firehouseoldsac.com

Formaggio Taverna & Patio

Eat up this Thanksgiving at this popular Rancho Cordova restaurant, which will serve up gourmet entrées, from grilled California swordfish with butternut squash panzanella to mushroom and truffle ravioli sauced in a caramelized onion and mushroom au jus to classic range-grown, vegetarian-fed roasted Diestel turkey. Also on the menu: Formaggio’s gourmet salad buffet with items such as a kale and persimmons salad with butternut tortellini or the restaurant’s all-you-can-eat sweets like lemon biscotti cheesecake, chocolate marquise cake and individual pumpkin pies. Prices vary. 11211 Point East Dr. Rancho Cordova. 638-1100. formaggiorestaurant.com

La Provence

Get set for a French- and Mediterranean-inspired Thanksgiving at this Roseville bistro offering a three-course gourmet feast that will begin with tasty starters, like artisan pâté, heirloom squash soup and a roasted beet salad. You can choose between two entrées: a lacquered and roasted turkey breast over a sweet hazelnut and brandied cherry stuffing, or a thyme-and-Diijon-crusted prime rib over a pool of a Côtes du Rhône red wine shallot sauce. Finish the night off with gourmet desserts, such as a roasted pecan and walnut tart with a bourbon caramel sauce or a French take on a Thanksgiving classic: pumpkin mascarpone mousse parfait with a molasses cookie crust. And for those who still want the at-home holiday experience without the effort, La Provence also provides a four-person Thanksgiving feast to go for $100. $39 for adults. $12 for kids 10 and under. 110 Diamond Creek Pl. Roseville. 789-2002. laprovenceroseville.com

Monkey Cat

Celebrate Thanksgiving with a three-course dinner at this charming Auburn restaurant. The meal will start with seasonal autumn classics like warm butternut squash soup or Monkey Cat’s fresh harvest salad and continue with an oven-roasted turkey with apple sausage stuffing, vegetable linguini served with a traditional Italian Napoletana sauce or grilled salmon topped with a sun-dried apricot cream sauce and candied almonds. Prices vary. 805 Lincoln Way. Auburn. 530-888-8492. monkeycat.com

Sacramento RiverTrain

All aboard this festive three-hour train ride along the Sacramento River. Dine on traditional fare like smoked turkey, cornbread stuffing, green beans with mushrooms and onions, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce while sipping champagne and drinking in scenic views. $93 for adults; $47 for kids 12 and under. 800-866-1690. sacramentorivertrain.com

Sienna

Get your fill at this El Dorado Hills restaurant's Thanksgiving buffet boasting classic holiday fare like carved prime rib with a 12-spice rub, oven-roasted turkey sauced in a citrus-rosemary gravy and a sweet potato and pecan casserole with a brown sugar caramel sauce. For something less traditional, try other dishes like a mac ’n’ cheese baked with herbed breadcrumbs and four different varieties of cheese, blackened salmon with a cilantro-basil pesto and an assortment of cocktail prawns and oysters at Sienna's seafood bar. $36.95 for adults; $17.95 for kids 12 and under. 3909 Park Dr. El Dorado Hills. 941-9694. siennarestaurants.com

Ten22

Spend Turkey Day in Old Town for this four-course holiday feast. After a first course of warm butternut squash bisque made with roasted local squash, nutmeg and crème fraîche, and a second course of an organic apple salad with candied walnuts drizzled in a cider vinaigrette, dig into your choice of main dishes that will range from a maple-brined free-range turkey breast (accompanied by a Turkish dried apricot and brandy-almond stuffing) to a leg of Superior Farms lamb served with rosemary mashed potatoes in a pool of English mint sauce. Or try Ten22’s vegetarian fall squash risotto made with mixed squash, shaved black truffles and wild thyme. Finish the feast with sweet desserts including a classic pumpkin pie baked from organic pumpkin or Dutch chocolate pie topped with a cocoa whipped cream. $34.95 for adults; $12 for kids 12 and under. 1022 2nd St. 441-2211. ten22oldsac.com

The Porch

Have your Thanksgiving country style at this midtown eatery offering Southern-inspired holiday dishes like buttermilk fried free-range chicken; shrimp and creamy gouda grits; and deep-fried jumbo lump crab cakes topped with applewood bacon bits and a squeeze of fresh lemon. For a twist on Southern favorites, The Porch will also be serving a grilled brie sandwich spread with house-made jam on garlic toast or a fried chicken salad drizzled in barbeque ranch and sprinkled with applewood bacon bits and fried chicken strips. Prices vary. 1815 K St. 444-2423. theporchrestaurantandbar.com

Tower Bridge Bistro

Spend Thanksgiving indulging in a three-course meal at this riverfront Embassy Suites restaurant with festive favorites such as turkey with sourdough bread stuffing, roasted-acorn-squash-filled ratatouille, and pan-roasted bone-in pork chops with chive potato cakes and shaved Brussels sprouts cooked in truffle butter. The entrées will be bookended by the bistro’s harvest vegetable minestrone made with local squash and beans with Parmesan crostini and the dessert course with array of pies in like pecan, apple and pumpkin (all of which will be served with an optional mascarpone Chantilly cream topping). $32.99. 100 Capitol Mall. 326.5050. towerbridgebistro.com

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