Turkey Day: Dine Out or Cater Your Big Meal in the D

By: Toni Cunningham | November 19, 2014
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We all know how stressful the holidays can be. First, you have to figure out who is going where for the big event, who is bringing what, and who gets the divine pleasure of hosting the whole clan. Thanksgiving is supposed to be all about togetherness and being thankful for the many blessings we have, but it’s easy to get caught up in the hectic shuffle that is planning the big meal.

Instead of spending yet another holiday stuck in the kitchen, convince your family to switch things up a bit this year by either dining out on Thanksgiving this year, or allowing one of Metro Detroit’s many delicious restaurants to cater the big event. You might be surprised to find how many options are open on Thanksgiving, including:

5ive, 44045 5 Mile Rd., Plymouth Twp., is located at The Inn at St. John’s, and the Thanksgiving menu will feature both traditional items and house specialties. The meal begins with a small tastes trio starter, followed by House-Made Apple Sorbetto and your choice of entrée, including items like Pork Tenderloin, Winter Mushroom Risotto, Free Range Amish Turkey Breast, Sea Scallops and Striped Quattro Ravioli.

To complete the meal, you’ll receive a trio of Chocolate Pecan Tart Decadence, Spiced Bread Pudding and Spiked Pumpkin Hot Chocolate. The meal costs $55 per person, and there is also a children’s menu for $20 per child. Reservations are highly recommended, and seatings are available from noon to 8 p.m.

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Beau’s Grillery, 4108 West Maple Rd., Bloomfield Hills, will be serving Thanksgiving dinner from noon to 8 p.m., as well as offering a full Thanksgiving-themed menu for carry out. For the main dish, you have your choice of a Rotisserie Turkey Breast ($12/pound) or Whole Roasted Turkey ($7/pound).

Either way, you’ll certainly need several sides, like Stuffing with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Candied Yams with Brown Sugar & Marshmallows, Green Bean Casserole or Creamed Corn with Crispy Onions. Each serves eight to 10 people, so keep that in mind when ordering for a crowd. Don’t forget the homemade cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie or pecan pie! You can find pricing for all of the above sides and desserts on Beau’s official website.

Zingerman’s Roadhouse, 2501 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor, provides a great Thanksgiving to go option for those of you looking to take a break from the kitchen this holiday, but still want to stay at home. All you have to do is call in your order, drive up (you don’t even have to get out of your car!) to pick up your order, take it home and reheat everything.

Free-range birds are available as a whole turkey (serves 10 to 15 guests), two breasts (serves eight to 10 guests) or one breast (serves four guests), and can be prepared with Coffee Spice Smoked rub or Traditional Oven Roasted with fresh herbs.

There are various packages in which you can order a meal for two, four, or a feast for a family, or you can order sides, bread, dessert and breakfast items a la carte. What goes better with Coffee Spice Smoked Turkey than Savory Cornbread Stuffing, Macaroni and Cheese, Bacon-Braised Greens, Green Bean Casserole and Pumpkin Cheesecake? I can’t think of much.

The Rugby Grill, 100 Townsend St., Birmingham, located at the Townsend Hotel, will feature a Thanksgiving prix fixe menu expertly crafted by executive chef Drew Sayes. The first course includes your choice of Fried Egg or Shrimp Cocktail, followed by a second course of Delicata Squash Soup or Brussels Sprout Salad.

There are three options for the main course, which determine the cost of your meal: Braised Short Rib ($85), Turkey Roulade ($75), or Wild Salmon ($80). Dessert includes the ever-so-difficult choice of Pumpkin Mascarpone Mousse vs. Warm Apple Crisp. If you’re lucky, whomever you’re dining with will order the other!

Reservations are required, and available seating times include 11:30 a.m., 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

M-Brew, 177 Vester St., Ferndale, already gets high ranks for being one of the few places in the LP to sell pasties, in addition to having an arcade in its basement. Bonus points for the Thanksgiving Brew-acopia Feast! Feed up to 10 dinner guests with a 13 to 14 pound turkey (your choice of hickory smoked or traditionally roasted), three pounds each of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and stuffing, two quarts of cranberry sauce and gravy, and 12 dinner rolls.

All of the above will set you back $139, but you can’t put a price on relaxation, now can you? Additionally, you can tack an extra $9.99 onto your bill and they’ll throw in a Smoked Pumpkin Pie as well.

Holiday Market, with locations in Canton and Royal Oak, offers Thanksgiving menu packages and Thanksgiving dinner menu items, so you can fool your guests into thinking you prepared everything from scratch! If you’re hosting a dinner for six, you can order the Deluxe Whole Turkey Dinner package, which includes a 10-pound Butterball turkey, homemade sage onion stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry orange relish, dinner rolls, and a pumpkin or apple pie. All for just $84.99!

There are various catering packages available, including a complete dinner for four or eight people, as well as side dishes, ready-to-go turkeys, and more. You can even make part of your meal and let Holiday Market take care of either the bird or the side dishes! Vegetarian Sage Dressing, Michigan Dried Cherry Salad, Butternut-Bourbon Soup and Garlic Green Beans are all available side items.

Iridescence, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit, located at MotorCity Casino Hotel, will hold Thanksgiving dinner prepared by chef Ben, who will create a four-course meal of favorites, as well as a few new surprises. The first course includes your choice of Holiday Salad or Turkey Pot Pie Soup, followed by a second course of Sautéed Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Shrimp Cocktail or BBQ Braised Beef Short Rib.

The holiday’s main dish includes your choice of Atlantic Salmon, Roasted Turkey Breast or New York Strip. If you’ve still got room after all of that, the meal will be rounded out with a coffee cart and desserts, including Pumpkin Custard Slices and Vanilla Bean Cream with Warm Cinnamon Milk Chocolate Soup.

Carlyle Grill, 3660 Jackson Rd., Ann Arbor, is featuring a traditional Thanksgiving meal, complete with your choice of Hand Carved Turkey Breast, N.Y. Strip, Scottish Salmon or Stuffed Acorn Squash.

Family style sides include Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Housemade Sausage Stuffing, Carlyle House Salad and Green Bean Casserole. No Thanksgiving meal would be complete without plated desserts, like Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pecan Pie. Reservations are strongly recommended, and the meal costs $24 per person, $15 for those ages 12 and under.

If you find yourself stressing out over the big Thanksgiving meal this holiday, give yourself a break. Let someone else prepare either the whole thing or a portion of it for you, while you kick up your heels and relax. You deserve a break! Enjoy your meal, and have a happy and relaxing Thanksgiving.

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