Lake Chalet
Photo: courtesy of the restaurant
If you're not celebrating Thanksgiving in the city, consider enjoying your holiday feast at one of these Bay Area restaurants:
Marin and Wine Country
6526 Yount St., Yountville; 707-204-6030
Details are still being worked out, but this eco-chic Yountville New American promises a traditional Thanksgiving menu served family-style (noon–8 PM; $55 per adult, $25 per child 10 and under).
7377 St. Helena Hwy., Napa; 707-944-2749
Chef Anne Gingrass-Paik will prepare a garden-to-table, three-course prix fixe at this Napa Cal-Med – think roast turkey with fennel sausage and sourdough stuffing with Brussels sprouts, yams and cranberry sauce (2–8 PM; $62 per adult, $20 per child; wine pairings available for an additional $35 per person).
317 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg; 707-431-0330
Charlie Palmer’s New American in Healdsburg is offering a three-course holiday menu with leg “torchon” and roasted breast, accompanied by a cherry marmalade and sourdough stuffing gratin, plus starters like pork belly "Napoleon" and ahi carpaccio. Bonus: if you tote in local Sonoma wine, the corkage fee is waived (2–7 PM; $65 per person).
507 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur; 415-927-3331
Like its Santana Row and Menlo Park brethren, the Larkspur flagship of this French chainlet will be serving a four-course prix fixe that ranges from a traditional turkey spread to more Franco-inspired fare like smoked rack of pork with celery root mousseline, plus a vegetarian-friendly autumn risotto with seasonal mushroom fricassee. Limited à la carte options and a kids' menu will also be available (noon–8 PM; $39.75 per person).
777 Bridgeway, Sausalito; 415-332-7771
Mangia Italian-style at this Sausalito trattoria whose prix fixe menu will showcase the fall vegetable harvest from its own organic garden. The meal, available throughout the day, begins with a choice of starters followed by free-range turkey cooked two ways and served with traditional sides (11:30 AM–9:30 PM; $45 per person).
234 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur; 415-924-7766
Heritage turkey is the main star of the meal at this reinvented Larkspur restaurant, where new chef Randy Lewis prepares a three-course prix fixe with options for each course, including fall squash soup topped with a ginger beer–sage sabayon and a pork chop with dried cranberry tapenade and oven roasted potatoes (noon–8 PM; $59 per adult, $24 per child 10 and under, free for children under three).
Sure, you can get your plate-o' turkey with the fixings at this New England–style seafooder's four locations, but you can also break with tradition by ordering a boiled whole Maine lobster, available as part of this three-course T-Day menu (1–8 PM; $39 per adult, $19.95 per child 10 and under, free for children under three).
East Bay
2086 Allston Way, Berkeley; 510-845-7300
At the newly renovated Hotel Shattuck Plaza, chef Scott Howard’s sustainable, local à la carte menu includes starters like braised pork belly with gigante beans, while mains include a smoked glazed pork chop, petrale sole with Dungeness crab mashed potatoes and, of course, roasted turkey with yukon potato purée, chestnut stuffing and gravy (seatings at 3, 5 and 7 PM).
1520 Lakeside Dr., Oakland; 510-208-5253
With its plentiful sunshine and lake views, this Oakland newcomer in the Lake Merritt Boathouse will be serving an all-day buffet featuring roasted turkey, prime rib and grilled salmon with traditional sides including stuffing, cranberry sauce, candied yams, glazed carrots, pecan salad and mashed potatoes, plus pumpkin and pecan pie (10 AM–10 PM; $32 per adult, $16 per child 11 and under, $26 per senior).
1360 Locust St., Walnut Creek; 925-256-1234
Thanksgiving is a no-brainer at this Walnut Creek American, where chef Scott Wall will roll out a three-course menu with Dungeness crab cakes, roast turkey with garlic mashed potatoes, sage cornbread stuffing, candied yams, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce. The all-American wine list makes it easy to keep to the patriot theme (1–8 PM; $49 per adult, $25 per child 10 and under, free for children under three).
1 Broadway, Oakland; 510-444-7171
Forget the Parker rolls and bland turkey, and opt instead for Jamaican skillet bread, spiced sweet potato fries and jerk chicken at Joey Altman's Caribbean spot in Jack London Square (noon–9 PM; à la carte only).
2295 Broadway, Oakland; 510-834-1000
At this Southern restaurant in Uptown, the four-course, family-style meal includes pecan wood–smoked turkey, mustard-glazed ham, corn spoonbread, oyster, crawfish and andouille stuffing, sweet potato gratin and a serve-yourself dessert bar (seatings at 11 AM, 1 and 3 PM; $49 per adult, $25 per child 12 and under).
South
175 W. Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz; 831-460-5012
Panoramic ocean views and surfer-chic decor complete a picture-perfect setting for Turkey Day at this modern American bistro in the newly renovated Santa Cruz Dream Inn. As for the meal, options on the three-course prix fixe include herb-roasted turkey and Angus prime rib, both served with three accompaniments (2–9 PM; $35 per person; à la carte menu also available).
334 Santana Row, San Jose; 408-244-1180
At Roland Passot’s Santana Row steakhouse, in addition to a limited à la carte menu, there will be two four-course prix fixes available. One features roasted turkey breast with leg confit, leeks served with chanterelles, Brussels sprouts with lardoons and cranberry relish ($22.50 per person), while the other showcases Omaha prime rib of beef au jus with Yukon gold mashed potatoes, fall vegetables gâteau and horseradish cream sauce ($30 per person). Both menus come with soup, salad and dessert (noon–8 PM).
2825 Sand Hill Rd., Menlo Park; 650-561-1500
At this Menlo Park New American, chef Peter Rudolph will serve a three-course holiday menu with choices including braised pheasant leg, rotisserie turkey breast stuffed with porcini and turkey sausage, sides like carrots, salsify and nettles and a crab apple crostada. Want wine with that? Recommendations for each course will be available (11 AM–9 PM; $95 per person).
14555 Big Basin Way, Saratoga; 408-867-4711
Diners can trot to this tony Saratoga Californian for a prix fixe menu of traditional Thanksgiving offerings plus some of the restaurant's signature dishes (3–8 PM; $80 per person).
1 Miramontes Point Rd., Half Moon Bay; 650-712-7000
The Ritz is offering an array of options. A daytime Harvest Brunch, accompanied by a live jazz trio, will be served in the ballroom (noon–5 PM; $98 per adult, $49 per child five–12, free for children four and under; includes admission to the "Family Fun Zone"). The hotel's flagship Navio restaurant will serve a four-course sit-down dinner (1–9 PM; $108 per person, includes a bag of homemade pumpkin cookies to go). Finally, a Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the trimmings can be enjoyed in The Conservatory Lounge from noon–9 PM ($32 per person).