Gobble Gobble

Outsource your holiday: Where to dine in Dallas for Thanksgiving

Pumpkin pie should be eaten year-round.
Courtesy photo
The most traditional option for Thanksgiving dinner.
Courtesy photo
Guests can choose a dessert trio on Thanksgiving at Fearing's.
Photo courtesy of Fearing's
Butternut squash soup is a Thanksgiving starter at Fearing's.
Photo courtesy of Fearing's
Beyond turkey, Second Floor is doing a beet pappardelle pasta, watercress andfennel salad, and, for dessert, huckleberry bread pudding.
Photo courtesy of Second Floor Bistro

Remember when we used to spend our Thanksgiving Day cooking? Not really. These days, more of us spend it dining out. According to the National Restaurant Association, 30 million Americans ate out or got takeout on Thanksgiving 2011.

Many restaurants and most hotels have stepped in with holiday meals. You can find places to sit down or get it to-go.

Here are the leading contenders, for dining in or taking out.

Dine in

Asador in the Renaissance Dallas Hotel. Three-course meal, $35, available November 19-22. Reservations: 214-267-4815.

Highlights: Cool starters include a pumpkin soup with cinnamon cream. Turkey is done as a roulade, meaning rolled around a mushroom-and-apple stuffing.

Cafe on the Green at the Four Seasons in Las Colinas. Buffet is $71 for adults and $31 for children. Brunch: 10:30 am-2 pm; dinner: 5:30-8:30 pm. Reservations: 972-717-2420.

Highlights: No plain or boring turkey here; it's baked with ancho chile. If even that bores you, you can do lemon-spinach ricotta ravioli or the seafood station with sushi and crab.

Canary By Gorji. Three-course dinner, $30. 5-9:30 pm. Reservations: 972-503-7080.

Highlights: The salad is tossed in a fancy Champagne pomegranate vinaigrette. You get a choice of turkey or pork chop, and it comes with an unusual fig dressing.

Central 214. Three-course meal, $40. 11 am-3 pm.

Highlights: In addition to the more obvious turkey and ham, C214 has vegetarian gnocchi with squash, mushrooms and ricotta salata, plus novel desserts such as pecan pie with goat cheese ice cream.

Eden. Buffet, $35. 11:30 am-9:30 pm. Reservations: 972-267-3336.

Highlights: What's special here are the sides: mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar and cinnamon, steamed vegetables, mushroom salad, and roast vegetable salad with feta cheese.

Fearing's. Three-course lunch (11:15 am-3 pm) and dinner (5-8 pm) is $95 for adults and $35 for children.

Highlights: Everything sounds good: butternut squash and ginger bisque; Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and bacon; short rib tamale; and turkey with tortilla dressing, yam pone and jalapeño hush puppies.

Grotto, Thanksgiving buffet, 11 am-2 pm. $35 adults, $12.50 seniors, $10.95 children. Reservations: 972-318-0515.

Highlights: In addition to turkey, Grotto is offering salmon with citrus butter and sweet potato pie for dessert.

Highland Park Cafeteria. Thanksgiving plate, $11. 10:30 am-3 pm. Call 214-324-5000.

Highlights: What a deal: Roast turkey or ham with two sides, cornbread dressing, gravy, and choice of zucchini muffin or roll.

InterContinental Dallas. Buffet, $65 adults, $25 children.10:30 am–2 pm. Reservations: 972-386-6000.

Highlights: In addition to all the turkey-and-stuffing basics, this buffet includes a risotto station and an omelet station.

Original Pancake House. Breakfast buffet, $15 adults, $13 seniors, $9 children. 8 am-1 pm. Call 214-528-7215. Exclusively at the CityPlace location on 2900 Lemmon Ave.

Highlights: No turkey, but this is a great buffet if you like breakfast with pancakes, waffles and crepes.

The Second Floor Bistro at the Westin Galleria. Three-course meal, $49 adults, $20 children, $20 extra for wine pairings. 11 am-10:30 pm. Reservations: 972-450-2978.

Highlights: Beyond turkey, Second Floor is doing a neat beet pappardelle pasta, watercress and fennel salad, and, for dessert, huckleberry bread pudding or spiced pumpkin cake.

Takeout

Del Frisco's Grille. Three sides for sale include garlic mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and chipotle mac and cheese, from $7 to $22. Call 972-807-6152.

The Grape. A fully loaded smoked turkey dinner runs $180-$330. A la carte sides include sweet potatoes, two kinds of stuffing, corn with red peppers, and more. By November 17. Call 214-828-1981.

Highland Park Cafeteria. Thanksgiving dinner for the whole family with cranberry sauce, baked squash, green beans, mashed potatoes and candied yams. $60 to $90 by November 19. Call 214-324-5000.

Sea Breeze. Just the sides, but that includes root vegetables, green bean casserole, butternut squash with maple and pecan, Brussels sprouts with bacon and red onion, Andouille sausage dressing, and oyster dressing. $18 to $43 by November 19. Call 972-473-2722.

Wild Mushroom Steakhouse in Weatherford. Turkey plus unusual sides and twists such as Waldorf salad, apple bread stuffing, sweet potato casserole, Brussels sprouts with bacon, jalapeno mac and cheese, pumpkin cheesecake, and pecan cheesecake. Call 817-599-4935.

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Food and Drink News

Artsy eatery Allegory Kitchen makes for a night out in Grand Prairie

Allegory Kitchen

Shrimp at Allegory Kitchen

An artsy restaurant and bar has debuted in Grand Prairie: Called Allegory Kitchen and Bar, it’s in a former event venue space at 2601 W. Jefferson St., where it opened in February.

Founders Ronnie Harris and Anthony Griffin have pooled their extensive hospitality experience on this new venture. Harris spent the past 30 years in airport concessions at airports such as DFW Airport, while Griffin comes from hospitality in Alabama.

"We kind of stumbled on doing the restaurant by default because we wanted to open a hookah lounge and serve liquor," Harris says. "We couldn't serve liquor and no food, so it transitioned to us becoming a restaurant."

To that end, they retained Atlanta-based chef and restaurateur Carlos Brown who helped create the menu. Harris and Griffin are now leading the concept which continues to evolve.

It started as a fine dining concept with brunch, but they’re adding more casual Southern and comfort food dishes. Menu items include Southern fried catfish, a half-pound burger, grilled pork chop, and roasted half chicken. There are also vegan options such as roasted butternut squash tabouli with caramelized onion vinaigrette, chili flakes, mint leaves, almonds, and arugula, served with wild mushrooms and herb quinoa.

Small plates include three cheese lobster mac & cheese, Carolina pan-seared crab cakes, and collard green spring rolls filled with collard greens, onions and peppers, then deep-fried.

Sides are on upscale: pork belly Brussels sprouts, garlic parmesan truffle fries, sauteed haricot vert (French green beans), and sweet potato apple hash.

They have a full bar with domestic and imported beer, wine, and signature cocktails.

“My number one specialty is the Sexy Allegory — it has a cognac base and mix of blueberries and blackberries,” Harris says. “We can satisfy any palate with our beers, and we have a wine wall with the best of the best, such as pinot grigio and cabernet."

The atmosphere is lively and colorful with plush seating and floral wall murals. There’s booth and table seating with white marble tables and jewel-toned chairs and booths. The chandeliers over the bar are a visual treat, have white feathers arranged like a blooming flower.

As if food and drink are not enough, they offer more reasons for a night out with events almost nightly, including poetry night, live jazz from a saxophonist, and more.

wine cocktails openings