Turkey Day is only a week away. If you or your family have yet to begin making plans, it might be better to skip the homemade feast and book a table at a local restaurant. You'll be thankful for plenty of things by dining out on Thanksgiving: your clean kitchen, not having to tell your relatives they overstayed their welcome, and -- most of all -- the absence of stress and drama.
See also: - Chow Bella's Thanksgiving Dining Guide: Where to Dine Out in Metro Phoenix - 10 Metro Phoenix Desserts to Pre-Order for Thanksgiving
There are two dining options available for Thanksgiving Day, both priced at $38 per person. At Litchfield's, dinner will be served from 2 to 7 p.m. and includes three courses. Options include roasted acorn squash soup, pan-roasted sea bass, organic carrot cake, and chestnut pot au crème. Call 623-856-1053 for reservations. In the Wigwam Ballroom, a buffet will be available from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. that includes a smoked salmon platter, southwestern spiced pork tenderloin, holiday family favorites, and a chef's holiday dessert display. The buffet is $19 for children ages 4 to 12. Call 623-935-3811 for reservations.
For families and friends gathering on the west side of town, Glendale's Arrowhead Grill is serving a Thanksgiving meal from noon to 7 p.m. The prix-fixe meal is $49.99 per person and includes choice of five courses. For example, diners can choose lamb chop fondue, butternut squash soup with candied jalapeno, turducken (yes, TURDUCKEN), scalloped cheese potatoes, and sweet potato pie with maple whipped cream. Other options include prime rib, traditional turkey with prosciutto and fennel cornbread stuffing, cheese grits, creamed corn, butter cake with caramel sauce, and pumpkin cheesecake with marshmallow topping. Call 623-566-2224, or book a table online.
The Thanksgiving menu at Talavera is one that diners will remember for years to come. It begins with an amuse bouche of honey-glazed maple leaf duck breast with crab apple and mascarpone, followed by two starter courses: maple-cinnamon squash soup baked in acorn squash and a salad of heirloom spinach, black mission figs, truffle buttermilk blue cheese, baby beets, and crispy shallots. Guests get a choice of entrée, either Diestel Ranch organic turkey with caramelized apple-cornbread stuffing, glazed yams, Brussels sprouts, and giblet gravy or Cedar River strip loin and jumbo prawns with celery root, chantrelle mushrooms, and horseradish sauce. Dessert is a cranberry cake with pumpkin pie ice cream and pecan brittle. For reservations, call 480-513-5085, or book online.
The Phoenician's J&G Steakhouse will be open for Thanksgiving from 5 to 10 p.m., serving both the regular dinner menu and a special holiday offering. For $49, the Thanksgiving dinner includes butternut squash soup with ginger and pumpkin seeds, roasted turkey, mushroom and chestnut stuffing, caramelized Brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and Kabocha pumpkin cheesecake with honey ice cream and ginger sauce. Other available menu items include filet mignon, veal porterhouse, slow-cooked salmon with black truffle crumbs and parsnip puree, and roasted lobster. For reservations, call 480-941-8200.
District American Kitchen & Wine Bar
Celebrate Thanksgiving downtown at District American Kitchen & Wine Bar from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The three-course meal is $31 for adults, $15 to add wine pairings, and $15.50 for kids 12 and younger. The first course is pumpkin soup with toasted pepitas, crispy bacon, and cinnamon crème fraiche. The second course is roasted turkey with gravy, cornbread and Andouille stuffing, marshmallow yams, orange-scented green beans, Yukon smashed potatoes, and cranberry onions. The meal concludes with a decadent chocolate chiffon pumpkin tart served with warm spiced cider. A la carte options will also be available. For reservations, call 602-817-5323.
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
There are three ways to enjoy Thanksgiving at The Princess. From 5:30 to 10 p.m., Bourbon Steak has a three-course menu for $55. It includes a salad of hericot verts with maitake mushroom tempura, butternut squash croutons, and crème fraiche vinaigrette; slow-roasted and stuffed turkey breast served with savory brioche stuffing, bourbon-pecan yams, Brussels sprouts, and sage gravy; and toasted pecan financiers with pumpkin caramel and sour cream gelato. Each course is also available to order separately.
La Hacienda is offering a modern Mexican Thanksgiving with pavo en mole poblano oven-roasted turkey breast, crema mash potatoes, rainbow chard, and cranberry-pepita relish. Featured drinks are horchata flaming coffee and a cranberry margarita. Served from 5:30 to 10 p.m., it costs $36 for adults and $13 for kids 6 to 12.
The Grill at The Princess will be served overlooking the 18th green. The Thanksgiving dinner, served from 5 to 10 p.m., included oven-roasted Diestal turkey with Kurobuta pork sausage, cornbread stuffing, and Granny Smith apples. It's served with classic side dishes and desserts and is priced at $26 or adults and $13 for kids 6 to 12. To book a table at any of restaurants at The Princess, call 480-585-4848. Province
At the Westin Phoenix Downtown, Province will be serving a family-style Thanksgiving meal for $26 per person. It begins with a salad of Blue Sky Farms greens with asparagus, roasted peppers, jicama, and sherry vinaigrette. Farm-raised turkey is the entrée, served with buttermilk whipped potatoes, gravy, and cranberry compote. Side dishes include brown butter Brussels sprouts, chorizo stuffing, and glazed sweet potatoes. The meal caps off with pumpkin pie with spiced cream for dessert. For reservations, call 602-429-3600.
For Thanksgiving, noca will be offering a four-course dinner with seatings available from 3 to 7 p.m. The first course is a choice of butternut squash soup, seared diver scallop with lentils and uni, and an autumn salad of pecans, figs, malvarosa, shaved fall vegetables, and sherry vinaigrette. The second course is chestnut tagliatelle with porcini ragu. For the entrée, diners can choose heritage turkey with cranberry-pomegranate chutney, slow-roasted prime rib with horseradish crema and au jus, wild Washington coho salmon with citrus emulsion, or a tasting of autumn farm vegetables and grains. There is also a choice of three sides: Brussels sprouts and bacon, roasted root vegetables, Yukon mashed potatoes and gravy, Thanksgiving dressing, or wild rice with squash, apples, and pears. Dessert is either a chocolate pecan pie or pumpkin cheesecake. This menu is $60 for adults, $25 for wine pairings, and $15 for the kids' mini-feast.
There will be a three-course Thanksgiving dinner available at Lon's at the Hermosa Inn from noon to 8 p.m. Starters include roasted pumpkin soup with maple-glazed bacon and spiced pumpkin seeds as well as smoked sockeye salmon with purple mizuna, local pistachios, and pomegranate vinaigrette. There are four entrée options, such as a classic roasted turkey platter with cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and fresh cranberries; pan-seared Mediterranean snapper with lentils, squash, and clams; and ancho barbeque rubbed pork loin with polenta, broccoli, and pear jus. For dessert, there will be a chocolate pudding cake, organic apple tart with crisp cheddar cheese and salted caramel, and pumpkin pie with cranberry chutney and cinnamon whipped cream. Dinner is $75 per person; call 602-955-7878 for reservations.
Chicken-Fried Turkey at Texaz Grill
This one can't be had on Thanksgiving Day, but you can stop by to enjoy it for the four days leading up to the holiday (Sunday, November 18, to Wednesday, November 21). An enormous turkey cutlet is seasoned and lightly breaded then fried to create the perfect combo of crispy exterior and fork-tender interior. It's then smothered with slow-cooked savory gravy and paired with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. The turkey platter is also served with bread and a simple salad. If you can't wait to eat all your favorites on Turkey Day, pick up this limited-time special for $9 at lunchtime and $13 for dinner.
