Thanksgiving Burger, Anyone?
It’s that time of year again. Loosen the belts, remove them entirely, and throw dietary caution to the wind. Thanksgiving is upon us and Chicago restaurants are rolling out gluttonous spreads that would have made pilgrims blush.
Not only is River Roast getting in on the Thanksgiving action with a melee of meats, but the restaurant is going a step further with “Friendsgiving” available November 20 through November 26. For the days leading up to Thanksgiving, River Roast offers the pre-holiday special – a complimentary chef’s charcuterie board to share – for those going out of town for the holiday and who may still want to celebrate with friends. Or just whatever. For Thanksgiving Day, executive chef John Hogan and chef/partner Tony Mantuano curate a smorgasbord fit for kings, complete with a slew of chef’s table spreads. Expect salads aplenty, entrees, carved meats, sides, appetizers, and more. Guests who dine at River Roast on Thanksgiving also receive a special wishbone as a voucher for a brunch entree good through the end of December. And at meal’s end, guests are gifted with bourbon caramel corn to snack on later while reeling in a food coma.
For those looking for a little culture with their Thanksgiving meal, head to Chez Moi. The Lincoln Park bistro adds some French finesse to the American pastime with a special prix fixe dinner menu on Thanksgiving. Appetizer options include pumpkin soup, roasted beet salad, and country style pâté, followed by roasted turkey breast and gravy served with cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potato puree, Brussels sprouts, and roasted tomato au gratin. For dessert, it’s pumpkin creme brûlée, carrot cake, or apple pie.
Sometimes you just want Thanksgiving dinner packed into one convenient, handheld meal. For those who enjoy their holidays in burger form, Kuma’s Corner and Rockit Burger Bar have you covered. The former has brought back its famed Sleep burger for the month of November, a turkey burger laden with tempura fried stuffing, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, and fried sage on a pretzel bun. Then there’s Rockit’s Thanksgiving burger available November 17 through November 30. This one features a turkey patty bedecked with sage stuffing, spiced cranberry sauce, and roasted turkey gravy on a harvest wheat bun with marshmallow-topped sweet potato fries.
Each year, one of the best bets for tasteful holiday elegance is Lockwood Restaurant & Bar. Located inside The Palmer House Hilton, the restaurant boasts just the right amount of regality, tempered with a family-friendly vibe. The restaurant offers both a Thanksgiving buffet and a four-course dinner menu for the holiday. The buffet includes everything from butternut squash soup and smoked lake trout to maple-honey-molasses roasted turkey, mustard-glazed ham, sweet potato marshmallow gratin, thyme and caramelized shallots, and lots more. If you prefer your Thanksgiving dinner in prix fixe form, the four-course dinner is for you. The festive degustation includes butternut squash bisque, country pâté, cheese and charcuterie boards, turkey roulade, roasted pork shoulder pave, tagliatelle pasta, stuffing, glazed carrots, apple-pear cobbler, and more.
For Thanksgiving with an Italian accent, Current is calling your name at the W Chicago-Lakeshore. Here, chef Gregory Ellis takes diners on a tour de force of Euro-tinged holiday fare via a bevy of Thanksgiving specials. These include shaved radicchio and persimmon salad, pan-roasted scallops, turkey with sausage-cranberry stuffing, seafood risotto, pear crostata, pumpkin pie, amaretto cheesecake, and others.
River Roast
315 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago
(312) 822-0100
Website
Chez Moi
2100 N. Halsted Street, Chicago
(773) 871-2100
Website
Kuma’s Corner
2900 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago
(773) 604-8769
666 W Diversey Parkway, Chicago
(773) 472-2666
Website
Rockit Burger Bar
3700 N. Clark Street, Chicago
(773) 645-4400
Website
Lockwood Restaurant & Bar
17 E. Monroe Street, Chicago
(312) 917-3404
Website
Current
644 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
(312) 255-4460
Website
