Think Outside the Cornucopia with These Thanksgiving Restaurants
Thanksgiving is coming up fast, and you can practically feel your belt tightening already. Sure you could go the traditional route and grapple with your own turkey at home, but if you’re looking for a stress- and mess-free holiday, there are plenty of restaurants in Chicago open for Thanksgiving. With so many options to wade through, here’s a honed list of four spots doling out menus that are extra special and unique, which is something to truly be thankful for.
There really isn’t anything more apropos on Thanksgiving than a restaurant renowned for its indulgent comfort food. Head to Hash House A Go Go this Thanksgiving and feast your way through a spread of re-imagined holiday fixtures, such as pumpkin bisque speckled with sea salted almonds, stuffed turkey meatloaf with griddled mortadella, linguini pasta in pumpkin cream, and pumpkin bread pudding with vanilla ice cream.
The emphasis is on beer over at Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap this Thanksgiving, as the downtown haunt rolls out “tipsy turkey platters” all day long. The intoxicating spread features beer-brined smoked turkey served with peppercorn gravy, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole infused with milk stout brown butter cream. Even the stuffing comes with a wallop of booze, featuring cornbread, chorizo, herbs, dried cranberries, roasted peppers, and Stella Artois. And a tipsy Thanksgiving smorgasbord would not be complete without pumpkin spiced hard cider.
Thanksgiving gets elegant at Acadia, wherein a four-course tasting menu lends fine dining flair to the holiday repast. The first course is game consommé with pumpkin ravioli and porcini mushroom, followed by wild boar terrine with violet mustard and pickled mustard seeds. Gunthorp Farms turkey roulade is the main course, adjoined by cranberry-turkey sausage, lobster truffled bisque, “green bean casserole” (the quotations bode well), and potato puree. For dessert, roasted apples and white cheddar with pecan ice cream. A kids’ menu is also available, with the likes of smoked cheddar mac and cheese, chicken tenders, and pudding.
Celebrating the rare overlap of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, Red Door is cooking up a series of Thanksgivukkah dishes that honor both distinct holidays. Dishes are served family-style and include items such as roast turkey breast with confit leg, Brussels sprouts with lamb bacon, pumpkin brioche stuffing, brisket, noodle kugel, and latkes.
Hash House A Go Go
1212 N. State Parkway, Chicago
(312) 202-0994
Website
Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap
41 E. Superior Street, Chicago
(312) 266-0400
Website
Acadia
1639 S Wabash Avenue, Chicago
(312) 360-9500
Website
Red Door
2118 N. Damen Avenue, Chicago
(773) 697-7221
Website
