No reason to get stuck celebrating Thanksgiving with a Fluffernutter and the last drops of that bottle of Wild Turkey 101 again this year. Even if you can't cook and no one will invite you to their home, there are plenty of excellent eating options across the state, from diners to fine dining. Take a look at what these eight restaurants have up their sleeves for Turkey Day and you may just decide to cancel your plans and let someone else do the cooking and clean-up this year.
There's a 4-course menu for the grownups ($80) and a 3-course kids menu ($35) served from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wine pairings and supplements are also available. Reservations are strongly recommended.
The classic diner recently revamped its menu to feature more scratch-made, locally sourced fare. MaineToday's John Golden raved about the changes and described the $12.99 turkey dinner this way: "A mix of white and dark meat (roasted in house) under a veil of real giblet gravy adorned with cornbread-sausage stuffing, chunky mashed potatoes, crisp green beans and the diner’s veggie mash, a puree of butternut squash, turnips, beets, lemon zest and butter. The turkey platter was so good one of my friends said she’s coming back for Thanksgiving dinner."
A feast with water views is served from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The 3-course prix fixe menu runs $62 a pop. Appetizer options include lobster bisque, squash soup, and a variety of salads. Main offerings are slow-roasted farmed turkey, grilled salmon, beef tenderloin, and quinoa. Desserts range from pumpkin pie to fruit salad to white chocolate cheesecake. Reservations suggested.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., $17.50 will get you an appetizer (soup or fruit cup), main course (roast turkey or pork with all the fixin's), dessert (a slice of Moody's famous pie, either apple, pumpkin, mincemeat, chocolate cream, or four berry), and a beverage.
An all-you-can-eat traditional family-style meal (turkey, ham, or tofurkey, and a plethora of sides) is available from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for $32/person ($24 for seniors, $14 for kids under 12, free for kids under 5). For the more disciplined eaters, a plated dinner is available for a bit less ($24/$20/$14/free). Reservations can be made through OpenTable.
The $69 5-course meal includes butternut squash and toasted coconut shooters, arugula and beet salad with goat cheese, sweet potato duck confit risotto, rotisserie turkey with bourbon thyme gravy and traditional sides, and pumpkin pie with bourbon whipped cream and coffee ice cream. Reservations suggested.
A special Thanksgiving a la carte menu has a variety of appetizers, salads, and entrees. Go traditional with spiced pumpkin soup and roast turkey, or forget what the pilgrims ate and go for the jumbo shrimp cocktail and a New York strip steak with house bacon and jalapeño butter. Reservations strongly recommended.
Seatings are at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., and the 5-course menu is $55 per person. It features Maine lobster and portabella mushroom tartlet with a parmesan gratin, butternut squash soup with a honey-nutmeg cream, cranberry-lemon sorbet, herb-roasted turkey with a sausage-apple stuffing and shallot smashed potatoes with a sage gravy, and pumpkin soufflé with a spiced creme anglaise. Reservations recommended.
There's a 4-course menu for the grownups ($80) and a 3-course kids menu ($35) served from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wine pairings and supplements are also available. Reservations are strongly recommended.
The classic diner recently revamped its menu to feature more scratch-made, locally sourced fare. MaineToday's John Golden raved about the changes and described the $12.99 turkey dinner this way: "A mix of white and dark meat (roasted in house) under a veil of real giblet gravy adorned with cornbread-sausage stuffing, chunky mashed potatoes, crisp green beans and the diner’s veggie mash, a puree of butternut squash, turnips, beets, lemon zest and butter. The turkey platter was so good one of my friends said she’s coming back for Thanksgiving dinner."
A feast with water views is served from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The 3-course prix fixe menu runs $62 a pop. Appetizer options include lobster bisque, squash soup, and a variety of salads. Main offerings are slow-roasted farmed turkey, grilled salmon, beef tenderloin, and quinoa. Desserts range from pumpkin pie to fruit salad to white chocolate cheesecake. Reservations suggested.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., $17.50 will get you an appetizer (soup or fruit cup), main course (roast turkey or pork with all the fixin's), dessert (a slice of Moody's famous pie, either apple, pumpkin, mincemeat, chocolate cream, or four berry), and a beverage.
An all-you-can-eat traditional family-style meal (turkey, ham, or tofurkey, and a plethora of sides) is available from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for $32/person ($24 for seniors, $14 for kids under 12, free for kids under 5). For the more disciplined eaters, a plated dinner is available for a bit less ($24/$20/$14/free). Reservations can be made through OpenTable.
The $69 5-course meal includes butternut squash and toasted coconut shooters, arugula and beet salad with goat cheese, sweet potato duck confit risotto, rotisserie turkey with bourbon thyme gravy and traditional sides, and pumpkin pie with bourbon whipped cream and coffee ice cream. Reservations suggested.
A special Thanksgiving a la carte menu has a variety of appetizers, salads, and entrees. Go traditional with spiced pumpkin soup and roast turkey, or forget what the pilgrims ate and go for the jumbo shrimp cocktail and a New York strip steak with house bacon and jalapeño butter. Reservations strongly recommended.
Seatings are at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., and the 5-course menu is $55 per person. It features Maine lobster and portabella mushroom tartlet with a parmesan gratin, butternut squash soup with a honey-nutmeg cream, cranberry-lemon sorbet, herb-roasted turkey with a sausage-apple stuffing and shallot smashed potatoes with a sage gravy, and pumpkin soufflé with a spiced creme anglaise. Reservations recommended.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/43987648/eater1114_thanksgiving_map_collage.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62432468/upload.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63021789/oysters.0.6.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62432469/upload.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63021907/DSC02146-2-small.0.0.0.0.jpeg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62432470/upload.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62432471/upload.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62432472/upload.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62432473/upload.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62432474/upload.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62432475/upload.0.0.jpg)