Thanksgiving is going to look a lot different this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is discouraging travel during the holidays, and scaled-back plans are leaving many — including turkey farmers — struggling to figure out what dinner is going to look like for many of us. Instead of trying to go ahead with Turkey Day as usual, why not lean into the unpredictability of 2020 with some alternative meal options? These metro Atlanta restaurants are offering the option of turkey-less Thanksgiving to-go meals to shake things up this holiday.
Bhojanic. The holiday gets an Indian twist with Bhojanic’s Thanksgiving meal to go. The $200 package feeds 8-10 people, and offers a choice of tandoori jackfruit or turkey served with tikka masala gravy and five sides, including fenugreek cornbread stuffing, alu bharta (creamy masala mashed potatoes) and khatta meetha kaddy (sweet and spicy pumpkin). Beef up your meal with a la carte add-ons, like lamb saag, Indian vegetables and desserts, including mango pie.
739 Lambert Drive NE, Atlanta. 404-841-8472, bhojanic.com
Delbar. Give your Thanksgiving celebration some Persian flair with the Thanksgiving package from recently opened Middle Eastern restaurant Delbar. The $230 special feeds up to 10 people, and includes spiced leg of lamb, taftoon bread, torshi (pickled vegetables), sabzi polo with tahdig, zhough, dill labneh and a sabzi plate with mint, tarragon, feta, radish and walnuts. Each leg of lamb is roasted for four hours and weighs about 10 pounds. Orders require 48 hours’ notice and can be placed over the phone.
870 Inman Village Parkway, Atlanta. 404-500-1444, delbaratl.com
Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar. Start a new Thanksgiving seafood tradition with trays of Drift Fish House’s rolls, featuring 30 lobster, crab or shrimp mini rolls for $89-$179, or order a combo roll tray with 10 of each. Additional sides for 10-15 people include lobster shells and cheese, Thai sticky wings and peel-and-eat shrimp.
4475 Roswell Road, Marietta. 770-635-7641, driftoysterbar.com
Credit: Brandon Amato
Credit: Brandon Amato
Gunshow. German flavors get a nod with Gunshow’s $75 Thanksgiving meal for two, featuring dishes like braised pork shank, French onion spaetzle, German potato salad and kohlrabi rotkohl, and apple streusel. Quench your thirst with to-go cocktails, including the $45 king harvest punch for four, or the $45 seasonal tonic kit that offers butternut squash vodka, cranberry and harissa tonic, roasted onion and seltzer.
924 Garrett St., Atlanta. 404-380-1886, gunshowatl.com
Lake & Oak. Todd Richards' recently-opened Lake & Oak in East Lake is offering three Thanksgiving packages -- keep tradition alive with whole or smoked turkey, or go for something a little different with the $150 smoked brisket package that feeds six to eight people and offers sliced coffee rubbed and smoked brisket and sides including cheddar, pepper jack and smoked cheddar mac and cheese, cranberry and citrus chutney and pull-apart rolls with maple butter.
2358 Hosea L. Williams Drive NE, Atlanta. 404-205-5913, lakeandoakbbq.com/thanksgiving
Little Bear. Eschewing meat altogether? Summerhill eatery Little Bear is serving a vegan heat-and-eat to-go dinner. The $100 package, which feeds four, includes dishes like sweet potato soup with burn-your-own marshmallow kits, cornbread dressing, roasted broccoli with cranberry and chili chutney, roasted cauliflower and herbaceous rice porridge, and a Choco AF torte with persimmon frosting, pecan and candied thyme. Still feel like turkey? The restaurant offers a package with all the traditional fixings, too. Need some social lubricant for your tense family gathering? Add on a “booze pack” for four that includes carafes of cocktails, red and white wine and cranberry cordial.
72 Georgia Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-500-5396, littlebearatl.com
Little Rey. Try a different kind of bird this Thanksgiving with Little Rey’s holiday whole pollo al carbon. For $43, you get a whole bird with smoked onion and jalapeño, served family-style with flour or corn tortillas, ranch beans and cilantro rice, chips, queso and salsa, as well as a quart of Little Rey’s margarita mix. Double the order for $80.
1878 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta. 770-796-0207, littlerey.com
Petite Violette. There are several options with Petite Violette’s $39.95 four-course to-go meal. The meals feature a choice of soup, including carrot apple ginger; salad; and one of six desserts, including pumpkin pie or apple caramel bread pudding. For your entree, choose from salmon over tagliatelle pasta, boeuf bourguignon, or go a little more traditional, with roast turkey and giblet gravy. All entrees also come with a starch and vegetables. Add a bottle or wine for $28-$50.
2948 Clairmont Road, Atlanta. 404-634-6268, petitevioletterestaurant.com
Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours. Go the traditional route or celebrate Thanksgiving with a twist with Twisted Soul’s $250 package for four that includes a choice of three proteins from a list that includes port wine braised short ribs with sundried tomato and orange gremolata, smoked duck confit with Grand Marnier and Cognac lacquer, and smoked salmon sides with a lemon caper remoulade and herb roasted turkey with giblet gravy. The package also comes with a choice of four sides with options including macaroni and cheese and cajun cornbread dressing; a choice of two desserts including spiced rum cake; muscadine cranberry sauce; rolls, sweet potato biscuits and butter; and one bottle of wine.
1133 Huff Road NW, Atlanta. 404-350-5500, twistedsoulcookhouseandpours.com/
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