Harvest season is here, which means Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Now, undertaking to make an entire roast turkey dinner from scratch can be a hefty task. For some, spending a day (or even two) prepping and cooking is a joy, while others may want to choose an easier option. Don’t despair, you can still stuff yourself with turkey and all the fixings. Here’s how to feast without all the fuss.
Fairmont Waterfront and ARC Restaurant
Family gatherings with high intensity cooking demands can be stressful. May I suggest instead a luxury staycation? Unwind and enjoy the breathtaking views across the water to the North Shore as seaplanes land and take flight. Guests of the Fairmont Waterfront can also hit the gym, wander the garden, or take a dip in the heated rooftop pool before indulging. Of course, you could also stroll the seawall, which is mere steps away, or walk to Stanley Park. The hotel’s restaurant, ARC, will be serving up a special Thanksgiving version of their famous Bottomless Brunch all long weekend, as well as a refined three course Thanksgiving dinner that starts with a roast kabocha squash soup topped with smoked salmon and concludes with a pecan pie. ARC’s current Province to Plate menu is another delicious way to savour the best of the season as well.
Honey Salt
Another way to get someone else to handle the cooking is to take home the kind of feast Honey Salt is offering. They will be serving a dine-in Thanksgiving menu too, but Honey Salt is also packing up herb-roasted Rossdown Farms turkeys with all the fixings. The sides include must-haves like sourdough stuffing, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and dinner rolls. Decadent add-ons are also available, including black truffle mac and cheese. Of course, dinner comes with a pumpkin pie. In fact, Honey Salt will have $30 whole pumpkin pies available through the weekend for anyone who wants to take one home.
Say Hey Cafe & Deli
If you want that loaded turkey dinner leftovers sandwich experience, Say Hey Cafe & Deli in Chinatown will be offering their two iterations of a turkey sandwich starting Monday, October 6. The Hot Vickie is, well, hot. And it cannot be ordered for delivery or take-out because it comes smothered in delicious gravy. It’s also loaded with roast turkey, confit garlic mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, and cranberry sauce. If you do want a fully grab-and-go Thanksgiving sandwich, the Thanks Vickie is Say Hey’s cold version. Both are an homage to chef/owner Lina Caschetto’s late mother, Vickie, because, whether hot or cold, both sandwiches feature her signature stuffing.
Five Sails
For an elegant and elevated Thanksgiving dining experience, far from the overcooked turkey and lumpy gravy you may have suffered in the past, Culinary Director Alex Kim at Five Sails has crafted an impressive five course, prix-fixe menu. Available from October 10-13, with optional additional wine pairings, this Thanksgiving menu creates a difficult choice between turkey with brioche stuffing and Calvados gravy or filet mignon with seared foie gras or black truffle gnocchi. Kim creates edible art at Five Sails, so this Thanksgiving menu will surely impress and astound as well as satiate.
Luigi & Sons
Vancouver’s most beautiful butcher shop offers take-and-bake, ready-to-go Thanksgiving meals in two sizes. Created by Elisa’s Executive Chef Andrew Richardson, and Pastry Chef Rosalynn Vu, this dinner is sure to please, whether you choose the succulent Brined Turkey or the impressive Prime Rib Roast. Luigi & Sons also cleverly offers “Just the Sides” as an option. So, you can show up to that potluck armed with bacon brussels sprouts, garlic roast potatoes, stuffing, and more — and knowing it’s all going to taste delicious.
Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (Blue Hat Bakery-Café)
Okay, so if you’re looking for a Thanksgiving dinner to-go that feeds just two, PICA’s Blue Hat Cafe has you covered. For $139, their Thanksgiving Feast To-Go is packed with all the holiday classics. There is rosemary and sage brined roasted turkey, and turkey leg roulade. Sides include buttermilk mashed potatoes, maple-roasted baby carrots, and brussels sprouts. Of course, the feast wouldn’t be complete without herb stuffing, gravy, and orange-whiskey cranberry sauce. Plus, for dessert, there are two adorable mini pumpkin pies with Chantilly cream.
Pier 7 Restaurant + Bar
Let experts take the reigns at Pier 7 in North Vancouver. Bask in the beautiful views of Vancouver from North Vancouver’s shipyard district while you enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner you don’t have to cook. From October 10 to 13, their holiday menu will feature prime rib, rolled and stuffed turkey breast, and old-fashioned meatloaf, as well as creamed corn, butter-whipped potato purée, and fried brussels sprouts with honey, ham and cheese. End your holiday meal with a sweet autumn treat: apple crumble.
