Kathleen Hill: Thanksgiving, Sonoma style
Thanksgiving dinner out in Sonoma
Want to go out for Thanksgiving dinner?
Some restaurants that have served Thanksgiving dinner before have chosen this year to close to allow staffs to be with family and friends. As many of us know, lots of restaurant employees hail from Mexico and are suffering from fear and potentially divided families following the election.
Free Thanksgiving dinners
Vintage House will serve its usual free Thanksgiving dinner for seniors from 3 to 6 p.m. and is looking for volunteer chefs and kitchen help, set up help, and dinner service and cleanup volunteers. To help, call Marissa Fitrakis at 996-0311. Sonoma Plaza Kiwanis will deliver dinner to those who reserve because they can’t get out.
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The Sonoma Community Center will serve its usual terrific free dinner at the Veterans Memorial Building, organized by Gary Edwards and Sonoma Valley Rotary with help and donations from Sonoma Market, Elaine Bell Catering, Maya Restaurant, the City and County of Sonoma, and lots of volunteers. Speaking of the latter, they could use more help, desserts, and non-alcoholic beverages. Drop off at Sonoma Community Center. 3 p.m. 126 First St. W., Sonoma. Sonomacommunitycenter.org.
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While many local wineries are offering pre-Thanksgiving sale prices, which might be good for staying home, you might also want to stock up and take a bottle with you to a restaurant if that’s how you give thanks and enjoy someone else’s cooking, serving and cleaning up. Sounds good to me.
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Here are restaurants and a summary of what they are serving with prices, in ascending order. Reserve now because they sell out.
The Fig Café & Winebar, Glen Ellen, starts with arugula salad, shaved Brussels sprouts salad, or butternut squash soup. Entrées include roast turkey, house ham, pan-seared flounder or mushroom risotto, followed by brownie sundae or pumpkin cheesecake. $45 adults, $20 kids 10 and under. 1 to 6 p.m. Reserve at 933-3000, Ext. 13. thefigcafe.com.
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The Girl & the Fig will start with a goat cheese turnover, move on to sausage, kale and lentil soup or sweet potato soup or two salalds, followed by entrée choices of turkey with brioche and roasted onion stuffing, grilled rib eye steak, sautéed flounder, or white corn polenta, followed by sweet potato pie, a pear tart, flourless chocolate torte, or their famous profiteroles. $57, add $18 for wine pairing. $20 for children 10 and under. Reserve at 938-3634.
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Suite D offers its second annual Thanksgiving buffet of charcuterie and cheeses; mushroom soup; romaine and pear salad, roasted Fall squash with honey, roasted Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots and whipped horseradish potatoes; Parker rolls; turkey with thyme gravy; cornbread stuffing with mushrooms; turkey, and roast beef with horseradish cream and Rosemary jus, followed by mini desserts. $65 adults, $25 children under13. $5 less for Social Club and Suite D members. $5 corkage, free to members. Wine and beer for sale. Tables of 8 and 10 and a community table for 20 independents. Figsuited.com.
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El Dorado Kitchen offers starters such as Wagyu beef carpaccio and Dungeness crab cakes or cream of mushroom soup or soy-glazed pork belly. Free range turkey with mushroom stuffing, lobster risotto, King salmon, pumpkin ravioli and Black Angus filet mignon complete the entrée choices. Hope they offer the pumpkin cream puffs with chocolate sauce and sticky persimmon pudding with vanilla ice cream after Thanksgiving. $65. Reserve at 931-6021.
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Saddles Steakhouse will have a sit-down dinner this Thanksgiving, opening with an amuse bouche, followed by celery root and Gravenstein apple bisque with beet chips, Romaine salad with sun-dried cranberries and pears with Point Reyes blue cheese dressing; entrée choices of pan-seared turkey tenderloin, Black Angus filet mignon with onion rings and mashed potatoes, or crab-stuffed sea bass with corn and asparagus risotto. Dessert choices are pumpkin cheesecake, maple crème brûlée with shortbread, or chocolate pecan caramel tartlette. $75, $35 children 12 and under. 2 to 7 p.m. Reserve at 933-3191 or saddlesteakhouse.com.
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Carneros Bistro at the Lodge at Sonoma will have a buffet of butternut squash soup, and a variety of salads; a chilled seafood station with antipasti and regional cheeses; hot entrées of striped bass, Petaluma chicken, truffled red quinoa, and sides of Yukon Gold potato purée, sweet potatoes, crispy fried Brussels sprouts, and green bean mushroom casserole, plus a plethora of mini desserts. Incudes a glass of wine. $70 adults, $30 kids 12 and under. Seatings at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Reserve at 931-2010.
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