Whether you want a traditional meal in-house, a traditional meal to take home or a non-traditional meal — here are options for everyone.
It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is just a couple weeks away! Where did the time go? (Not that we are complaining — it’s been an exhausting year). Whether you want a traditional meal in-house, a traditional meal to take home or a non-traditional meal — here are options for every San Diegan.
DINE-IN
7 Mile Kitchen
Forget the kitchen, head to the coast for a 7 Mile Kitchen meal, courtesy of Chef Julian Quiñones. Quiñones has a menu that will want you to stay at the restaurant forever! He’s serving up a three-course menu featuring butternut squash soup, buttermilk mashed potatoes, maple glazed yam, and of course, sage and thyme roasted free-range turkey. A special meal will be available to the youngin’s. 7 Mile’s Three-Course Thanksgiving Dinner is priced at $55 for adults and $18 for children. Reservations will be available for Thursday, Nov. 26 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The eatery will also offer togo options. For more information or to make a reservation, call (760) 827-2514 or go to 7milekitchen.com/thanksgiving-dinner/.
Giardino
East County residents will have a delicious option of their own with Giardino. The Lemon Grove eatery, which will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on T-Day, will offer a la carte dishes and holiday specials. For those who want something traditional, they’ll also have a turkey dinner.
Choose from holiday inspired favorites to enjoy around your table, like prime rib, butternut squash ravioli, sides and salads. For more information, go to GiardinoSD.com.
Del Frisco’s Steakhouse
Del Frisco’s Steakhouse along the waterfront in San Diego will be hosting a traditional Thanksgiving feast complete with butternut squash soup, turkey with all the trimmings and pecan pie. Customers can also pick-up orders for a feast at home. For more information, go to delfriscos.com/promotions/thanksgiving/.
Pacifica Del Mar
It isn’t a Turkey Day in California without a view of the ocean. Pacifica Del Mar will offer a multi-course menu for $65, which includes a choice of starter, like butternut squash soup, oven roast free range turkey with the fixings, slow cooked angus prime rib, zinfandel braised beef shortribs and Pacifica seafood classics. For more information, go to PacificaDelMar.com.
Greenfinch Restaurant at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa
Also along the coast is Greenfinch Restaurant where they’ll be offering a traditional Thanksgiving dinner from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Indulge with a 24-hour brined turkey with giblet gravy, traditional stuffing and cranberry chutney. Plus, enjoy traditional sides and desserts including pumpkin pie and pecan-chocolate bread pudding with vanilla anglaise. The eatery will also offer togo options. For more information, go to meritagecollection.com/estancia-la-jolla/special-events/thanksgiving.
Valentina
Enjoy a Thanksgiving meal at the European-inspired bistro, Valentina, in Leucadia. From 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., the restaurant will be serving dishes such as smoked corn, roasted poblano and vanilla bean oil, Chef’s Thanksgiving Plate with dark and light meat turkey, mashed potatoes, herb stuffing, bacon green beans and glazed acorn squash. Top off your meal with a traditional pumpkin pie with vanilla whipped cream. For more information, go to restaurantvalentina.com/.
Rusticucina
Head to Hillcrest for a delicious farm-to-neighborhood meal, courtesy of Executive Chef Marco Provino. Provino will offer a three-course menu that includes pumpkin squash sage ravioli, butternut squash soup, turkey, short ribs over polenta and desserts including apple pie a la mode with ice cream or limoncello cake. Brunch and togo options will also be available at the eatery. For more information, go to rusticucina.com/.
Herb & Wood and Herb & Sea
Chef Brian Malarkey will be hosting Thanksgiving at his restaurants Herb & Wood in Little Italy and Herb & Sea in Encinitas. In Little Italy, guests can expect options such as fig and cowgirl creamery bleu cheese toast, country fried quail and pink peppercorn and sea salt crusted prime rib. In Encinitas, diners can expect a Coastal-Californian cuisine, including kuri pumpkin soup and duck confit, herb and citrus marinated turkey and plancha seared branzino. For more information, go to herbandwood.com/ or herbandsea.com/.
Vistal in Downtown San Diego
Enjoy a staycation and a meal at Vistal, the signature restaurant of InterContinental Hotel San Diego in downtown. Guests can expect a traditional Thanksgiving meal while soaking in the views of San Diego’s skyline and bay. For more information, go to vistalsd.com/specials.
TAKE-OUT/CATERING
Gelson’s
Make your life easier this year by ordering a complete Thanksgiving meal from Gelson’s where Executive Chef Abe van Beek is planning a memorable feast. This year’s offerings include roasted turkey, plant-based hazelnut cranberry roast, prime rib and plenty of delicious sides. Prices vary depending on what you want and how much you want. For more information, go to
gelsons.com/deli-and-catering/holiday-dinners/thanksgiving.html.
CUCINA
The CUCINA restaurants will be offering semi-prepared meal packs for a family of four, which include options such as prime rib, whole roasted Mary’s organic chicken, turkey meatballs with apricot mustard sauce and baked pumpkin rigatoni. Meal packs start at $105. For more information, go to urbankitchengroup.com/order-online.
Cardellino
Let Chef Brad Wise of Trust Restaurant Group do the cooking this Thanksgiving. Chef Brad’s Thanksgiving To-Go, available for pick-up at Cardellino in Mission Hills, features some of his family favorites along with holiday classics including oven-roasted turkey, smashed red potatoes, Italian sausage stuffing, truffled and cheese, winter green salad with pears, goat cheese, spice almonds, and pomegranate dressing, and more. For more information, go to www.cardellinosd.com.
Ranch 45
Take some of the heat out of your kitchen with a little help from Ranch 45 in Solana Beach. The butcher shop will be offering all sorts of options to customize your Thanksgiving feast, including
herb-crusted prime rib and smoked turkey leg to smoked Cornish game hens, roasted broccoli with parmesan and garlic, olive oil smashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, apple pie or carrot cake. For more information, go to ranch45.com/.
The Gluten Free Baking Co.
It ain’t a holiday without plenty of sweets and The Gluten Free Baking Co. is here to serve. The North Park bakery is offering everything from your traditional pumpkin pie and pecan pie to other items such as multigrain dinner rolls, stuffing mix, quiche, mini banana bread loaves and so much more. Of course, everything is gluten-free. For more information, go to thegfbakingco.com/.
Craft & Commerce
Pick up your sides at Craft & Commerce in Little Italy. The eatery will be offering mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuits and fruit preserve, among other delectable options. For more information, go to craft-commerce.com/.
NON-TRADITIONAL
Kaneh Co.
Lift your Thanksgiving spirits higher with Kaneh Co., a San Diego-based bakery that specializes in gourmet cannabis infused edibles. The bakery will be offering a decadent fudge brownie studded with butterscotch chips (1 brownie, 10mg THC/ 2mg CBN), a classic sugar cookie rolled and baked in crushed candy cane sugar (1 cookie, 10mg THC) and a brown sugar, cinnamon and pecan swirled blondie (1 blondie, 5mg THC/ 5mg CBD). For more information, go to kanehedibles.com.
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Rusticucina
Indulge in an Italian meal this Thanksgiving with Rusticucina in Hillcrest. Guests can expect pizzas, flatbreads, housemade pasta and more. For more information, go to rusticucina.com/.
La Puerta
Keep it San Diego by enjoying a Mexican meal this Thanksgiving. La Puerta in Gaslamp will be offering everything you love, including its staple, sweet corn kernels simmered in a sauce made with cream and cheese. For more information, go to lapuertasd.com/.
Pho Ca Dao
Enjoy a bowl of steamy, delicious pho this Thanksgiving with Pho Ca Dao in Mission Valley. Pair your Vietnamese dish with one of the speciality cocktails the pho restaurant is developing a reputation for. For more information, go to phocadaogrill.com/.
Moto Deli
Keep it simple with a turkey sandwich! Moto Deli in Encinitas will offer its crowd-pleasing Turketta Sandwich made with house smoked turkey breast, bacon, avocado, mostarda and moto spread on squaw bread. You can enjoy the sandwich out on Moto Deli’s expansive outdoor patio which is outfitted with heaters, with a beer in hand. For more information, go to motodeli.com/.
What’s missing from this San Diego Thanksgiving Guide? Tell us in the comments or email hoaq@timesofsandiego.com.