related items
Don’t want to break it to Mom that her turkey is too dry and the green beans are always overcooked? Start a new Thanksgiving tradition this year by dining out. Though your neighborhood fave might be closed for the holiday, hotels are always a good bet. Several restaurants at new-in-2009 hotels are offering festive feasts, and our favorites at classic hotels are doing it up too. (Hint: Book now to avoid a last-minute goose chase.)
NEW FAVORITES
Markethouse (pictured)
Hearty, locally sourced fare in a refined rustic dining room evokes Thanksgiving on a Midwestern farm—even though you’re just in Streeterville.
On the table: A prix-fixe menu focuses on the heartland, with maple-thyme–seasoned Slagel Family Farm turkey with sage giblet gravy, Anson Mills wild rice pilaf, chestnut-and-honeycrisp apple brioche stuffing and pumpkin pie with pecan praline ice cream. Diners also can opt for dishes off the regular menu.
Price: $24; $12 kids 12 and under
Reservations available: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Inventive organic cuisine reigns supreme at industrial-chic Elate, located in the new Hotel Felix, an eco-focused River North boutique hotel.
On the table: A three-course tasting menu highlights executive chef Randal Jacobs’ twists on traditional fare. For the first course, choose a mixed green salad or roasted chestnut soup. The main course, herb-roasted turkey, comes with sides such as sweet potato gratin. Cap it off with pumpkin pot de creme with chantilly cream. Limited regular menu also available.
Price: $55; $38 kids 12 and under
Reservations available: 2-8:30 p.m.
The ground-floor restaurant at buzz-worthy boutique hotel the Wit is awash in warm hues and rich textures, making for a cozy but not-too-staid locale for your holiday meal.
On the table: For the restaurant’s inaugural Thanksgiving, executive chef Bradley Manchester culled ideas from staff members’ traditional family meals. Specials include autumn squash soup ($5), sausage stuffing ($8) and braised turkey leg ($18). A set meal including the turkey dish also is available.
Price: $25 for set meal; dishes available a la carte
Reservations available: 3-10 p.m.
CLASSIC HITS
If you can’t head to Paris for the holiday, this is the next best thing. The dramatic interior and French-influenced cuisine will inject a little glam into your Turkey Day.
On the table: A four-course prix-fixe menu features a choice of dishes such as brown butter-cauliflower soup, duck confit with parsnip puree, and Swan Creek Farms turkey. Desserts include a pumpkin tart with maple ice cream and coconut panna cotta.
Price: $65; $22 kids
5-12; under 5 free
Reservations available: Seatings at 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
An instant classic when it opened in 2008, this swank and stylish restaurant in the storied Palmer House serves contemporary fare.
On the table: A Thanksgiving buffet features a parade of seasonal dishes: spaghetti squash-and-red pepper soup, smoked lake trout, butternut squash ravioli, sweet potato-marshmallow gratin, maple-honey-molasses–roasted turkey breast and more. Wash it down with unlimited champagne.
Price: $55; $25 kids under 12
Reservations available: Buffet 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; regular menu available 5-10 p.m.
The stately Drake is synonymous with the holidays in Chicago. As always, an elegant buffet takes over the adjoining Gold Coast and French banquet rooms on Thanksgiving.
On the table: Work your way through 160-plus items, from a seafood bar to a carving station complete with turkey, ham, rib roast and whole pork loin. Save room for a slice each of sweet potato and apple pie.
Price: $95; $29 kids 6-12; under 6 free
Reservations available: On the quarter hour, 11:45 a.m.-5:45 p.m.
Heidi Moore is a Metromix special contributor. metromix@tribune.com
