Restaurants are scrambling to figure out how to offer their regular Thanksgiving meals to customers either outdoors or at home. In fact, San Diego restaurants who’ve never offered meals specifically geared to the holidays are trying to promote special takeout meals or deliveries for Thanksgiving. It’s all part of an industry trying to use creativity and perseverance to survive multiple coronavirus shutdowns.
Troy Johnson, food writer for San Diego Magazine, joined Midday Edition on Tuesday to talk about what’s available this holiday and how local restaurants are faring during the pandemic.
RELATED: How Are You Celebrating Thanksgiving This Year?
For those wanting to skip the cooking and cleaning this year, here is a selection of takeout options for Thanksgiving dinner in San Diego County:
The French bistro on Adams Avenue is taking preorders before Nov. 23 for its 3-course tasting menu featuring a salad or soup, traditional turkey, salmon or prime rib and pumpkin pie or pecan and cranberry tart for dessert for $38 a person. The restaurant also has vegetarian options, cocktails to-go and diners can order from an A La Carte menu. A "Thanksgiving box" is available for $160. 3015 Adams Avenue, San Diego CA 92116.
Feeding a crowd? The Trust Restaurant Group's Italian-inspired eatery, Cardellino, in Mission Hills is offering dinner for 6-8 for $295. It includes an 18-20 lbs turkey and chef Brad Wise's take on all the traditional sides (stuffing, gravy, yams, mac & cheese, salad, cranberry sauce, rolls and more) and for dessert, pumpkin bread with honey butter, caramel apple crisp and a pint of Mr. Trustee's ice cream and a bag of coffee beans. The ordering deadline is Nov. 19. 4033 Goldfinch San Diego, CA 92103.
If ramen is more your speed this year than a traditional turkey dinner Tajima is offering a "family ramen kit" for $48. The kit includes noodles, the restaurant's original tonkotsu broth and all the fixings for four. And the restaurant says it will donate $5 to Big Table, a non-profit that helps people who work in the restaurant industry, for every meal kit purchased between Nov. 16 and 25. Tajima has seven locations in San Diego and Tijuana. The ramen kits are available for pick up and delivery.
Looking for some vegetarian options? Cafe Gratitude is taking online orders for sides and pies. Options, which feed 4-6 people, include cranberry roasted butternut squash and garnet yams, cauliflower mashed potatoes with garlic confit, truffled porcini gravy, maple miso brussels sprouts, and pumpkin, apple and chocolate coconut cream pies. Orders must be placed by Nov. 22. 1980 Kettner Blvd Suite 20, San Diego.
George's Thanksgiving meal includes Diestel's turkey, mushroom stuffing, swiss chard casserole with crispy shallots and a choice of pumpkin custard or brown butter and bourbon pecan pies. The to-go meals are $250 for four or $500 for eight servings. 1250 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037.
Boston Market offers complete turkey meals for four ($89.99) to twelve ($139.99) people including turkey, ham or prime rib, mashed potatoes, gravy, spinach artichoke dip, and apple, pumpkin and pecan pies. 5502 Balboa Ave, San Diego, CA 92111.
Carlsbad's Jeune et Jolie and Campfire are teaming up to offer "A Camp Jeune Thanksgiving to go" for three ($200) or up to six ($390) people. The meals include smoke-roasted bone-in beef short ribs with huckleberry aigre-doux, fingerling potato and swiss chard gratin and a fromage blanc cheesecake with fall fruits. 2659 State St. Carlsbad, CA 92008.
More Thanksgiving dine-in and takeout options can be found here, here and here.
