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How to Do Thanksgiving in Athens Without Cooking a Thing


Can’t cook? Don’t wanna? Athens has lots of options for you:

EAT THERE

Five Bar will hold its second annual Thanksgiving Charity Feast on Thanksgiving Day from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. The meal is free and first-come, first-serve, but donations are accepted for Project Safe. Cabin Creek BBQ will be open 11 a.m.–2 p.m. No reservations are required, and the tab is $13.95 including drink and dessert. Allgood Lounge will be open for a Thanksgiving potluck, and The World Famous will serve up its regular menu from 4 p.m.–midnight. If you’re not picky about tradition, Taste of India will be open, serving its regular menu, and Hibachi Grill, on the Eastside, is doing an all-day seafood buffet.

TURKEYS

White Tiger has turkeys, available smoked or fried, that serve about 10 for $50. Call 706-353-6847 or email catering@whitetigergourmet.com to place your order.

FULL MEAL

Pulaski Heights BBQ is doing smoked turkey and gravy that feeds eight–12, with gravy, cranberry sauce, cornbread dressing and two sides for $90. If you just want the turkey, it’s $50.

Chonell’s is available for catering your entire meal. Call 706-549-2114 for info.

Saucehouse is catering for $11.50 per person (12-person minimum). You get turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, two main sides (choice of mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole) and Sister Schubert’s dinner rolls. Add sweet or unsweet tea or lemonade for $1 per person and peach cobbler or pumpkin pie for $2 per person. Turkey and gravy only (to feed eight–12) is $65.

Transmet West is creating feasts to feed six adults for $100 (due at the time of the order). It gets you roasted or smoked turkey breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, mushroom and sage dressing, fresh cranberry sauce, green bean or squash casserole, caramelized shallot and bacon Brussels sprouts, freshly baked bread and pumpkin or sweet potato pie. Order by Sunday. Pick up Wednesday, Nov. 25 between 5–7 p.m.

Donderos’ Kitchen is doing both roast turkey (10, 14, 18 or 22 pounds at $4.95 a pound) and herb-roasted duck with orange sauce ($28.50 for four pounds), as well as sides in baking pans ($11 for small, which feeds two–four people, $24 for large, which feeds eight–12 people; traditional herbed dressing with sausage or pecans, vegan and gluten-free portobello cornbread dressing, pecan-baked sweet potatoes and green bean casserole), sides by the quart or pint (mashed potatoes $13 a quart, mashed rutabaga $13 a quart, sweet and sour red cabbage with apple $13 a quart, creamed Brussels sprouts $15 a quart, red wine gravy $8 a pint or $15 a quart and cranberry sauce $8 a pint or $15 a quart) and nine-inch pies (apple for $18, pumpkin for $15 or pecan for $17), as well as dinner rolls from Independent Baking Co. ($5.34 for six). Order by Monday (except birds, which are due Thursday, Nov. 19) and pick up Tuesday between 4–5:30 p.m. or Wednesday between 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Classic City Chef will deliver your meal on Wednesday, Nov. 25 with a minimum $150 order (plus a $25 charge for delivery), and has whole turkey with gravy and fresh cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potato soufflé, scalloped potatoes, buttered broccoli, butternut squash, roasted acorn squash, cornbread dressing, stuffing, green bean casserole, squash casserole, broccoli casserole, roasted fall vegetables, rolls, pies (pecan, apple, pumpkin, Key lime) and cakes (pumpkin cheesecake, regular cheesecake, flourless chocolate). The menu is online, and orders are due Wednesday, Nov. 18.

SIDES

home.made has its Sorvas Salad (Brussels sprouts and kale with mustard vinaigrette, toasted pecans and dried cranberries), sweet potato gratin with sage cream and brown butter breadcrumbs, roasted fall vegetables with fresh herbs and pecans and braised collards with Georgia cane syrup and cider vinegar in quantities serving four ($15) or eight ($30). You can add cranberry pepper jelly for $5 (eight ounces). Orders are due by noon on Monday, Nov. 23 with pick-up Tuesday or Wednesday between 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Opa Robby’s has casseroles as usual, on special Sunday through Wednesday Thanksgiving week. If you buy $40 worth of produce, including a casserole, you’ll only pay $25 for it.

Marti’s at Midday has smashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar and cinnamon, mashed potato casserole with parmesan crust, green beans with pecans and shallots, roasted fall vegetables with pesto, old-fashioned cornbread dressing and southern squash casserole ($16 to serve 4-6, $32 to serve 8-10), plus housemade cranberry sauce ($6 per 1/2 quart, $12 full quart).

Em’s Kitchen has casseroles ($19.99 to feeds 8-10 people; sweet potato casserole, broccoli and rice casserole, squash casserole and cornbread dressing), sides by the quart ($10.99; green beans or mashed potatoes) and soups ($13.99/quart, including cornbread; Brunswick stew, chicken mull, chicken noodle and butternut squash). Orders are due Saturday, Nov. 21. You can order desserts, too, from a long list here.

Heirloom Cafe has sides that feed 3-4 people (green bean casserole, $13; root vegetable hash, $14; sweet potato soufflé with pecan crumble, $11; cornbread, apple and chorizo stuffing, $13; southern-style braised greens, $7; turkey gravy $6/pint; and cranberry orange relish $7/pint) and desserts  (black bottom pecan pie, buttermilk pumpkin pie and salted caramel apple pie, $28 each) for order through an online form by Saturday, Nov. 21.

DESSERTS

Kiki’s Bakeshop is making pies (nine-inch diameter, $15.99; sweet potato, autumn pumpkin, golden apple, sugar plum, black cherry, bourbon pecan, chocolate pecan, butter pecan), cakes ($27.95; pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap cookie crust, flourless chocolate cake), breads ($7.95 each or per dozen; sweet potato biscuits, cheese biscuits, pumpkin pecan streusel bread, banana bread) and dinner rolls ($5.25 per dozen). Order either through Kiki’s, The National or Daily Grocery Co-op by Friday, Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m. Kirsten “Kiki” Bradford says, “if you miss the cut off, we will have plenty of extra pies, fresh baked breads and other yummy pick-up items!” The store is open Wednesday, Nov. 25, from 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Big City Bread Café has pumpkin pie ($18, serves eight), bourbon pecan pie ($20, serves eight), Dutch apple tart ($25, serves eight), pear almond frangipane tart ($25, serves 8), apple or pumpkin bread ($14, serves eight–10), pull-apart rolls ($4.25 for seven), chocolate cherry bread ($6.75), cranberry pecan bread ($5.50), almond or pumpkin cake ($45, serves 10–15) or a whole tray of Thanksgiving desserts ($50 to serve 10–15, $85 to serve 20–25; pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, spiced pumpkin cake with cinnamon cream cheese icing, gingerbread cookies, pumpkin cranberry bread, apple bread, pecan pie bars, petit fours and more). Order 72 hours in advance by Monday, Nov. 23.

Sweetie Pie by Savie has pies (pumpkin, pecan, apple, peach, blueberry, coconut cream), cakes (minimum order eight-inch; pumpkin spice, carrot, German chocolate, Strawberry Surprise) and cookies (minimum order one dozen; chocolate chip, maple pecan, salted caramel pumpkin, oatmeal raisin) for order by Thursday, Nov. 19.

ETC. 

The Athens Farmers Market will host a special pre-Thanksgiving market at Heirloom Café on Wednesday, Nov. 25 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. The Old Pal will be open Thanksgiving evening from 6 p.m.–midnight; nearby Normal Bar will open at 7 p.m. Mama Bird’s Granola is offering tamales (beef enchilada, pumpkin walnut, potato and pepper, chicken and chorizo, all with or without cheese) at $25 per dozen, delivered. Order by 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22.

Know of other Turkey Day take-out options? Leave them in the comments, or email food@flagpole.com.

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