Don’t want to cook Thanksgiving dinner? No problem.
2020 has given us the best excuse to break with tradition.
It’s difficult to skip our usual Thanksgiving routines, but 2020 has given us the best excuse to break with tradition — if only for a year (we hope). And restaurants, caterers, and bakeries are more than happy to do the cooking for you.
Takeout
Full-on dinner
River Twice: The Southern-influenced farm-to-table will box up half a sweet tea-brined turkey, oyster-cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, sweet potato mash, and cranberry sauce for dinner. Pumpkin pie with chantilly cream is for dessert. They’ll throw in two bags of King’s Hawaiian rolls for leftovers, too. Order by Nov. 19. 1601 E. Passyunk Ave., 267-457-3698 rivertwicerestaurant.com
The Bercy/Stove & Tap/Al Pastor: There’s smoked turkey, cornbread, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cider-glazed brussels sprouts, and pumpkin-walnut cake on this restaurant group’s menu. Add mulled wine or mac and cheese for more. Choose two or up to six servings, and pick up at the location that’s most convenient for you. Locations in Ardmore, Malvern, Lansdale, and Exton; 610-589-0500, 484-450-8890, 215-393-8277, 484-341-8886; stoveandtap.com
Ripplewood: Dinner for up to eight includes a farm-fresh turkey, cranberry sauce and gravy, pretzeled Parker House rolls, a fall harvest salad, and chocolate-bourbon pecan pie. There’s also a choice of sides: roasted fingerling sweet potatoes, cornbread and venison sausage stuffing, creamed spinach, honey-smoked carrots, roasted brussels sprouts, herb roasted potatoes, and truffled mac and cheese. Add some punch to go. Order by Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. 29 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, 610-486-7477, ripplewoodbar.com
High Street: It’s no longer on Market Street, but High Street’s cooking hasn’t lost a step. Snag a half or whole bird that’s brined and ready-to-roast or one that’s already cooked. Add an “everything but the bird” box that includes four servings of sage-brown butter stuffing, brussels sprouts and turnip salad, roasted honeynut squash, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry chutney. Or pick up dinner rolls with butter, bread, pies (salted honey, apple, and kabocha squash), and cookie and cinnamon rolls boxes. Order a bird by Nov. 16, and everything else by Nov. 23. 101 S. Ninth St., 215-625-0988, highstreetonmarket.com
» READ MORE: Where to get a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving around Philadelphia
Luhv Food: This family-run, Hatboro-based vegan outfit with a stand in the Reading Terminal Market serves up plant-based Thanksgiving dishes by the platter. It’s as traditional as the holiday meal can be with “turkey breast,” “chorizo” wild rice stuffing, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and caramelized brussels. There’s a variety of fall soups, too. 101 N. York Rd., Hatboro, 215-444-9002, luhv.store
Pumpkin: Choose between roasted turkey or Scottish salmon for your main course, and from a selection of sides, including roasted carrots with a crunchy pistachio dukkah, mushroom and chestnut stuffing, and mashed potatoes with garlic and herb butter. Pumpkin or pecan pie finishes the $50-per-person meal. Order by Nov. 18. 1713 South St., 215-545-4448, pumpkinphilly.com
Fitz and Starts: Chef Pat O’Malley’s recently rebranded restaurant will cook up a Turkey Day dinner for four: half a turkey from Keiser’s Pheasantry, macaroni gratin, seared broccoli and cauliflower, mushroom and herb stuffing, sweet potato kugel with brown butter streusel, giblet gravy, and cranberry sauce. O’Malley includes a cranberry-walnut loaf and an heirloom pumpkin pie, too. Order by Nov. 22. 743 S. Fourth St., 215-278-2736, fitzandstartsphilly.com
Garces Events: Scale your feast up or down, leaving room for leftovers, with one of the dinner packages from chef Jose Garces' team. There’s rosemary Parker House rolls with apple butter, herb-roasted turkey breast, cranberry-orange relish, challah bread stuffing, pecorino-roasted sweet potatoes, whipped mashed potatoes, etc. Each person gets a slice of either pumpkin-butternut, bourbon-pecan, or caramel-apple pie with smoked cinnamon whipped cream. Order by Nov. 21. Pick up at the Olde Bar, 125 Walnut St., 215-253-3777, TheOldeBar.com
» READ MORE: How to host a safe outdoor Thanksgiving (and decide if you should)
Feast Your Eyes: This Northern Liberties caterer can customize your order down to the dumpling (for starters). Choose from various entrees, whole turkey or turkey breast, three kinds of stuffing, six vegetable sides, plus a number of appetizers. 1750 N. Front St., 215-634-3002, feastwellfoods.com/thanksgiving
Just desserts, and sides
Denise’s Delicacies: This North Philly bakery/mecca is known for its ultra-moist poundcake (which also comes in fall flavors like apple and sweet potato), but don’t miss the pies (sweet potato, pecan, apple), cheesecake, cookies, and clover rolls. And don’t be surprised if there’s a wait. 2916 N. 22nd St., 215-225-5425, cakesbydenises.com/denises
Joy Box: The team of small businesses behind this pandemic care package has packed its special Thanksgiving box with appetizers, sides, desserts, and drinks. Choose from a cheese plate from Third Wheel Cheese Co., sides from the hand-pie shop Stargazy, coffee from Caphe Roasters, small-batch beers from Triple Bottom Brewing, mushrooms from Mycopolitan Mushroom Company, pies from Lil' Pop Shop, and mini ice cream sandwiches from Weckerly’s. Order by Nov. 20. phillyjoybox.com/thanksgiving
Oyster House: Order a tray of cornbread oyster stuffing, a platter of shrimp cocktail, or pies and whipped cream (salted honey, bourbon-molasses pecan, and classic pumpkin) by Nov. 21. 1516 Sansom St., 215-567-7683, oysterhousephilly.com
Hawthornes: The Bella Vista beer bar has a new pastry chef who’s whipping up Dutch apple crumb pie, streusel pumpkin pie, and loaves of coffee cake and gluten-free almond-apple pound cake. 738 S. 11th St., 215-627-3012, hawthornecafe.com
Farm and Fisherman: Find all the classics here — from turkey gravy to apple pie — plus some cheffier sides, including broccoli-cheddar bake, caramelized cauliflower, and sweet potato streusel. Order by Nov. 20. 1442 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, 856-356-2282, fandftavern.com
Small Oven Pastry Shop: Three-tiered autumn cakes with flavored buttercream and layers of crunch; platters of pastries or fancy desserts; and five tarts, including chocolate-bourbon pecan and brown sugar-cranberry, are on offer at this Washington Avenue window. You can also snag ciabatta rolls next door at Porcos. Order by Nov. 24. 2204 Washington Ave., 215-545-2939, smallovenpastryshop.com
Outdoor dining
Fork: Choose your starter (salad, soup, or mackerel), entree (turkey, short rib, or trout), and dessert (various pies) and enjoy family-style sides at Fork’s Thanksgiving. Seatings take place inside and outside from 1 to 7 p.m. Make a reservation soon. 306 Market St., 215-625-9425, forkrestaurant.com
Walnut Street Cafe: Steak frites, acorn squash, turkey, and black bass are on the menu in West Philly, as are stuffing muffins, sage-brown butter rolls, and mashed potatoes and gravy. Dessert features classics (apple or pumpkin pie a la mode) and twists (cider sorbet, fig coffee cake). 2929 Walnut St., 215-867-8067, walnutstreetcafe.com
Autograph Brasserie: Feel free to buck tradition at this three-course meal. Entree selections include roasted turkey breast with stuffing, sure, but also steak frites, braised short ribs, salmon with beluga lentils, scallops with grits, and seared tuna with celery root puree. Call ahead to reserve a table on the patio. 503 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne, 610-964-2588, autographbrasserie.com
a.kitchen: Chef Eli Collins prepares a three-course for dine-in customers that includes acorn squash and Comté soup, heritage turkey, sesame-country bread stuffing, and sweet potato mash. A slice of chocolate-tahini cake or apple or pumpkin pie is for dessert. Wine pairings are extra. Reserve an outdoor table soon. 135 S. 18th St., 215-825-7030, akitchenandbar.com