Thanksgiving in the District

Whether you’re terrified at the thought of cooking a turkey or just too busy to bother with preparing a meal, consider shifting your Thanksgiving celebration to one of the District’s many restaurants.

If you’re feeling fancy…

Georgetown is the perfect setting to get yourself in the mood for the upcoming holidays — and partaking in 1789 Restaurant’s Thanksgiving menu is just step one.

{mosads}Executive Chef Anthony Lombardo, who was recently featured at the James Beard House in New York, is offering both a prix fixe and à la carte menu on Thanksgiving. The three-course fixed-price menu is a traditional Thanksgiving feast, while the à la carte menu gives diners a few more options.

Standouts on Lombardo’s à la carte menu include the Nantucket Bay scallops with parsnips, butter-braised kale and oxtail ragu as a starter course, with Parisian ham, boiled French-style with chestnut spaetzle, collard greens and cinnamon-glazed apples as a main course.

On the prix-fixe menu, you can choose between two starters: a Brussels sprout salad with Belgian endive, pine nuts, pecorino cheese and a grain-mustard vinaigrette or a roasted winter squash soup featuring butternut, blue hubbard and kuri squashes along with Virginia maple syrup crème fraîche. The main course is traditional roast turkey, with a choice of seasonal desserts by pastry chef Ryan Westover.

1789, located at 1226 36th St. NW, will be open Thanksgiving Day from noon until 9 p.m. The prix fixe menu is $50 per person (excluding tax and gratuity), and à la carte menu options range from $11 to $52. Reservations are recommended.

If you’re feeling exotic…

The Bombay Club and both Rasika outposts are offering an Indian take on the classic turkey.

At Rasika West End, located at 1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW, guests can enjoy turkey kozhambu, a sauce made with coconut milk and curry leaves, served with a butternut squash bhaji, Brussels sprouts poriyal and cranberry pulao. Its sister restaurant, Rasika Penn Quarter, located at 633 D St. NW, is offering a turkey dum biryani, a basmati rice dish served with butternut squash bharta, Brussels sprouts kadi and a cranberry raita. Each dish is priced at $16.

Both restaurants are also offering their full à la carte menu on Thanksgiving Day, just in case you’re craving chef Vikram Sunderam’s famous palak chaat instead of turkey. Both restaurants are open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Reservations are accepted.

The Bombay Club, at 815 Connecticut Ave. NW, is also offering an Indian twist on turkey, featuring Malai turkey marinated in yogurt, cashews, saffron and mace, then grilled in a tandoori oven. It comes with a cranberry chutney, Brussels sprouts foogath and butternut squash bharta for $19.50 per person. You can enjoy the full à la carte menu at The Bombay Club as well.

The Bombay Club is open for lunch at 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and for dinner from 5:30 until 10:30 p.m. Reservations are accepted.

If you’re feeling traditional…

Both the D.C. and Maryland locations of Founding Farmers will be offering a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Guests will start with skillet cornbread and buttermilk biscuits paired with salted honey butter, apple butter and green tomato chow-chow before they move on to the first course.

A traditional butternut squash soup is offered, topped with a cranberry crème fraîche and pumpkin seeds, or guests can choose the warm maple goat cheese salad with a red beet chipotle glaze.

Thanksgiving tradition says turkey is the star, but Founding Farmers is also presenting three other proteins to share the spotlight — a slow-roasted pit ham, Southern fried chicken and an herb-crusted prime rib. The sides closely resemble what Mom makes, with roasted chestnut cornbread stuffing, whipped potatoes or roasted sweet potato with fig and pecan butter. Brussels sprouts are pan-roasted with bacon and maple brown butter, and the green beans are sautéed with sea salt and candied lemon.

A slice of pie will round off your meal, and Founding Farmers is serving up five different choices: Dutch apple caramel, chocolate cream, coconut cream, pecan and, of course, pumpkin.

The three-course meal is priced at $35 per person, and $20 for children under the age of 12. The restaurant is open from noon until 8 p.m. Guests will not be able to order from the regular menu. Reservations are accepted.

If you’re feeling really hungry…

Hill Country Barbecue in Penn Quarter is known for its melt-in-your-mouth beef brisket, but it’s also serving up pit-smoked turkey for its Thanksgiving Day feast.

Diners can enjoy serving after serving of the aforementioned turkey and brisket, as well as pork spare ribs, smoked sausage and barbecued chicken.

Hill Country, at 410 7th St. NW, is offering a mile-long list of sides, including its decadent macaroni and cheese. Other menu favorites are available as well: collard greens, coleslaw, sweet potato bourbon mash, corn pudding and skillet cornbread are on the list, along with Texas toast stuffing and cranberry sauce.

With meat and sides like that, it can be tough to save room for dessert. But please do — a thick slice of apple pie would round out your Lone Star adventure, and there’s also pumpkin ginger streusel pie and bourbon pecan pie. Banana pudding and a PB&J cupcake from their regular menu make a welcome appearance, too.

The feast starts at noon and runs until 8 p.m. and is priced at $39.95 for adults and $15 for kids 10 and younger. Reservations are accepted.

Can’t make it for the feast? Never fear: the Boot Bar is showing the Texas versus Texas Tech football game at 7:30 and offering a “leftovers sandwich” on their bar menu for any Thanksgiving latecomers.