Where to go when you don't want to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas in the kitchen
by A. LaBan
Thanksgiving is my big family holiday, and it's always held at my parents' place in Detroit. Mom starts cooking weeks before the big day; needless to say, she's a little stressed out when the big day finally arrives. Day of, we always try to duck out for the Lions game -- this year against the Bears, a veritable battle of titans -- and cannily avoid being hauled into the kitchen for the homestretch, last-gasp prep period. After the fourth quarter draws to a close on another gladiatorial contest at the Silverdome, we arrive back home just in time to sit down at a table groaning with Thanksgiving fixings. We then proceed to stuff ourselves, not only for just the next few hours, but over the next three days, until we hit I-94 with bountiful bags of leftovers in the back seat.
Sound familiar? Maybe not, if you're one of the many who skip holiday kitchen duty and head for a place where someone else does the work -- like Seasons at the Four Seasons Hotel, one of the finest dining rooms in the city. According to Lisa Bailey, marketing director for the hotel, Seasons is booked far in advance for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. "We never have to advertise for the holidays," she says. "We have regulars, mostly local families, who come year after year."
Bailey believes a combination of great food, a jolly atmosphere -- and freedom from the kitchen -- keeps the regulars coming back, holiday after holiday. "It's really a lot of work to prepare a big Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. The diners coming to Seasons know they're going to have a happy time in a festive setting with very good food." Sound like a perfect new family tradition for you and your kin? Call for reservations soon; Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day are already sold out, but there are still a few seats open for the Christmas Eve five-course dinner ($72 per person).
Hotels are an obvious option for roving holiday eaters in search of an open dining room when it seems like everything else is closed. But they're not the only alternative: There are plenty of neighborhood places that will be happy to serve you. Before I acquired a mother-in-law who recognizes Christmas as a holiday, I celebrated December 25 as a leisurely day off to spend at home. I'd sleep late and read a trashy novel in bed, before heading off to a movie at Webster Place. I'd top that off with my annual trip to Sam & George's, the "S&G," where I'd debate my options from the coffee shop's massive menu. If you're looking for something more upscale than a 24-hour coffee shop, head down to North Michigan Avenue; instead of a hotel dining room, try the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building, which offers a Thanksgiving buffet with table-side carving (and leftovers packaged to go) for $35.95 for adults and $18 for kids ages 4 through 12. Or go next door to the Mity Nice Grill, where a four-course Thanksgiving meal will be served from 1-7pm ($29.95 adults, $10.95 for children under 12). Mity Nice is even nice enough to offer alternatives for those of us who find turkey dry and stringy, including garlic-crusted Lake Superior whitefish, grilled king salmon and roast prime rib ($3 extra).
But who says you've got to stick to traditional grub? India House is open on both Thanksgiving and Christmas Days, and there probably won't be stuffing or potatoes and gravy anywhere in sight. Chinatown is also a good bet; many of the neighborhood's eateries, including Emperor's Choice, Phoenix and Three Happiness, are open, too. If you like your stuffing in the form of rice and beans, try El Presidente.
For those who don't want to do any cooking, but still want to enjoy the holiday in their own home, ZOOM Kitchen will prepare a homemade turkey dinner with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and a choice of pie; serving ten to twelve, the whole shebang runs $135 ($48 for just the bird). Additional sides include sweet potato "mashies," roasted ears of corn, ginger glazed baby carrots or cranberry sauce with port wine. All orders must be made twenty-four hours in advance, and ZOOM includes take-home thermometers for orders that can be finished off in your own oven.
While the decision to go out or stay in may be a big debate in your house, Levy Cares, the charitable arm of Levy Restaurants, recognizes that not everyone is lucky enough to have the choice to make. So, for the third year running, the members of Levy Restaurants' thirty-person executive team will serve more than 1,200 turkey dinners with all the trimmings to homeless guests at the Pacific Garden Mission, the nation's oldest mission. The service begins at 10am on Thanksgiving Day, and I bet the food will taste as good as anything my mom can whip up.
Seasons, The Four Seasons Hotel, 900 North Michigan, (312)280-8800
Sam & George's, 3000 North Lincoln, (773)935-4025 (not open Thanksgiving)
Signature Room, John Hancock Center, 875 North Michigan Avenue, (312)787-9596
Mity Nice Grill, Water Tower Place, 835 North Michigan, (312)335-4745
India House, 2258 North Clark, (773)665-7725
Emperor's Choice, 2238 South Wentworth, (312)225-8800
Phoenix, 2131 South Archer, (312)328-0848.
Three Happiness Chinese Restaurant No. 3, 2130 South Wentworth, (312)791-1228
El Presidente, 2558 North Ashland, (773)525-7938
ZOOM Kitchen, 923 North Rush (312)440-1900; 1646 North Damen (773)278-7000; 620 West Belmont (773)325-1400
Pacific Garden Mission, 646 South State Street, (312)922-1462
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.