Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This year, let somebody else do the cooking (and the dishes) and take a seat at one of these tables. But make a reservation before you go: Seats sell out well ahead of time.
Gadsby’s Tavern, 138 N. Royal St.
Go back in time and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal fit for your ancestors with Gadsby’s set menu. Sit at a private table or take part in a more communal setting and peruse the menu that best suits you. The private tasting menu consists of cornbread and Sally Lunn bread; a peanut soup or salad to start; turkey, rockfish, or a vegetarian entrée; and, of course, pie. Looking to mingle with your neighbors? Take a seat in the 19th-century ballroom and feast on turkey and ham, yams, red potatoes, cornbread stuffing, cranberry stuffing, and more. Seating times are at noon, 2:30, 5, and 7:30 p.m.; $53 per person.
Blackwall Hitch, 5 Cameron St.
The sprawling restaurant on the Potomac is offering a holiday feast of its own next week, complete with a carving station, seafood station, and plenty of dessert. Take a gander at the buffet and you’ll spy turkey with cranberry-orange chutney, roast beef, oven-baked ham, Old Bay shrimp, oysters, and plenty of sides. Save some room for dessert: apple and pumpkin pie lead the charge along with plenty of other baked goods. Seating from 11 a.m-5:30 p.m.; $38 per adult, $19 for children.
Ramparts, 1700 Fern St.
The neighborhood bar and grill on the cusp of Fairlington has been offering up Turkey Day fare for two decades now, and the tradition continues this year. Start the three-course tasting menu off with a selection of butternut squash soup, seafood bisque or chowder, or a mixed green salad. Then move on to the main event, where you’ll have a choice of turkey, prime rib, pork chops, or grilled salmon, paired with a slew of traditional sides such as cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and creamed corn. Tie everything up with pumpkin or pecan pie, and prepare for naptime once you get home. Seating from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; $29 per adult, $12 for children.
Trademark, 2080 Jamieson Ave.
Tucked into the corner of the Westin, Carlyle’s Trademark restaurant is offering up a holiday feast to remember next Thursday. The three-course prix-fixe menu touches on some holiday favorites but also deviates into new territory on occasion. Start the feast with an autumn apple cheddar soup or kale and stilton salad, and then get ready for the entrée, which offers a delectable selection for omnivores and vegetarians alike. If you’re the former, the rum and pumpkin turkey with all the trimmings will be sure to delight; if you’re the latter, the last harvest risotto is teeming with root vegetables and is far from an afterthought. Toffee pudding and sweet potato pie make for a tough choice to end the meal. Seating from 4-8 p.m.; $36.
Hope Nelson owns and operates the Kitchen Recessionista blog, located at www.kitchenrecessionista.com. Email her any time at hope@kitchenrecessionista.com.