Thanksgiving is a holiday about convening with friends and family, reflecting on the things we’re thankful for in the past year and stuffing our faces until our pants need to be unbuttoned.
This year, with public health officials advising people to keep gatherings small, Thanksgiving will likely be a quieter, more intimate affair for many in Toronto.
Restaurants, butcher shops and boutique grocers throughout the city have Thanksgiving menus to alleviate the holiday cooking responsibilities. You may not get grandma’s roast turkey this year, but these 15 options are sure to please crowds of 10 or less.
Please be aware that the city is currently considering new regulations to prohibit indoor dining due to COVID-19. The dine-in options on this list are subject to cancellation or change.
AGO Bistro
For a more intimate gathering, get a turkey dinner for two from the art gallery. Expect pretty classic fixings: sage and leek stuffing, roasted veggies and green bean salad in brown butter vinaigrette. And there’s a vegetarian option: roasted cauliflower steak instead of turkey. Pre-order for pick up by October 4. $70 for two people. [TAKEOUT]
Café Boulud
The Yorkville brasserie inside the Four Seasons Hotel is serving up a Thanksgiving brunch between October 10 and 12. Expect typical French cuisine like oysters, niçoise salad and foie gras, but also Thanksgiving favourites with a twist. Turkey roulade with cornbread stuffing and cognac gravy, lobster cauliflower crèpes and a Brussels sprout choucroute with smoked ham, duck egg and turkey jus. Make a reservation online or call. $64 per person for three courses, $57 per person for two courses. [DINE IN]
Côte de Boeuf
For the home cooks, this bistro/bar à vin on Ossington is selling Thanksgiving provisions. Turkeys, muscovy ducks, heritage chickens, côte de boeuf, smoked bacon and ham and savoury Guinness pies are all on the list. Call in to reserve orders by October 8. Prices vary. [TAKE-OUT]
instagram.com/cotedeboeufossington
The Drake
Choose whichever Drake outpost is closest to home and dine-in or order out. There’s slow-roasted turkey, rolls, sourdough stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy – all standard turkey day fare. The vegetarian main is maple-roasted squash topped with tahini and spiced pumpkin seeds. Pre-order for pick up by October 8. $39 per person for dine in, $35 per person for takeout. [DINE IN & TAKEOUT]
Fairmont Royal York
The Fairmont’s Thanksgiving dinner-to-go comes with a roast turkey or maple-mustard glazed ham, sage and onion stuffing, brioche popover rolls, kabocha squash and more roasted roots and veggies. A portion from each order will be donated to the Make A Wish Foundation. Reign, the hotel’s restaurant, is serving an upscale prix-fixe meal. Think confit turkey rillette as a starter and Canadian prime rib roast with Yorkshire pudding or roasted sweet potato cassolette with faro and kale. Pre-order dinner-to-go by October 9 at 12 pm. $240-$380, depending on number of people. $60 per person to dine in at Reign. [DINE IN & TAKE-OUT]
Lakeview
Get a deep-fried turkey from this Dundas West institution. Let this classic diner serve you a classic Thanksgiving with cranberry sauce, roasted veggies, house-made mashed potatoes and gravy. Email to pre-order. $150 for six to eight people. [TAKE-OUT]
instagram.com/thelakeviewrestaurant
Leña
If you’re looking for an unconventional Thanksgiving meal, head over to this downtown South American restaurant for an escape to Argentina. Tantalize your taste buds with turkey glazed in Guajillo chiles and stuffed with pork sausage, roasted yam and delicata squash with dulce de leche and Spanish Serrano ham. Pre-order for pick up by October 5. $180 for four to six people. [TAKE-OUT]
Liberty Commons
For the fourth straight year, Liberty Commons is doing their crowd-favourite beer-can turkey sandwiches. Wood-fired turkey, cran-walnut stuffing, gravy and a slew of roasted vegetables are stacked between Yorkshire pudding buns for $22. They’re also serving a full dinner – think everything that’s packed into the sammies but laid out on a plate for $24. Dine in, make a reservation in advance. [DINE IN]
Maple Leaf Tavern
This Leslieville tavern is preparing ready-to-go dinner kits stocked with squash and apple soup, roast turkey and smoked turkey sausages, cranberry mustard, mashed sweet potatoes and more. Call or stop by the restaurant to place an order. $149 for four people. [TAKE-OUT]
O+B At Home
Whether you’re looking for an easy, fully prepared Thanksgiving meal or you’re a cook-everything-from-scratch purist, O+B has delivery and pick up options. A Canoe Thanksgiving feast will get you a brined turkey (cooked or raw based on preference), mulled wine cranberry sauce, roasted heirloom carrots with local honey and Yukon gold potatoes whipped with gouda. There’s also a rib-eye roast for those who want to pass on turkey this year. All the ingredients and sides are available separately for those who want to build their own menu. The company is also collecting donations for Second Harvest with Thanksgiving orders. Delivery is available between October 7 and 10, pick up is on October 7 or 9. Prices range from $65 to $350, depending on the number of people. [TAKE-OUT]
Omusubi
This vendor at Scadding Court’s Market 707 is serving a Japanese Thanksgiving menu. Three dishes include teriyaki chicken legs with miso gravy; mochi rice with shitake and shimeji mushrooms and chestnuts in a ginger sauce; and squash jelly doused in a Japanese brown sugar syrup and red bean sauce. Pre-order by October 4 for pick up or delivery. $60 for all three dishes. [TAKE-OUT]
Pantry
These local purveyors of healthy fast food have three locations across the city and they’re cooking up easy, shareable Thanksgiving menus for delivery. It’s a typical turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce situation with wild mushroom stuffing, mashed potatoes with caramelized onions, kale Caesar salads and more. Order through their website. $160-$360, depending on number of people. [TAKE-OUT]
Shangri-La Hotel
The hotel is offering both dine-in and pick up orders. For the last-minute types, over the Thanksgiving weekend the hotel’s Lobby Lounge is serving spiced squash soup with maple- and ginger-caramelized onions and roast turkey with all the trimmings, also available to order on Uber Eats and DoorDash. Their other option is a full turkey dinner (pick-up only) with garlic mashed potatoes, glazed heirloom carrots, sweet potatoes and more. Pre-order for pick up by October 5. $55 per person for dine in/delivery and $400 for the whole turkey dinner for 8 people. [DINE IN & TAKE-OUT]
Stock In Trade Butcher and Kitchen
If you like to roast your own turkey but could use a break on the sides, this Gerrard Street butcher has you covered. They’re stocking all kinds of ready-made sides to pair with turkey, heritage chicken or smoked ham: gravy with sage, house-made stuffing, sausage, carne asada marinated root vegetables, ready-to-cook rosemary garlic potatoes and maple Dijon Brussels sprouts. Order online for pick up or delivery. $75 for all the fixings or available individually. [TAKE-OUT]
Ufficio
The Italian restaurant’s turkey dinner for two comes with maple bourbon orange sauce and stuffing. Sides like spicy Brussels sprouts, roast squash with maple walnut vinaigrette and Ontario creamed corn with smoked paprika are extra. They’re also offering a plant-based main of portobello mushroom Wellington. Order for delivery on their website. $40 per person (up to 10 people), plus sides. [TAKE-OUT]
