Talking Turkey, or How To Treat Your Family Without Burning Down the Kitchen This Thanksgiving

From http://wordsandtoons.com

Deadwood Saloon is holding a turkey shoot on Friday, November 19.  No ordinary turkey shoot, this one starts at 5 p.m. with half-price turkey burgers, $3 draft beer and Wild Turkey drink specials to put guests in the turkey shoot frame of mind.  The second round of fun, the actual turkey shoot, begins outside at 9 p.m. when contestants fire up the Nerf guns and aim for the restaurant wall plastered with turkey targets.  The winner receives a trophy and free burgers for a year. (66 12^th Street in Midtown; 404-671-4290)

Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse was born in Boston, roots that serve it well when it comes to knowing how to throw a Thanksgiving dinner feast.  Eat early or late -- the restaurant will be open from noon until 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and offering a $35-per-person menu.  Dinner has it all: oven-roasted Vermont free-range organic turkey, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, creamy cipollini onions and fresh peas, roasted butternut squash, glazed yams, cornbread herb stuffing, homemade gravy, cranberry apple chutney and sautéed creamy kale.  Look to Davio's well-chosen wine list for the perfect complement to your meal. Add a special holiday dessert of pumpkin pie with crème fraîche, warm apple pie with homemade ice cream or sweet potato cheesecake for $10.  There's a mini-feast of turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry apple chutney for children under age 12 ($13).  If you delight in the day-after, get "Tomorrow's Turkey Sandwich" to go ($12).  Davio's thinks of everything!  Menu prices do not include beverages, tax or gratuity.  (Phipps Plaza, 3500 Peachtree Road, NE; 404-844-4810)

Those looking for a globally inspired Thanksgiving menu should head to Spice Market where they'll be serving their regular breakfast menu from 7 - 11 a.m. followed by dinner from 4 - 9 p.m.  In addition to the regular dinner menu, Spice Market is offering a Thanksgiving tasting menu for $35 per person plus tax and gratuity.  On the menu are roasted baby sweet potatoes with gula jawa glaze; stir-fried Brussels sprouts, shiitakes, snap peas, ginger and soy; gingered cranberry sauce; roasted turkey breast and confit turkey leg; chestnut sausage stuffing; and spiced pumpkin cake, praline cream and pumpkin seed brittle.  (In the W Atlanta Midtown, 188 14^th Street, NE; 404-724-2550)

Let the good folks at Ray’s at Killer Creek or Ray’s On The River take care of your family’s appetite this Thanksgiving. Ray’s at Killer Creek will be serving a special Thanksgiving menu in addition to many of their regular dining offerings from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.  There will be a $25 Turkey Dinner or a Three Course Turkey Dinner starting at $35. Ray's on the River will be serving their Award Winning Thanksgiving Day buffet from 10:30am-9pm.  The buffet will be $40 for adults and $20 for kids.  (Ray’s at Killer Creek -1700 Mansell Rd. (at Highway 400). ; 770-649-0064 ; Ray’s On The River -6700 Powers Ferry Rd; 770-955-1187)

­­Have your feast both ways at South City Kitchen Vinings and South City Kitchen Midtown.  Choose the to-go menu when everyone wants to gather at your house and keep the college games running in the back room.  Order in multiples of eight at $25 per person, plus tax.  You'll receive eight fluffy biscuits and eight sour cream corn muffins; a four-pound boneless roasted turkey breast and a quart of giblet gravy; two cups of whole berry natural cranberry sauce; two quarts each of slow-simmered collard greens, whipped Idaho potatoes and cornbread dressing; and a pumpkin or pecan pie with whipped cream to dollop on top.  Orders must be received by Friday, November 19 for pick-up on Wednesday, November 24.  Call 404-873-7358 for pick-up at the Midtown location or 770-435-0700 for pick-up at the Vinings location.

Both South City Kitchen Midtown and South City Kitchen Vinings will have seatings from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and will offer three-course prix fixe menus for $39.95 for adults and $19.98 for children under 12.  Menus include traditional Thanksgiving fare as well as the restaurants' much-adored Southern favorites.  Choose an appetizer of fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and sweet red pepper coulis; Caesar salad with garlic grit croutons and fried okra; harvest salad of roasted butternutsquash, chopped romaine, shaved red onions,black pepper vinaigrette, candied pecans, dried cranberries and Grana Padano; Charleston she-crab soup; butternut squash ginger bisque; and house-made pimento cheese in Midtown or butterbean hummus in Vinings.  Entrée choices include roasted turkey breast and fixings; seafood jambalaya with shrimp, crawfish, mussels, fish, Carolina Plantation rice, andouille sausage and spicy tomato broth; buttermilk fried chicken with sautéed green beans, buttermilk whipped potatoes and bourbon gravy; smoke-roasted filet of beef withsmashed sweet potatoes, garlicky Swiss chard and brown butter béarnaise; sautéed shrimp and scallops with creamystone-ground grits and garlic gravy; grilled salmon with roasted tomato ragout, Parmesan grits and grilled zucchini-corn salad or a veggie plate of green beans, smashed sweet potatoes, garlicky Swiss chard and zucchini-corn salad.  Dessert brings more delicious decisions: traditional pumpkin pie, Southern chocolate pecan pie, warm apple cobbler with fresh cream or cinnamon-raisin bread pudding with whiskey sauce.  (South City Kitchen Midtown:  1144 Crescent Avenue; 404-873-7358; South City Kitchen Vinings:  1675 Cumberland Parkway; 770-435-0700.)  

Popular neighborhood spot Atkins Park will be serving families and friends alike at both their Virginia Highland and Smyrna locations this year.  Those dining at Atkins Park in Virginia Highlands can enjoy Big Green Egg smoked turkey breast, carmelized apple & sage stuffing, cider gravy, braised pork shoulder, roasted root vegetables in bourbon glaze, green bean casserole with crispy onions and roasted mushrooms, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry Grand Marnier compote, sweet potato biscuits with pumpkin cheesecake or Southern pecan pie for dessert.  Smyrna diners will enjoy Cajun injected roasted turkey breast, maple and cherry glazed ham, New Orleans dirty rice, fresh cranberry sauce, sweet potato with campfire marshmellow and apple pecan cobbler.  (Atkins Park Tavern – Virginia Highland - 794 N. Highland Ave; 404-876-7250; Atkins Park Tavern – Smyrna - 2840 S. Atlanta Road; 770-435-1887)

One of Atlanta's most popular Thanksgiving Day hot spots, Toulouse American Bistro, is once again offering their famous French-inspired American cuisine on this special day.  From 12 - 7 p.m., the cozy Buckhead bistro will serve holiday classics like oven-roasted turkey and pumpkin pie as well as some of the restaurant's regular menu items including their wild mushroom ravioli and grilled salmon.  (2293 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite B; 404-351-9533)