Friday, November 20, 2015

Give Thanks for Atlanta Restaurants Nixing Feast-Fixing Stress with Bountiful Buffets and Tantalizing Takeouts


Seen the planning charts for organizing Thanksgiving dinner? One month out do this. Two weeks out do that. Set the table and the buffet. Buy the wine and thaw the turkey. Stop. Reflect. Be thankful for family, friends and Atlanta restaurants ready to gobble up any stress with all-you-can-eat buffets and scrumptious take-away entrĂ©es and sides. You’ll only need to make reservations. So blessed.

Kick off the celebration early and give thanks at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland where they’re throwing a Thanksgiving Eve party with New Belgium Brewing Company on Wednesday, November 25. Make your way back on Thanksgiving Day for dinner service beginning at 4 p.m. featuring Big Green Egg smoked turkey and all the fixin’s. Priced at $28 for adults, $18 for young adults and $10 for children 10 and under. Reservations are recommended for dinner. Call 404-876-7249.

10th & Piedmont hosts its traditional Thanksgiving Day buffet from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Stations cover all the food groups: a carving station for roasted garlic prime rib and slow-baked brown butter turkey breast; cold station for salads, fruits and cheeses; a hot station bears roasted butternut squash bisque, Creole shrimp and stone-ground yellow grits, traditional turkey cornbread dressing, triple-cheese mac and cheese, candied sweet potatoes and more; and dessert central offers pumpkin pie, Southern pecan pie, chocolate ganache cake, apple butter crumble bread pudding, Dutch apple pie and Chantilly banana pudding. $34.95 per person. Call 404-602-5510 for reservations.

Ray’s Restaurants’ buffets give center stage to Thanksgiving staples and signature Ray’s favorites. Dine at Ray’s on the River from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. for $45.95 per adult and $22.95 per child (ages 5-10). The spread at Ray’s at Killer Creek also is available from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and is priced at $37.95 per adult and $18.95 per child. Ray’s in the City closes an hour earlier, with its buffet running from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and also priced at $37.95 per adult and $18.95 per child. For full menus and reservations, visit raysrestaurants.com.

Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar spotlights a family style lunch and dinner menu on Thanksgiving Day. For $65 per person, guests can enjoy a traditional turkey dinner or baked Chilean sea bass along with such selections as roasted butternut squash soup, smoked country ham, roasted root vegetables, sweet potato roulade and local apple fritters. Lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner, 5-9:30 p.m. Call 404-745-5000 for reservations.

Turkey to go

Let Bantam + Biddy on Crescent Avenue handle the cooking this year with a to-go Thanksgiving feast that easily feeds 10-12 hungry and grateful guests. Spread includes a 12- to 15-pound roasted Amish turkey, classic mashed potatoes, braised collard greens, sage and wild rice stuffing, homemade giblet gravy, a quart of spicy cranberry sauce, cornbread and North Georgia apple pie, all ready to heat and serve. Place orders for the $200 feast by 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 21. Pick up between 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25 at the Crescent Avenue location only. To place your order, call 404-725-5059 or email wecater@bantamandbiddy.com.
 

Make Wednesday night prep even easier or say, "arrivederci!" to tired turkey leftovers. Please the family with grab-and-go Italian fare from newly opened Bellina Alimentari in Ponce City Market (PCM). Bellina's Market in the PCM Food Hall has take-home, family style portions of lasagna and other Italian favorites to heat, eat and satiate your crowd pre- and post-Thanksgiving feast.

Feed a table of six to eight guests for $75 with a 12-to 14-pound apple-brined Thanksgiving turkey from Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails accompanied by Madeira gravy and sage-corn spoonbread. Sides of mashed or rosemary-roasted potatoes, green beans, grilled asparagus and pimiento cheese grits are available for $20 per quart. Place orders online by Friday, November 20 for pick up November 24 and 25.

Traditionalists preferring to roast or smoke their own Thanksgiving turkey will give thanks for White Oak Pastures'high-quality American Standard Bronze birds that are Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Humane and rated Step 5+ (highest possible rating) by the Global Animal Partnership. Raised completely unconfined on White Oak’s farm, they come to the table free of antibiotics, hormones and other additives—and completely delicious. Pricing is $75 for small (8-12 pounds), $100 for medium-sized birds (12.1-16 pounds) and $125 for large (16.1 pounds and heavier). Order via White Oak Pastures’ online store. All turkeys will be shipped the week before Thanksgiving (Monday, November 16 – Friday, November 20) to ensure timely delivery.

Post-Turkey Tango

After the big meal, excuse yourself from the table and ease your way to Johnny’s Hideaway to dance off the stuffing and pie. The Buckhead nightspot will open at 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Reservations are accepted until 8:30 p.m. Call 404-233-8026.

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