Poultry graces plates at many tables, especially in the fall. At Thanksgiving and other holiday celebrations, poultry takes center stage.
Nothing can take the place of a big Thanksgiving dinner with a Norman Rockwell-style turkey as the centerpiece. A big splurge, yes, but Thanksgiving is a glorious meal right down to the last crumb of sweetly spiced pumpkin pie.
A diverse range of poultry dishes made in Edina are so popular that they’re eaten year-round. Why limit your feast to just Thanksgiving?
Newberry Open-faced Turkey Sandwich
Turkey is always in season with the Newberry open-faced turkey sandwich, served year round. This spin on a turkey sandwich comes out hot, hot, hot. Whisked from the oven still steaming, the Newberry turns something familiar into something delightfully different. Picture juicy, moist roasted turkey breast over tangy cranberry sauce, covered with a solid smothering of oozingly delicious Monterey Jack cheese and minced artisan-quality bacon. The stocky sandwich is definitely not lacking without a top slice of bread. Come hungry for this one—a side of French fries, soup or salad is included. This mainstay meal ranks as the most popular open-faced sandwich and possibly the best-selling menu item at Eden Avenue Grill altogether, says Brett Johnson, co-owner. $11. 5101 Arcadia Ave.; 952.925.5628.
Turkey Dinner Buffet
Come fall, Thursday nights at Q. Cumbers have a Thanksgiving Day theme with all the trimmings. The turkey dinner buffet runs through the end of the year and includes a Thanksgiving Day meal. “It reminds people of the Thanksgiving of their youth,” says owner Mickey McCabe. Served buffet style with all the trimmings, this smorgasbord began as a Thanksgiving special, but proved so popular it was added as a standard Thursday-night feature. Q. Cumbers puts out a traditional spread with a lot of variety, all made from fresh ingredients. Pick your favorites from a selection of house-cooked turkey, sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, vegetarian sage stuffing, skin-on garlic mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, cranberry sauce and more. “People really like the turkey. It’s very moist,” says McCabe. Don’t forget to save room for dessert. $12.95, $11.95 for seniors. 7465 France Ave. S.; 952.831.0235.
Thanksgiving To-go Package
Impress everyone with bourbon-vanilla sweet potatoes, cranberry orange relish, Brussels sprouts with figs, caramelized onion mashed potatoes with poultry gravy, and apple, sage and sausage cornbread stuffing. For an extra $35 or so, go all-out with a brown butter and sage-glazed turkey breast from Pequot Lakes’ Wild Acres farm. France 44 to-go packages make home-style, in-house dinning a snap; even Mom might not know you didn’t cook it all by yourself. “We make it all from scratch like your grandmother would, in the classic style,” says Nicole Hinds, catering director. While a one-week notice is requested for Thanksgiving catering orders, France 44 strives to adhere to all requests. $80, serves four to six. 4351 France Ave. S.; 612.925.3252.
Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Red’s Savoy Pizza
You can have your poultry and pizza, too. “The alfredo is a little bit warmer comfort food for the winter months,” says Reed Daniels, director of marketing. A selection of three different chicken pizzas are the only ones without Italian red sauce at Red’s Savoy Pizza. While all pizzas come with a generous load of toppings and cheese, the chicken pizzas go on the lighter side with white meat instead of red pepperoni. Along with mounds of the signature Savoy mozzarella cheese blend, the chicken alfredo has diced fresh white onions melded into a thick creamy sauce with a whisper of garlic. “We pile the toppings on,” says Daniels. To cook the weighty ingredients all the way through, the pizza goes into a 500-degree oven and bakes for a longer time than Neapolitan-style pies. The pizza has a wafer-thin crust and is cut into easily sharable square pieces with a “nice crispy treat at the end,” he says. 10-inch $11.99, 14-inch $16.99. 4960 W. 77th St.; 952.831.8100.
Thanksgiving Dinner
This Thanksgiving, turn over the cooking to McCormick & Schmick’s. A full meal out during the holidays can take the pressure off the hostess and leave every guest happy. Three courses with lots of traditional, fall-hearty choices, served in an elegant setting with spot-on regal service, will have everyone pleased and pleasantly full. Pick from seasonal soup like butternut squash bisque or salad, followed by roasted turkey with pan gravy, fluffy butter-whipped mashed potatoes, earthy seasonal vegetables, old-fashioned cornbread dressing, rich apple-butternut squash casserole and a side of cranberry sauce. Top off the savories with a sweet slice of fresh-baked, upside-down candy apple pie, or classic pumpkin. Call ahead for reservations. $26.99 for adults. $9.99 for children. Edina Westin Galleria Hotel; 3203 Galleria; 952.920.1142.
Vegan Thanksgiving Foods
A vegan or vegetarian at the table can throw the best-laid holiday meal plans into a tailspin. Put those worries aside. With so many vegetarian and vegan foods available these days, cooking for everyone is easier than ever. Put together a veggie feast with Hearty Holidays’ savory and satisfying protein alternatives, deriving traditional taste from no animal-sourced ingredients. Break away from a conventional turkey and try Gardein savory stuffed Turk’y ($10.99 for 16 oz.), meatless holiday roast ($13.99 for 40 oz.) or Tofurky mushroom giblet gravy ($4.99 for 14 oz.). Still stuck for a meat-free option? Go with a Vegetarian Feast: a complete single-serve, vegan holiday meal with all the trimmings ($34.99 for 3.5 lbs.); and Tofurky roast ($14.99 for 26 oz.). The possibilities are almost endless. Let the whims of your veggie gobbler be your guide. 7401 France Ave. S.; 952.830.3500.
Turkey Sandwich
Makers Café
No worries about anything dull or drab here. This is no made-from-leftover-turkey sandwich. Freshly carved Boar’s Head oven-roasted turkey, chewy dried cranberries, pungently creamy horseradish aioli and tomato slices are nestled on a fresh Franklin Street Bakery herb focaccia bun. Instead of potato chips, a healthy toss of lightly dressed fresh spring mix goes on the side. “The perfect balance of traditional with the turkey and cranberry, yet new with a kick of horseradish aioli—they love the cranberry horseradish aioli,” says Laura Radewald, chief marketing officer at Dunn Bros. Coffee. A visit to Makers Café would not be complete without a special perk-me-up drink. Try a hand-crafted raspberry mint soda with refreshing berry sweetness and a zip of herby fresh mint. Turkey sandwich $8, raspberry mint soda $3–$4. 4920 W. 77th St.; 952.417.6566.
Roasted Chicken Bubble and Squeak
Those commonplace Thanksgiving leftovers get turned upside down in roasted chicken bubble and squeak. Gourmet gastropub grub goes to the next level with this super-filling, pan-fried entrée cloaked in gravy. “It’s sort of a play on bubble and squeak, but is a take on Thanksgiving leftovers,” says Stephanie Kochlin, head chef. Traditional British bubble sears mashed potato and shredded cabbage to a crisp in a pool of hot, squeaky-hissy lard. The Pig & Fiddle’s updated urbane version has a “weird twist on stuff,” says Kochlin, albeit a tasty interpretation, with chicken added for protein. The meat hails from Gerber’s Amish Farm, producers of “better feed—better tasting” chicken. Shredded chicken, carrots, parsnips, and cabbage are fried into a Yukon Gold mashed potato purée. Everything is made in-house, right down to a savory bread pudding, infused with garlic and herbs. All this with a fried egg on top, just for fun $17. 3812 W. 50th St.; 612.354.2678.
