NYC Holiday Thanksgiving
and Christmas Dinner 2009

This is a short list of Restaurants open on holidays, and there are many additional Thanksgiving Menus on OpenTable, where you can make free online reservations. As the holidays get closer, they will start to add their special Thanksgiving and Christmas Menus.

Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26, 2009
Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2009

Angelo and Maxies Steakhouse

angelo-maxies-steak-martini Angelo and Maxie's is great neighborhood steakhouse near Union Square and Gramercy Park, serving a very affordable 3 course Thanksgiving Dinner in 2009.

You can choose between their pre-fixe $36.50 Holiday Dinner or order à la carte off their full menu and make a reservation convenient to your schedule anytime between 2pm and 9pm. They also have the adjoining Maxie's Grill right next door and plan on having both restaurants fully staffed. The N/R/Q/W subway will take you from Times Square and will drop you 5 blocks from Angelo and Maxie's.

Thanksgiving Menu 2009 - $36.50 , 2-9 pm

1) Choice of Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup or House Salad
2) Roasted Turkey with Pan Gravy, Stuffing, Cranberry Compote, Fall Vegetables and Choice of Garlic or Sweet Mashed Potatoes
3) Choice of Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie or fresh fruit and coffee or tea

The Turkey entree is also available a la carte for $26.50. Read more about Angelo and Maxies or make an online reservation now. Closed Christmas Day.

100 East 19th Street (Park Avenue South and Irving Place)

Pastis, Balthazar and Morandi

Some of my favorite spots in NYC, Balthazar and Pastis, sister French restaurants with the same owner and both Michelin Guide rated, are serving their regular menu as well as Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner.

All the decorations, dark wood bars, café style wall mirrors, etc, were shipped straight from France and originally from old Parisian Cafés. You might feel like you're in a Paris café, but with a definite NYC edge.

Their third sister restaurant, Morandi, a delicious, rustic Italian trattoria with rave reviews is also open on Thanksgiving Day.

Call soon for reservations (none on Open Table).

Pastis, Meatpacking District
Balthazar, SoHo
Morandi, Greenwich Village

Sarabeth's Central Park South

Sarabeth's is offering a Thanksgiving Dinner at their two locations. One is on Central Park South, right in the center of the Thanksgiving Parade and probably the busiest part of the city. The other is on the Upper West Side, which is the location I would personally choose.

Thanksgiving Menu - Adults - $55 Children under 12 - $35, 1-9 pm

1) Roasted Pumpkin Soup or Maryland Crab Cake
2) Warm Goat Cheese Salad
3) Turkey, Steak or Salmon
4) Pumpkin Pie, Apple Crumb Pie or Pecan Pie vanilla bean ice cream and coffee or tea

Sarabeth's Central Park South, 40 Central Park South (1-9 pm)
Sarabeth's West, 423 Amsterdam Ave, (1-8 pm), slightly different menu

Holiday Dining Cruise around NYC

How about a Dining Cruise around NYC looking at the NYC Skyline, Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building? Some choices are Classic Harbor Line ($225 pp) or Bateaux Dining Cruise ($115 pp- I've heard great things about this one, though not specifically on holidays). Both of these cruises were offered last year at significant discounts at GoldStar Events closer to the holiday date. But, if you want to secure your reservation, then do so early.

Hill Country Barbeque

I'm told by Texans, who now live in NYC, Hill Country is the best BBQ outside of Texas. While the food and service style are not my personal preference, they are open on Thanksgiving Day, closed Christmas. The service is a cross between self-serve (wait on line for bbq) and waitress (once you have your food, sit down and order your drinks). The portions are huge! When I called, the hostess said they should have the menu posted on their site by November 1st.

30 West 26th St (Bway and 6th Aves)

Cautionary Note: Most restaurants will offer a special pre-fixe holiday menu. Remember, these are days when the restaurants know mostly NYC Visitors, and not their repeat customers, are dining. They know they have a captive audience and price accordingly.

If your Thanksgiving Dinner at home is truly special and wonderful, then don't try and replace it. Do something different - and something very NYC! Eat in Little Italy or Chinatown, for example. Go to Greenwich Village, SoHo, West Village or Union Square. After all, this is where New Yorkers live, so if they are eating out, these restaurants are catering to their local regulars. Get away from the crowds and the other tourists and have a slice of NYC all to yourself.

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