Talking turkey

Probably, you’ve already made plans for next week’s feast, but just in case your parents or children push you over the edge, here are some lovely alternatives to slaving away in the kitchen.

The Thanksgiving menu at V. Richard’s features cooked whole turkeys, turkey breasts and turduckens (!!), plus trimmings to serve two to 24 people. Selections include haricot verts or asparagus, sweet potato casserole, squash casserole, green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce. Sweets on offer include cranberry walnut or pumpkin bread, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin crème brulee, key lime tart and chocolate or pumpkin roulage. Orders must be received or canceled by Saturday, Nov. 21, and then may be picked up between 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Call (205) 591-7000 or visit www.vrichards.net.







Similar deadlines apply at Satterfield’s — you must order by Saturday, Nov. 21, in order to pick up between 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25. The restaurant offers turkey four ways — roasted with Italian sausage stuffing (apple cider-brined), roasted with orange and honey glaze, roasted with cranberry glaze or “traditional roasted.” Satterfield’s selection of sides includes green beans with shallots and toasted pecans, sage and sausage stuffing, traditional dressing, wild mushroom and Parmesan bread pudding, assorted pickled vegetables and spiced pecans. To the standard variety of pies (pecan, pumpkin and apple crumb) they add a few surprises (chocolate pecan and coconut custard); cakes come in coconut, carrot, chocolate, vanilla and red velvet. Even if you’ve got everything else set, consider buying your bread at Satterfield’s: holiday selections include jalapeno cheddar boule, sourdough boule, walnut raisin batard, corn muffins or baguettes. The same menu will be on offer for Christmas, with a deadline of Saturday, Dec. 19, for orders to be picked up Dec. 23. Call (205) 969-9690 or go to www.satterfieldsrestaurant.com.





For whatever you forgot, or for refuge from your family, Whole Foods is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. If you just need to talk to somebody you’re not related to, you can call the store at (205) 912-8400. If you visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com, there’s an option to make the Mountain Brook location the default on your web browser.



If you want to dine out on Thanksgiving, the Wynfrey Hotel will be serving its annual Thanksgiving dinner buffet. The price is $35 for adults, $31 for seniors, $13.50 for children ages 7-12 and free for children six and under. No reservations are required, but if you call (205) 987-1600, a friendly hotel staffer will offer to fax you a menu.



The landmark Bright Star restaurant in Bessemer has been serving an annual Thanksgiving luncheon since 1907. The menu for this year includes a choice of one appetizer (cream of turkey soup, fresh tossed green salad, seafood gumbo or shredded cabbage with homemade dressing), a main course (roasted Young Tom turkey and dressing, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce, or grilled center-cut ham steak with raisin sauce), two vegetables (turnip greens, baked Greek-style potatoes, green beans, buttered squash, candied yams, creamed corn) and dessert (sweet potato pie, lemon icebox pie, coconut cream pie, pecan pie, peanut butter pie or egg custard). The price is $16.50 and includes tea, coffee or soda. The Bright Star is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Call (205) 426-1861 to make a reservation or go to www.thebrightstar.com to view the restaurant’s regular lunch and dinner menus.



The Veranda on Highland will serve Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $24.99 per person, and diners may choose one item per course from the list below.

First Course

Thanksgiving Salad — Roasted Granny Smith apples, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds with torn Limestone lettuce, tossed in curry vinaigrette

Chopped Romaine Salad – Bacon lardoons, shaved sweet onions, pressed egg and shaved Reggiano, black pepper buttermilk dressing

New Orleans Style Turtle Soup

Smoked duck gumbo

Maine Lobster and sun-dried tomato bisque



Entrées

Roasted American Turkey – Country-style French bread dressing, bourbon-whipped sweet potatoes, grilled autumn vegetables and giblet gravy with house-made cranberry compote

Beef Bourguignon – Tender pieces of filet mignon, roasted wild mushrooms and caramelized pearl onions in a rich wine-infused jus, over roasted mashed potatoes

Iron Seared Gulf Shrimp – Jumbo shrimp in a traditional étoufée sauce, served with McEwan and Sons organic yellow grits and grilled green onion salad

Braised Colorado Lamb Shank –Slowly cooked lamb, rosemary toasted new potatoes and minted cucumber salad

Grilled Norwegian Salmon – Grilled vegetables and baby spinach, lemon-thyme beurre blanc



Desserts

Praline Cheesecake

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

White Chocolate Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Eggnog Anglaise

Mango Sorbet with Sliced Strawberries

To make reservations at the Veranda on Highland, call (205) 939-5551. Preview more menus at www.verandaonhighland.com.