Yes, we\u2019re barely out of our Halloween-induced candy stupor, but the clock has started on figuring out your Thanksgiving plans. The origins of the holiday is an uneasy one, a temporary alliance forged between English settlers and members of the Wampanoag Confederacy in 1621 through a diplomatic meeting. Today, San Francisco occupies the unceded Ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples.<\/p>\n
Although the start of the Thanksgiving holiday is an unsavory version of what was taught in elementary school, what it\u2019s morphed into today is a chance to be in community with family and friends. Whether that includes football or not, the meal has become the star, with both traditional turkey takes and multicultural dishes at home on the same table.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re not the cooking type, there are still ways to get some eating time in with family \u2014 or a chance to escape, depending on what you\u2019re looking for. This list comprises options in San Francisco only, although standouts like Edith Pie<\/a>\u2019s final Thanksgiving dessert offerings<\/a>, to-go Haitian kremas from Sobre Mesa<\/a>, and whole vegan meals<\/a> at the Butcher\u2019s Son<\/a> make the argument for crossing the bridge. However you wish to celebrate \u2014 at a restaurant, with take-home meals, or with an extra special something to bring to the potluck \u2014 here\u2019s to making this year\u2019s Thanksgiving a good one. We all need it.<\/p>\n San Francisco restaurants and hotels keep locals fed for Thanksgiving, such as 3rd Cousin<\/a> in Bernal Heights and the Garden Court inside the stately Palace Hotel<\/a>. Here are two new options to add to your rotation, and an old-school spot that has something for every price point.<\/p>\n French restaurant Cach\u00e9<\/a> kicks off its first Thanksgiving in the city with a $75 three-course meal<\/a>. The meal kicks off with a pumpkin soup with garlic cream, and a main entree choice of turkey ballotine or halibut, served with sides like mashed potato and green beans and a roasted sweet potato. There\u2019s also a choice of dessert at the end, and, if you\u2019re feeling like spoiling yourself, add-ons like oysters, cheese or charcuterie plates \u2014 or even a three-glass wine pairing for $35 \u2014 will make you extra happy you won\u2019t have dishes to come home to. Cach\u00e9<\/a>, 1235 9th Avenue, is open for Thanksgiving dinner service from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are available via OpenTable<\/a>.<\/p>\n The newly reopened Crustacean<\/a> in the Financial District might just be the swanky ticket to Thanksgiving, if you\u2019d rather not cook. Go non-traditional with the restaurant\u2019s signature Dungeness crab and garlic noodles (it\u2019s a must), but the restaurant is getting into the holiday spirit with a special of dumplings stuffed with roasted turkey and Japanese sweet potatoes. Those bundles arrive with a mushroom gravy and cranberry-cherry reduction. It\u2019s a la carte, so dinner is whatever you choose to make of it. Crustacean<\/a>, 195 Pine Street, is open for dinner service from 5 p.m to 9:30 p.m. Reservations are available via OpenTable<\/a>.<\/p>\n John\u2019s Grill<\/a>, the restaurant of Maltese Falcon fame, has held Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for years, but its multi-tiered menu setup is one worth checking out. At $90 comes a pre fixe turkey menu served with a roasted turkey breast, sage sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, and more. For $100, step up your meal with a steak and seafood dinner, which comes with lobster bisque, Caesar salad, and a choice between broiled halibut, jumbo prawns Dijonnaise, or New York steak with vegetables and a baked potato. Or ball out at $125 with lobster bisque and a filet mignon with Maine lobster tail. Add on a prawn cocktail if you know what\u2019s good for ya. John\u2019s Grill<\/a>, 63 Ellis Street. Reservations are available via OpenTable<\/a>.<\/p>\n For to-go meals that allow folks to bring home the full Thanksgiving deal, local shops typically have some good options on hand. Luke\u2019s Local<\/a>, Bi-Rite<\/a>, and Guerra Meats<\/a> each have versions of Thanksgiving dinners that are easy to reheat and (shh!) plate up for the big meal, whether you\u2019re catering to a small or large gathering. Singular items such as the heirloom bean gratin at Bi-Rite, or mac and cheese at Luke\u2019s Local can also come in clutch if you\u2019re taking things to another house, or you want to fill out the meal even further.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d rather go a fancier route, SPQR<\/a> has its annual Thanksgiving menu available to-go again. They have dinner kits for groups of 8 to 10 people ($595 plus tax), or 4 to 6 people ($365 plus tax). If that feels a bit pricy, consider the luxe ingredients included: a brined heritage turkey with black truffle gravy, prosciutto, salumi, and cheese with focaccia, and green bean stufato, plus Grandma Jean\u2019s pecan pie (plus much, much more). On pickup, SPQR will also have wines available at an extra cost. Put your eating pants on for this one. SPQR<\/a>, 1911 Fillmore Street, has Thanksgiving kits available for pre-order via Resy<\/a>. Pickups at the restaurant are set for noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 26.<\/p>\n Filipino restaurant Abac\u00e1<\/a> offers a family-style kamayan dinner for four ($260), typically meant to be eaten by hand. Here, the offerings obviously lean toward Filipino-inflected dishes \u2014 sisig bread pudding, coconut green bean casserole, seafood chowder with salt spring mussels, shrimp, and scallops \u2014 but other options like the turkey stuffed with longanisa roulade, wagyu steak, and grilled fish should keep everyone at the table happy. While you\u2019re at it, add on a buko pandan pie with pistachio pandan crumble or smoked ube pie with maja blanca and blueberries for $60 each. Abac\u00e1<\/a>, 2700 Jones Street, has Thanksgiving meals and pies available for pre-order via OpenTable<\/a>. Pickups at the restaurant are set for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 26.<\/p>\n