Thanksgiving is a time for reflection, family, and loads of good food. While this year our celebrations might look and feel a bit different, there are still lots of safe ways to enjoy this holiday season. One of the more popular suggestions for Thanksgiving is to sync-up your dinner with family and hop on Zoom (where they’ve extended their free service for the holiday). That means many of us will be looking for ‘Thanksgiving to-go’ options.
Whether you’re planning a small dinner with immediate family or a larger virtual gathering with friends, Ravenswood small businesses are here to help! As our neighborhood’s restaurants and taverns continue to adapt to the ongoing pandemic, many of them have debuted new menus designed to help keep Thanksgiving as fun, safe, and stress-free as possible.
To make things simple, we’ve compiled a list of Thanksgiving specials and promotions from around Ravenswood. See something we missed? Let us know at info@ravenswoodchicago.org.
Thanksgiving To-Go
My Buddy’s (4416 N Clark St)
Make your holiday planning a little easier with an assist from My Buddy’s! Online ordering is open for their Thanksgiving To-Go menu, which includes staples like smoked turkey, maple roasted butternut squash, homemade stuffing, buttermilk biscuits, pumpkin pie and more. For every two dinner purchased, My Buddy’s is donating a holiday meal to a neighbor in need.
Price: $25.99 per person, or 2 for $50
Pickup: Begins Weds., 11/25
View the complete menu and place your orders online at www.mybuddyschicago.com.
Lizzy J Cafe (2205 W Montrose Ave)
One of Ravenswood’s newest restaurants is helping make Thanksgiving easy by offering a variety of Holiday Meal Kits. The “All In” package feeds up to 8 and includes roasted turkey breast, cornbread dressing, candied sweet potatoes, cranberry orange chutney, and lots more. For groups of 4-6, the “Let Me Pick” kit gets you roasted turkey and gravy, plus three sides and either tea or lemonade.
Planning to cook your own bird? Then gobble up the 6-8 person portions of Lizzy J side dishes like mac and cheese, collared greens, garlic mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts and a few other yummy offerings.
Price: $300 for the “All In,” $175 for the “Let Me Pick,” and $40-55 for individually ordered side dishes
Pickup: Order my Sun., 11/22 for pickup on Tues., 11/24 or Weds., 11/25
View the complete menu here and place your orders by calling (773) 739-9044 or visiting www.lizzyjcafe.com.
River Valley Farmer’s Table (1820 W Wilson Ave)
River Valley is now taking orders for turkeys from Garden Gate Farms and hams from Slagel Family Farms! RVFT Chef Jeremy Kiens has also created a Thanksgiving menu and is offering pre-orders for Thanksgiving meals to-go, featuring goods from Slagel, Garden Gate, and River Valley farms.
If you’re just looking to do a little Thanksgiving dinner-specific shopping, River Valley has everything from pimento cheese and Prairie Earth Farms Sweet Potatoes to fresh rosemary, thyme, and a few bottles of Ovum Memorista Biodynamic Riesling.
Pickup: Orders for turkeys and hams are live until Sat., 11/21 for pickup on Tues., 11/24 or Weds., 11/25. Other items may be purchased or picked up during normal business hours through Weds., 11/25.
Check out everything RVFT has to offer here and place your orders at river-valley-farmers-table.square.site.
Sweet Virginia’s Kitchen (5131 N Damen Ave)
SVK prides themselves on feeding their guests like family, so who better to help with Thanksgiving? Their heat and eat, 10-course dinner includes turkey breast, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin or cherry pie. There’s also a meatless package for vegetarians or those who plan to cook their own turkey.
Price: The 10-course turkey dinner is $36 (feeds 2), $80 (feeds 4), or $110 (feeds 6). The sides and desserts package comes in at $36 (feeds 2), $72 (feeds 4), or $99 (feeds 6).
Pickup: Orders are live until Sun., 11/22 or until the packages are sold out. Pickup times are available on Tues., 11/24 and Weds., 11/25.
Check out Sweet Virginia’s Kitchen’s full menu and place your orders online at www.sweetvirginiaskitchen.com.
After Dinner Drinks
KOVAL Distillery (4241 N Ravenswood Ave)
Chicago’s first post-prohibition distillery has established itself as the go-to place for creative spirits that make perfect holiday cocktails. KOVAL’s Cranberry Gin is a favorite of local mixologists for its versatility and complexity of flavor. No degree needed to make a great Thanksgiving cocktail though! All you have to do is some bubbles (sparkling wine, soda water… whatever you can find). Splash both into a wine glass over lots of ice, garnish with rosemary, and toast to good company, near and far.
Aside from KOVAL’s flagship line of award winning whiskeys, gins, brandies and liqueurs, the distillery has a few limited-edition bottles available that sound like phenomenal ways to end your Turkey Day. Get your bottles of KOVAL Pink Corn Bourbon and KOVAL Rye Aged in Peach Brandy Barrels while you can!
These items as well as drinkware, gift packs, apparel, and KOVAL hand sanitizer, are available for online ordering and local pickup on www.koval-distillery.com.
The Long Room (1612 W Irving Park Rd.)
The Long Room has blown us away all year long with their incredible bottled cocktail programs. While we miss cozying up at the bar or chilling on their gorgeous back patio, these expertly crafted bottles of joy have helped keep neighbors sane through lockdown. The menu changes regularly, offering a mix of seasonally-inspired drinks and old favorites like the Vieux Carre and Mint Julep.
A recently debuted collection of fall cocktails from Long Room look like perfect post-turkey sippers, notably the Toddy Appleseed (which comes in a 32oz growler so there’s enough to go ’round). This is the same Toddy Appleseed you get at LR every fall, made with Sacred Bond 100 Brandy, Cruzan Blackstrap Rum, homemade chai syrup. and apple cider. Just heat it up at home and you’re good to go.
If the term “autumnal margarita” sounds more your speed, check out the Cedar Plank cocktail. It starts with Campo Azul Blanco Tequila that been infused with food grade cedar planks to give the tequila a nice woody kick. Add to that some housemade Agave/Fig Syrup, lime juice and Bitter Ex Clove & Cedar bitters. No salt rim required.
Cocktails, beers from Malt Row, rare craft brews from around the world, fancy locally-made bitters, and sweet Long Room hoodies can be purchased here. For more on The Long Room, visit www.longroomchicago.com.
VIN312 Winery (4710 N Ravenswood Ave)
What’s Thanksgiving without some wine? Located just steps from the Ravenswood Metra Station, VIN312 Winery is a convenient local option that always has something creative available. These small batch blends often sell out fast, in some cases getting scooped up by “Wine Club” members before they ever hit the market.
For those that enjoy Chardonnay with their turkey, you might consider VIN312’s Viognier. In Food & Wine’s breakdown of the Best Wines to Go with Turkey, here’s what they had to say of the style: “While Viognier might not be as popular of a variety as Chardonnay, it’s certainly one of turkey’s greatest matches. Fleshy and round, the wine’s juicy stone fruit flavors and floral, honeyed undertones are ideal with tender turkey meat.”
Selected as the VIN312’s first white wine offering, founder and winemaker Warner DeJulio says this Viognier “presents a balance of floral aromas and wonderful peach and pineapple fruit on the nose.”
Learn more about VIN312 and snag a bottle or six at www.vin312.com.
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