Five no-sweat Thanksgiving meals
Attention, time-crunched turkey lovers. This weekend, some of Toronto’s top chefs and gourmet shops are offering no-fuss Thanksgiving meals to satisfy all tastes. From take-out options to sit-down dinners, here are our picks.
• Join Jamie Kennedy and four other chefs at the Wholearth farm in Hastings for an afternoon of country life (including hay rides). The meal is a locavore’s dream: all ingredients come from within 20 miles of the dining table. Among the highlights are Jersey Giant chickens, heritage Tamworth pork and Shropshire lamb.
Wholearth Heritage Harvest Feast. Oct. 10, 1–5:30. $125. RR#2 (Hastings, ON), 705-696-2556, wholearth.com/heritage-harvest-feast.
• Victor Restaurant and Bar keeps the local theme going with Amish-raised turkeys from Kawartha Ecological Growers, a co-op farming organization. The menu also features à la carte options, including turkey soup, heirloom carrots, charcuterie and such festive confections as pumpkin cookies and country apple cake.
Victor Farm Fresh Thanksgiving Dinners. Oct. 10 to 12. $35–$65. 30 Mercer St., 416-883-3431, victorrestaurant.com.
• Mark McEwan’s restaurant in the Hazleton Hotel offers its regular menu as well as a special Thanksgiving meal. Traditional items—turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing—are sure to be given the luxe McEwan treatment. At $35, the meal is a bargain compared to other items on the menu.
Thanksgiving at One. Oct. 11 and 12. $35. 116 Yorkville Ave., 416-961-9600, onehazelton.com.
• Rosedale’s Olliffe recommends against buying pre-cooked turkey—reheating tends to dry the meat out. The gourmet shop sells their birds trussed, stuffed and ready for the oven. Hosts anticipating many guests can opt for one of the larger birds: a 25-pounder will easily feed 30. And for people looking to skip endless prep work, Olliffe also sells fresh cranberry sauce, gravy and stuffing.
Olliffe. $5 per pound. 1097 Yonge St., 416-928-0296, olliffe.ca.
• Black Creek Pioneer Village offers two ways to take it easy on Thanksgiving: a take-away turkey platter with all the trimmings or a sit-down meal. (Both proudly feature Ontario meat and produce.) To-go options will feed four to 12 people. Customers can buy a turkey ($89–$155), or an entire meal from appetizers to dessert ($125–$320).
Thanksgiving at Black Creek Pioneer Village. Oct. 11 and 12, noon–6. $45.17 (dine-in), $89–$320 (take-out). 1000 Murray Ross Pkwy., 416-667-6295, official Web site.
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Attention, time-crunched turkey lovers. This weekend, some of Toronto’s top chefs and gourmet shops are offering no-fuss Thanksgiving meals to satisfy all tastes. From take-out options to sit-down dinners, here are our picks.
• Join Jamie Kennedy and four other chefs at the Wholearth farm in Hastings for an afternoon of country life (including hay rides). The meal is a locavore’s dream: all ingredients come from within 20 miles of the dining table. Among the highlights are Jersey Giant chickens, heritage Tamworth pork and Shropshire lamb.
Wholearth Heritage Harvest Feast. Oct. 10, 1–5:30. $125. RR#2 (Hastings, ON), 705-696-2556, wholearth.com/heritage-harvest-feast.
• Victor Restaurant and Bar keeps the local theme going with Amish-raised turkeys from Kawartha Ecological Growers, a co-op farming organization. The menu also features à la carte options, including turkey soup, heirloom carrots, charcuterie and such festive confections as pumpkin cookies and country apple cake.
Victor Farm Fresh Thanksgiving Dinners. Oct. 10 to 12. $35–$65. 30 Mercer St., 416-883-3431, victorrestaurant.com.
• Mark McEwan’s restaurant in the Hazleton Hotel offers its regular menu as well as a special Thanksgiving meal. Traditional items—turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing—are sure to be given the luxe McEwan treatment. At $35, the meal is a bargain compared to other items on the menu.
Thanksgiving at One. Oct. 11 and 12. $35. 116 Yorkville Ave., 416-961-9600, onehazelton.com.
• Rosedale’s Olliffe recommends against buying pre-cooked turkey—reheating tends to dry the meat out. The gourmet shop sells their birds trussed, stuffed and ready for the oven. Hosts anticipating many guests can opt for one of the larger birds: a 25-pounder will easily feed 30. And for people looking to skip endless prep work, Olliffe also sells fresh cranberry sauce, gravy and stuffing.
Olliffe. $5 per pound. 1097 Yonge St., 416-928-0296, olliffe.ca.
• Black Creek Pioneer Village offers two ways to take it easy on Thanksgiving: a take-away turkey platter with all the trimmings or a sit-down meal. (Both proudly feature Ontario meat and produce.) To-go options will feed four to 12 people. Customers can buy a turkey ($89–$155), or an entire meal from appetizers to dessert ($125–$320).
Thanksgiving at Black Creek Pioneer Village. Oct. 11 and 12, noon–6. $45.17 (dine-in), $89–$320 (take-out). 1000 Murray Ross Pkwy., 416-667-6295, official Web site.
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