Chow Bella's Thanksgiving Dining Guide Pt. 2: Where to Reserve a Table in Metro Phoenix

By Dominique Chatterjee Tue., Nov. 13 2012 at 12:30 PM

Categories: Seasonal

Cris Shipton

Don't let this happen to your kitchen. Book a table for Thanksgiving today!

Turkey Day is only a week away. If you or your family have yet to begin making plans, it might be better to skip the homemade feast and book a table at a local restaurant. You'll be thankful for plenty of things by dining out on Thanksgiving: your clean kitchen, not having to tell your relatives they overstayed their welcome, and -- most of all -- the absence of stress and drama.

The Wigwam

There are two dining options available for Thanksgiving Day, both priced at $38 per person. At Litchfield's, dinner will be served from 2 to 7 p.m. and includes three courses. Options include roasted acorn squash soup, pan-roasted sea bass, organic carrot cake, and chestnut pot au crème. Call 623-856-1053 for reservations. In the Wigwam Ballroom, a buffet will be available from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. that includes a smoked salmon platter, southwestern spiced pork tenderloin, holiday family favorites, and a chef's holiday dessert display. The buffet is $19 for children ages 4 to 12. Call 623-935-3811 for reservations.

Arrowhead Grill

For families and friends gathering on the west side of town, Glendale's Arrowhead Grill is serving a Thanksgiving meal from noon to 7 p.m. The prix-fixe meal is $49.99 per person and includes choice of five courses. For example, diners can choose lamb chop fondue, butternut squash soup with candied jalapeno, turducken (yes, TURDUCKEN), scalloped cheese potatoes, and sweet potato pie with maple whipped cream. Other options include prime rib, traditional turkey with prosciutto and fennel cornbread stuffing, cheese grits, creamed corn, butter cake with caramel sauce, and pumpkin cheesecake with marshmallow topping. Call 623-566-2224, or book a table online.

Talavera

The Thanksgiving menu at Talavera is one that diners will remember for years to come. It begins with an amuse bouche of honey-glazed maple leaf duck breast with crab apple and mascarpone, followed by two starter courses: maple-cinnamon squash soup baked in acorn squash and a salad of heirloom spinach, black mission figs, truffle buttermilk blue cheese, baby beets, and crispy shallots. Guests get a choice of entrée, either Diestel Ranch organic turkey with caramelized apple-cornbread stuffing, glazed yams, Brussels sprouts, and giblet gravy or Cedar River strip loin and jumbo prawns with celery root, chantrelle mushrooms, and horseradish sauce. Dessert is a cranberry cake with pumpkin pie ice cream and pecan brittle. For reservations, call 480-513-5085, or book online.

J&G Steakhouse

The Phoenician's J&G Steakhouse will be open for Thanksgiving from 5 to 10 p.m., serving both the regular dinner menu and a special holiday offering. For $49, the Thanksgiving dinner includes butternut squash soup with ginger and pumpkin seeds, roasted turkey, mushroom and chestnut stuffing, caramelized Brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and Kabocha pumpkin cheesecake with honey ice cream and ginger sauce. Other available menu items include filet mignon, veal porterhouse, slow-cooked salmon with black truffle crumbs and parsnip puree, and roasted lobster. For reservations, call 480-941-8200.