Traditionally, we think of Thanksgiving feasts as home-cooked meals with all the fixings. But maybe you just can’t this year — or don’t want to. Perhaps you have too much on your plate (not the turkey and stuffing kind) or are a Thanksgiving host who is well aware of a (lack of) cooking skills on your part.
There’s no shame here. Hamptons restaurants and markets are offering takeout or in-person dinners that will have guests gobbling up firsts while simultaneously asking for seconds and thirds. The menu offerings are as bountiful as an overflowing cornucopia. Expect appetizers like savory soups and light-yet-hearty salads, traditional sides with twists and turkey and pie (of course).
From fine dining options at white tablecloth restaurants to take-home feasts prepared by actual chefs, we’re thankful for these South Fork and Shelter Island establishments offering fuss-free, flavorful Thanksgiving feasts.
Art of Eating, 264 Butter Lane, Bridgehampton, 631-267-2411
Takeout or sit down: Takeout
This full-service, off-premise catering company is a year-round favorite for to-be-weds and other party-planning types looking for locavore-focused fêtes. The menu includes ingredients from actual East End farmers and fishers like Amber Waves, Halsey Farms, 8 Hands and Shinnecock Oysters. The Thanksgiving takeout menu includes crowd-pleasing starters like pigs in a blanket in a puff pastry, antipasti and homemade potato chips. From there, move on to a heart-and-soul-warming corn and lobster soup. Many of the bird options come from Mecox Farms. For dessert, spice up the usual pie menu with Milk Pail’s honey apple crisp with cranberry rolled oat streusel and a crisp, light pear almond tart from Wickham Farm. Pickup is free between 9 a.m. and noon on Thanksgiving (read: optimal freshness). Orders must be placed by November 18.
L&W Market, 2493 Montauk Hwy, Bridgehampton, 631-537-1123
Takeout or sit down: Takeout
The market loved for its fresh foods and friendly atmosphere is once again offering a Thanksgiving menu that just looks like home-sweet-home cooking. Think a creamy, hearty lobster pumpkin bisque or vegetarian-friendly wheatberry vegetable soup with carrots, pasta and beans. The turkey comes ready to roast with foolproof instructions, and show-stealing sides include roasted Brussels sprouts made better with bacon and thin-sliced glazed sweet potatoes. Traditional pie options (pumpkin and apple) come from East End favorite Blue Duck. Orders must be placed by Monday, November 20. Pickup is Wednesday, November 22 from 3 to 5 p.m. or Thursday, November 23 from 9 to 11 a.m.
Kyle’s, 27 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island, 631-749-0579
Takeout or sit down: Takeout
Maybe you like watching that bird turn golden brown in your oven, finding a wax-on, wax-off sense of Mr. Miyagi higher purpose in the act of constant basting. Or maybe you just don’t dig turkey. If this is you, look to Kyle’s annual “Everything But the Turkey” Thanksgiving menu, chock full of starters, soups, sides and pies to fill out your table with its annual supporting cast of starch and veg. If you’re feeling the pinch of higher prices this year, chef Kyle Seddio’s menu is one of the best deals around to add decadence without the post-holiday financial dread. Think options like mini crab cakes (28 bucks a dozen), shrimp cocktail and bite-sized clam pies, mashed potatoes (Yukon Gold with rosemary and sweet), roasted Brussels sprouts with Dijon vinaigrette and maple glazed pecans, kicky chipotle cranberry relish, gravy, and classic pecan, apple pies and pumpkin. Orders must be placed via phone by November 19; pick up is the day before Thanksgiving from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Lulu Kitchen and Bar, 126 Main St., Sag Harbor, (631) 725-0900
Takeout or sit down: Both
Forego clean-up duties and turn Thanksgiving into an intimate two-person affair at this popular Sag Harbor Mediterranean restaurant known for its lively open kitchen that centers around a wood-fired oven serving next-level pizzas. On Thanksgiving, the turkey gets to take center stage. The sit-down dinner-for-two option includes the obligatory bird plus sides like cranberry sauce, stuffing and roasted lemon-Brussels sprouts. Can’t imagine Turkey Day anywhere other than your traditional spot? A takeout package serves two to four and includes a house salad, fresh-baked baguette, roasted turkey and fixings. Additional sides and proteins like lobster, duck and a mini grilled cheese can put a welcome twist on traditional Thanksgiving feasts. An apple tarte tatin caramelized to perfection is your dessert.
Nick and Toni’s, 136 N. Main St., East Hampton, 631 324-3550
Takeout or sit down: Takeout
A Hamptons mainstay since it opened in 1988, Nick & Toni’s has been like a second home for locals and a long list of celebrity diners since it opened in 1988 (at least at dinnertime). This year, the upscale farm-to-table Mediterranean restaurant is inviting guests to bring a taste of “home” into their actual homes. A takeout menu includes a Salumi Artisanal Cheese selection with raw honey, almonds and dried fruit toast. A turkey or butternut squash lasagna (for turkey-adverse or vegetarian) is the second course, and sides like stuffing and a fall-forward maple sweet potato puree can be added. The generous dessert menu includes an apple crostata from Halsey Farm, pecan or pumpkin pie, and gelato. Orders must be placed by Friday, November 17, at 4 p.m., with pickup slated for Wednesday, November 22, from 3 to 5 p.m.
Round Swamp Farms, Multiple Locations
Takeout or sit down: Takeout
Famous for its fresh-as-they-come produce, like the juiciest of strawberries each June, and pre-made meals that turn a beach day into the best day, Round Swamp Farms has an ample Thanksgiving menu, too. Unsurprisingly, there are numerous salad options worth considering. A fall farro salad has apples, pecans and butternut squash — consider it autumn in plated form. Speaking of which, a light-yet-savory autumn apple salad includes local fruits, blue cheese and toasted pecans for a sweet crunch. Once you’ve listened to Mom and consumed your veggies, move on to comfort-food classics like cornbread, pull-apart rolls, turkey and pie options from apple and pumpkin to pecan and tri-berry.
Canoe Place Inn and Cottages, 239 E. Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays, 631-763-6300
Takeout or sit down: Sit down
It’s all the good stuff at Canoe Place Inn’s Good Ground Tavern. This elegant, locavore-centered dinner starts with local baked oysters with spinach, Bayonne ham and béarnaise sauce, parsnip velour and wild local mixed greens and Catapano goat cheese with green goddess dressing, and moves onto the meat of the matter with slow-roasted Green Circle heritage turkey, wild king salmon and American Wagyu sirloin along with a bounty of traditional sides. (For the super hungry: Add the bay scallop starter with Ossetia caviar for an $35, or a honeynut squash risotto course for an extra $75.) The basic three-course meal, though, is $125 per adult, and $65 for kids 12 and under, and reservations start at 11:30 a.m. and run through 8 p.m. If you know you’re the type who wants to take full sleepy advantage of the tryptophan coursing through your body, Canoe Place Inn is offering 10% off rooms to anyone who books Thanksgiving dinner. Nighty-night!
Takeout or sit down: Takeout
The upscale grocery store is famous for its fresh seafood and groceries that would make even Trader Joe himself swoon. A Thanksgiving feast with quintessential dishes like a roasted turkey, the chunkiest of mashed potatoes and glazed sweet potatoes serves four to eight. The autumn lasagna with fresh spinach pasta layered with pumpkin and mushroom makes a worthy appetizer or vegetarian-pleasing main. Meanwhile, the fall-centric roasted butternut squash with cranberries is bound to become a new
Ram’s Head Inn, 108 S. Ram Island Dr., Shelter Island, 631-749-0811
Takeout or sit down: Sit down
If abundant options are your sweet spot on Thanksgiving, make a reservation pronto at Ram’s Head Inn for their annual buffet-style spread. It’s got all the requisite must-haves — herb roasted turkey and pan shallot gravy, green bean casserole, brioche stuffing and so much more — plus, for all those buck-the-system anti-traditionalists out there, there’s everything from braised short ribs to and pecan-crusted salmon to a crunchy, fresh fall harvest-inspired salad, among a multitude of other mains, sides and an all-out pie, cobbler and cake bonanza for dessert. Thank goodness there’s also lots of lawn games (corn hole, bocci ball) to out-run your fullness in between courses. Call to make a reservation.
Pierre’s, 2468 Main St., Bridgehampton, 631-537-5110
Takeout or sit down: Sit down
“French twist” and “Thanksgiving” may not appear to go together like mashed potatoes and gravy at first blush. But trust that Pierre’s Turkey Day feast will have you rethinking that notion (and your plans). The detour-worthy dinner begins with Blue Duck Bakery-provided bread and can include a creamy lobster bisque made creamier when topped with subtly sweet shredded Gruyère cheese. A turkey comes with a meaty organic chicken and pork stuffing and a side of cranberry Cumberland dressing.
1770 House, 143 Main Street, East Hampton, 631-324-1770
Takeout or sit down: Both
Take it easy on Thanksgiving by planning to pull up a dark wooden chair in the upscale casual tavern. Chef Michael Rozzi will again cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal (by Hamptons standards) from 2 to 8 p.m. Since it’s the South Fork, there are plenty of seafood options to prep the palette for turkey, like a spicy Montauk fluke tartar that gets an additional kick or two from pickled cucumber and wasabi tobiko. Turkey with sage gravy served with a side of sausage stuffing, cranberry relish, sweet potatoes and more is one of a few sides. Go off the turkey-beaten path with a braised California rabbit leg — the earthy flavor will make you look like a rebel with a worthy cause. Orders must be made by calling 631-324-1770 by Saturday, November 18. Pick up is Wednesday, November 22, from 2 to 3 p.m.
Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, 290 Old Montauk Highway, Montauk, 631-668-2345
Takeout or sit down: Sit down
Make 2023 the year you escape the Thanksgiving table before your least-favorite guest brings up your least-favorite topic. If you’re already feeling at your end, head to The End, where you can have a Thanksgiving dinner with a side of Atlantic Ocean vistas that rival the delicious comfort of mashed potatoes. A Thanksgiving prix-fix menu includes a warm or starter, like local lobster or diver scallops and turkey or prime rib as a main. A Dutch apple crumble served with salted caramel ice cream or a candied pumpkin tart will leave you craving next year’s Gurney’s Thanksgiving feast (because there will be a next year).
The Cookery, 83 Springs Fireplace Road, East Hampton; 631-604-6317
Takeout or sit down: Takeout
Cynthia Sestito and Trudy Craney’s cornucopia offerings for Thanksgiving aren’t just darned delicious, they also keep front and center the notion that diversity at the table is an re-ordered soups are sides may well take center stage. Think veg-centric, creamy ricotta casserole for the non-meat eaters and even gluten-free stuffing, but also the traditional options, too, like farm-raise organic brined and roasted turkeys, pasture-raised bone-in half or whole hams, and stellar sides like whipped potato casserole topped with gluten-free breadcrumbs and manchego cheese, roasted sweet potatoes with caramelized onions and ginger and southern-style dreamy gravy. Pro tip: Get the pies!! Sestito and Craney’s baking chops are not to be trifled with–they’ve got all the holiday classics like pumpkin-sweet potato and apple-ginger, a pecan-chocolate-mocha extravaganza topped with brittle. Yowza! All orders must be placed by November 15.
