When In Manhattan... by Amanda Kludt

Have Thanksgiving Dinner

On Thanksgiving plenty of restaurant owners and their employees will be home with their families enjoying the holiday. But lucky for you folks heading into the city and for the scores of Manhattanites who can't be bothered to cook a huge meal in their tiny kitchens, a number of restaurants will offer special holiday menus and buffets with turkey, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings. So leave the oven off next Thursday and sample some of the best roasted turkey and pumpkin pie the city has to offer.

Though I personally find the décor at Chelsea's Cookshop a little cold and Crate & Barrel for normal dining, they have a major asset that would draw me in for any holiday meal - a spit rotisserie. Any night of the week, diners can see chickens, suckling pigs, duck and any variation of meat and fowl rotating slowly over their fragrant oven. However on Thanksgiving, day of the turkey, it will be an especially fitting sight. In addition to the juicy bird, Cookshop will offer venison, bass, and plenty of side dishes and appetizers on the three-course $60 prix fixe menu. Get in anytime before 8 p.m. and you're sure to get a table.

Heading east of Union Square to the two-star Greenmarket driven resto Toqueville, you can enjoy a special Thanksgiving menu with starters of squash puree with homemade duck sausage and lobster, scallop, and oyster chowder. Move on to main courses including organic roast turkey with cranberry compote, baby brussels sprouts, and chestnut stuffing or whiskey-glazed pork with savoy cabbage. The restaurant relocated to a new, more elegant space about a year ago, making it even better for grand celebrations and holiday dinners. The three-course prix fixe here will run you $75, one of the priciest menus on this list, but the atmosphere and the food here are worth the splurge.

Speaking of elegance and splurging, the meal at the Grand Salon at the Soho Grand isn't too shabby either. The swanky surroundings in the dining room -complete with 16-foot high windows and excellent views - offer the perfect choice for diners who want class and flexibility in a menu. The gourmet buffet will include everything you'd find at a home-style spread but with more gourmet options than you'd find at grandma's house. The cost of dinner will run you about $65 per person but includes as much roast turkey as you can consume, classic sides, apple cider, and a wide array of dessert pies. They're open from 12-8 p.m. so go on the early side.

For a Spanish twist on the holiday, check out Pamplona, located in Gramercy. Recently awarded two stars by the New York Times, this is the new incarnation of Ureña, the eponymous restaurant of chef Alex Ureña. The updated and renovated Pamplona serves more affordable and straightforward fare than the original upscale Urena, and the city's diners appreciate the change. For Thanksgiving they'll be offering their regular tapas menu (if you go this route make sure to try the braised rabbit and goat cheese sandwich and an order of chickpea fries) in addition to a three course $45 prix fixe. The set meal will include choices of Thanksgiving classics, and you can always add a tapas order in the mix.

If you're looking for the most affordable set menu in the city, check out the East Village gastropub European Union. The gorgeous open space with its soft lighting and graceful accents presents a warm environment for a lively holiday meal. For only $30 a person, EU offers a full-on family style meal of turkey, stuffing, and all the fixins with a little European tilt. They are open until 11:30, good news for you late night eaters

If you are want to get away from the whole Thanksgiving convention altogether, head to Chinatown Brasserie, a favorite holiday spot for Chinese experts in the city. Hong Kong born chef Joe Ng reports that Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year at his dim sum palace in Noho, as both the atmosphere and the sharable plates are conducive for big parties and celebrations. Chinatown Brasserie is also a great choice for you late night diners who don't want to have a huge dinner at 3 p.m., since it's open for dinner, snacks, or cocktails until midnight. Stop by here or any of the above places if you want to give yourself, and your kitchen a break this holiday.

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