Delicious Thanksgiving meals without the hassle of cooking
TURKEY and all the trimmings are at Joan’s on Third.
When contemplating the Herculean task of cooking a Thanksgiving meal, some are filled with warm feelings, knowing they will be preparing a night of deliciousness for thankful loved ones. Others might collapse on the floor in anguish at the thought of all the work that one meal entails. There are ways to lighten the burden. Many restaurants and markets cook spectacular Thanksgiving feasts and à la carte dishes to replace or supplement the home-cooked components of your turkey-day meal. In addition to the food preparations we associate with the Thanksgiving table, several places offer gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options, making accommodating guests’ dietary needs simple.
Here is a sampling of prepared Thanksgiving foods available from restaurants and markets around our parts of town:
Joan’s on Third has a full complement of savory and sweet Thanksgiving dinner options. As of this writing, Joan’s hasn’t set the pricing for their roasted whole turkeys and turkey breasts, but they expect their birds to serve 6-8 people. There is a wide variety of sides and starters, including creamy mashed potatoes ($28, serves 4); turkey gravy ($25 per quart); old-fashioned stuffing with bacon ($46, serves 8); maple brown sugar yams ($46, serves 6); butternut squash and pear soup ($18 per quart); vegan quinoa with arugula, persimmon, pomegranate and sliced almonds ($60, serves 6-8); roasted root vegetables ($36, serves 6) and corn pudding ($36, serves 6). Pie lovers can choose pumpkin or rustic apple ($42 each) and pecan pie ($45), plus autumn leaf cookies ($36 for 6). Note that prices are approximate until their menu is posted after Halloween.
Joan’s on Third, 8350 W. Third St., 323-655-2285, joansonthird.com.
Another great option for a prepared holiday meal is Superba Food + Bread. For a main course, they offer a 13-15 lb. rosemary and honey-brined whole roasted Mary’s young turkey, $195, or a glazed heritage ham with honey glaze, $95, which serves 4-6. Sides come sized small for 4-6 people and large for 10-12 and include sausage stuffing, $38/$68; vegan mushroom and leek stuffing, $26/$63; roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon lardons and sherry, $37/$69; little gem and chicory salad with roasted vegetables, maple vinaigrette, candied walnuts and seeds, $33/$60; gravy, $18/$30 and cranberry orange chutney, $19/$31. As their name implies, they make a variety of breads: two are cranberry walnut boules, $16, and cheddar chive biscuits, six for $23. End the meal with honey crisp apple pie, $54, pumpkin pie with pumpkin spiced whipped cream, $53, pecan pie, $53, or pear brown butter crumble, $52.
Superba Food + Bread, 6530 Sunset Blvd., 323-364-9844, lifesuperba.com.
PIES and breads and, of course, turkey, are at Superba Food + Bread.
If a smoked or fried turkey with Southern-inflected side dishes is more to your taste, Bludso’s BBQ has your back, with three complete meal choices feeding 10-12: whole smoked or fried turkey ($255 with sides; $145 without), or smoked ham ($225 with sides; $115 without). Included sides are collard greens, sweet potato mash, cornbread stuffing and gravy. Macaroni and cheese and the other side dishes can be purchased separately for $40 each. Pumpkin, sweet potato pecan and lime pies are available for $38 each.
Bludso’s BBQ, 609 N. La Brea Ave., 323-931-2583, bludsosbbq.com.
SOUTHERN-STYLE Thanksgiving choices are offered at Bludso’s BBQ.
For those who still miss the homey cooking of Larchmont’s late Italian restaurant La Luna, chefs Robertino Giovannelli and Giuseppe Barravecchia operate a pick-up and delivery food service, La Luna on the Go. They are offering a complete Thanksgiving dinner, serving 10-12, including baked turkey with gravy and all the expected sides, for $230. A la carte is also available.
La Luna on the Go, robertinocucina@yahoo.com or 323-353-3689 for information or to order.
A robust variety of vegan and gluten-free dishes makes it worth a trip to Echo Park’s Sage Regenerative Kitchen & Brewery. Although they are no longer wholly a vegan restaurant, they continue to honor their meat-free beginnings. They are still fine-tuning their menu, but expect to see a la carte vegan and gluten-free sides and family dinner packages for four, including a vegan and gluten-free meatloaf (made with legumes) and a vegan seitan turkey, each with four vegan sides, $140-$160. There will also be gluten-free gravy and brownies, and vegan and regular holiday muffins.
Sage Regenerative Kitchen & Brewery, 1700 Sunset Blvd., 213-989-1718, sageregenerativekitchen.com.
For a Filipino twist on the holiday feast, try Kuya Lord, whose chef, Lord Maynard Llera, won the 2024 James Beard Award for Best Chef, California. Prices haven’t been set yet, but some traditional alternatives include Filipino porchetta (slow-roasted rolled duroc pork belly serving 5-20 people); bone-in short rib with Chinese long beans, eggplant and smoked shiitake; or almond wood-grilled Branzino with toyomansi, a dipping sauce of soy sauce and calamansi, a tart citrus fruit. Alongside your traditional Thanksgiving pies, consider a bright green calamansi pie, a Filipino take on key lime pie with whipped cream flavored with pandan, a tropical tree leaf extract that tastes of earthy vanilla.
Kuya Lord, 5003 Melrose Ave., kuyalord.com. The menu will be posted on Instagram @kuyalord_la and on Facebook @kuyalord, or email questions to hello@kuyalord.com.
SLICED FILIPINO porchetta and bone-in short ribs are available from Kuya Lord.
Most supermarkets offer complete turkey meals ready for reheating, as well as an array of sides and pies. Gelson’s menu features a roasted turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, gravy, cornbread stuffing, creamed corn, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and dinner rolls, $200 for eight people; $290 serves 12. They also offer the same sides with a spiral glazed ham for two, $60; $170 for eight. To accommodate non-meat eaters, Gelson’s has a poached or spicy salmon dinner with sides to serve two people for $90 and an Impossible (vegan) meatloaf with sides to serve four for $70. Everything is also available a la carte. Their pumpkin pies are $21.99; apple or pecan pies are $27.99.
Gelson’s Hollywood, 5877 Franklin Ave., 323-464-7316, gelsons.com.
L.A. Grocery & Café, a new market on Melrose Hill near Kuya Lord, has released a tentative Thanksgiving menu with estimated prices, which includes a 12-lb. Ferndale Farms pasture-raised rotisserie turkey for $175; a pescatarian entrée of slow-roasted Columbia River steelhead trout (serves 4), $40; various sides, including Bub & Grandma’s brioche and sourdough stuffing, $45; gluten-free mac & cheese, $50; and gluten-free and vegan kabocha squash with pepita pesto and pomegranate chutney, $50. They hope to have regular and gluten-free pies as well.
L.A. Grocery & Café, 5059 Melrose Ave., 323-822-5092, lagroceryandcafe.com.
Whole Foods, Bristol Farms and Ralphs are expected to post their lists of prepared Thanksgiving meals on their respective websites by the beginning of November.
For a sweet ending to your Thanksgiving feast that’s kosher and vegan, gluten-, dairy-, egg- and soy-free, Erin McKenna’s Bakery features classic pumpkin pie for $55 and Dutch apple pie, $60. Other baked goods to accompany the Thanksgiving feast are plain, vegan cheddar and vegan cheddar jalapeno biscuits ($5-$7 each, also sold in multiples of six or 12) and cornbread loaves, $35.
Erin McKenna’s Bakery, 236 N. Larchmont Blvd., 323-463-2023, erinmckennasbakery.com.
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Note that a few places have posted their Thanksgiving menus on their websites already, but many do so just after Halloween. Be mindful that they all have deadlines for ordering; most have a November 22 cut-off. Scheduled pick-ups are usually for Wed., Nov. 27 (the day before the holiday), and Thanksgiving morning.
Category: Entertainment
