Gobble til’ you wobble
Thanksgiving feels pretty different this year. For many, myself included, it might be spent without celebrating amongst friends and family. Staying home definitely doesn’t mean you can skip the best meal of the year, though! That’s why we’ve put together a list of all our favorite restaurants providing their take of Thanksgiving meals.
- Gobblerito – Mad Mex / @madmex
The classic, Mad Mex’s seasonal Gobblerito: A thanksgiving filled burrito smothered in gravy and cranberry sauce. For as long as I can remember, the Gobblerito has been a star of the Fall season in this area. Maybe I’m biased (or maybe it’s the 32 oz of apple cider margarita that accompanied my ‘rito) but this legend deserves all the hype. If I had to choose, I’d probably go with the Gobblerito over actual thanksgiving.
- Turkey Empanadas- Mi Empanada / @miempanadapgh
The Thanksgiving Empanada from Lawrenceville’s newest pop-up turned brick-and-mortar Mi Empanada is the most unique adaptation on our list. It has everything you could want inside of their flaky, buttery crusts. Roasted turkey, homemade stuffing, and corn all held together with delicious gravy makes up this seasonal empanada. Personally, I like to add a dash of cranberry sauce to round out the flavors but the Mi Empanada famous chimichurri certainly does the trick as well! Another great option (though you can find it year-round) is their Sweet Potato empanada. Try ordering fresh or frozen. They are the perfect choice for heating up during your Black Friday hangover.
- Thanksgiving Sides – Sprezzatura / @sprezzaturapgh
Sprezzatura provided the most traditional Thanksgiving options on our list this year. The delicious “Pass-It Please” menu is full of all the very best side dishes. They’ve prepared everything you can imagine; roasted vegetables, kale salads, green beans with goat cheese, and decadent desserts. The star of the show for me came within the stuffed acorn squash. Each buttery squash was roasted on the half shell, stuffed with local ground pork, pine nuts, wild rice, and imported cheeses. Orders come in full or half trays and serve between 6-8 people.
- Thanksgiving Burger – Burgatory / @burgatorybar
While this was my most-anticipated Thanksgiving alternative, I have to say it was pretty disappointing. This rather dry turkey burger was smothered in the classic toppings: mashed potatoes, corn, and stuffing with a cranberry sauce. Ultimately, the combination of goopy toppings was totally overwhelming. I could have done with a bit less of everything and only ended up eating half. Next time, I’ll stick to one of their more classic options like the delicious Morty’s Steakhouse instead.
- The Pilgrim – Get Go
The trick with the Pilgrim is to head in with low expectations which is probably a given when considering Get Go thanksgiving. The most intriguing was the promised “stuffing bread” which, turns out, is really just plain bread. I was happy to see some canned cranberry sauce as I’m on the canner side of the debate. That being said, this might be the perfect option for someone who loves turkey sandwiches and wants to add a little spice!
Took Took 98 has an amazing Thanksgiving menu, including a Fall Pumpkin Curry and a Chu Chie Turkey dish.