Be thankful without having to cook

Stephen Santacroce

Thanksgiving is a truly American holiday, one that recognizes the

hardships our forefathers bore to establish the groundwork of freedom

that would become the foundation of our democracy.

The focus of Thanksgiving (besides football) is a feast that

traditionally celebrated the bounty of the harvest. Many of us have

fond memories of the family meal, from dad carving the turkey to the

oohs and aahs of relatives as mom breathed a sigh of relief that the

marathon of cooking was at an end.

Well, mom will be happy to know that the Thanksgiving feast can be

enjoyed with much less effort, as many of the area’s finer

restaurants have special menus that will satisfy even the most

traditional diner.

For many, Thanksgiving dinner is a tradition enjoyed at two of the

area’s more established restaurants: The Five Crowns and The Ritz.

When Hans Prager finally sold the Ritz (880 Newport Center Drive,

Newport Beach, (949) 720-1800) last year to Fred Glassman, owner of

Piero’s of Las Vegas, many loyal customers worried that it was the

end of a dining era.

So far there has been little cause to worry. The Ritz carries on

serving classic continental cuisine to old and new customers alike.

The restaurant will be offering once again a fixed-price menu on

Thanksgiving, $45 for adults and $22.50 for children. Diners can

start off their three-course meal with lobster bisque laced with

Armagnac, a lighter heart of romaine salad with Roquefort cheese or

several other starters.

The turkey entree this year has a brioche pecan stuffing and is

accompanied by the traditional sides: giblet gravy, cranberry relish

and string beans with toasted almonds (made from scratch, not with

soup mix).

Other entrees include filet mignon with sauce Diane and a roasted

sirloin of lamb with a rosemary jus. Save room for dessert --

raspberry creme brulee and pumpkin pie.

Over at the Five Crowns (3801 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar,

(949) 760-0331), Steve the bartender tells me that they’re gearing up

to serve more than 1,200 dinners, as they did last year. Portable

ovens are brought in behind the restaurant to cook all the turkeys on

the restaurant’s busiest day of the year.

After starting with a choice of several soups and salads, diners

can enjoy the traditional bird ($27.95) with a chestnut dressing and

all the usual sides.

Of course, the Five Crowns is known for their prime rib, and

they’ll be offering several cuts, such as the extra thick Henry VIII

cut ($37.95), served with cream spinach and Yorkshire pudding. For

dessert, there is pecan and apple pie, as well as the traditional

pumpkin.

Diners looking for a spectacular view to accompany a spectacular

meal can enjoy the buffet dinner at the Grill at Pelican Hill (22651

Pelican Hill Road, Newport Beach, (949) 717-6000). Overlooking the

ocean, the clubhouse restaurant run by the Four Seasons boasts an

impressive view that all of us should be thankful for.

The equally impressive buffet ($50 adults, $25 children) is a

bounty of offerings from the land and sea, including a selection of

pates, cured meats, clams and oysters on the half shell, smoked duck

salad, monk fish with bean sprouts, medallions of beef with

caramelized onion, and artichoke ravioli with grilled vegetables.

And all that is before you hit the carving station, where turkey

will be sliced to order with an apple chestnut stuffing.

If the offerings at the Grill make your mouth water, you’ll be

practically drooling looking over the menu at Pinot Provence at the

Westin in South Coast Plaza (686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, (714)

444-5900).

The restaurant’s four-course menu ($42 adults, $21 children)

starts off with a celery root and truffle soup. The exotic second

course selections include a Medjoul date and Cantal cheese salad with

shallots and honey vinaigrette, a Napoleon of Portobello mushrooms,

and duck over an arugula salad.

Entrees include turkey stuffed with a wild mushroom and cranberry

dressing, but diners looking for something different can try the

honey-roasted rack of pork or the pan-seared scallops with homemade

pasta and a pumpkin confit.

Pumpkin makes its presence known again in the dessert menu, in the

form of a pumpkin-flavored creme brulee. Or try the rich pecan pie

with bourbon sauce.

The Arches (3334 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach, (949)

645-7077) will again be adding a turkey entree to their regular menu.

Late diners take note: the kitchen is open until 1 a.m. And don’t forget to watch for owner Danny Marciano to make his traditional

Thanksgiving Day ride down Coast Highway on his Harley.

Bayside Restaurant (900 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach, (949)

721-1222) is offering a reasonably priced three-course turkey dinner

($29.75 adults, $13 children) featuring a chestnut, mushroom and

focaccia bread pudding. Area newcomer Brio (2325 E. Coast Highway,

Corona del Mar, (949) 673-8444) will supplement its traditional

Italian menu with roast turkey and prime rib starting at 5 p.m.

Thanksgiving Day.

Finally, if you’d like to celebrate the holiday at home, but don’t

want to fuss over a lengthy marathon in the kitchen, try calling

Pascal Epicerie at (949) 261-9041. Renowned chef Pascal Ohlats will

roast your turkey for you and include gravy and apple sausage

stuffing. Menu’s start at $128 for a 16-pound bird. Side dishes and

desserts can be added a la carte.

Many of the restaurants above open early for Thanksgiving and some

of the more popular ones sell out, so call ahead for hours and

reservations.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

* STEPHEN SANTACROCE’S restaurant reviews appear every other

Thursday. Send him your comments at [email protected].