Turkey to go may be best bet during these hectic times

By Matthew Gray
Advertiser Restaurant Critic

This year's Thanksgiving promises to be different than any other in our lifetime. The days leading up to it seem to have taken on a deeply patriotic tone, filled with more humanity than ever before. Naturally, we're reaching out to our friends and loved ones, and gearing up for the big feast.

But shopping for and cooking the Thanksgiving feast can be an overwhelming task, taking up the better part of a week. There are a lot of ingredients to purchase, many new and often untested recipes to gather and, well, cooking a turkey can be tricky even for accomplished home cooks.

Add the tension of these conflicted times, and for some folks, it may be time to take the pressure off and let somebody else do the dirty work.

Here's a partial list of some Thanksgiving saviors who'll make certain you can be a charming host without breaking a sweat. Keep in mind that the number of servings were supplied by the restaurants and are approximate.

Choosing from the numerous turkey-to-go services can be daunting. You can't judge purely by price; experienced shoppers say a lower price per head does not necessarily mean the food is lower quality. Since restaurants don't typically offer advance tastings of their Thanksgiving packages, it's a good idea to ask around and get references from friends.

• Strawberry Connection: The fine-foods purveyor teams up with chef Philippe Padovani for this menu: a fresh, 12-15 pound, free-range turkey, plus a salad with papayas and mixed greens, puree of sweet potatoes, taro mac nut stuffing, cranberry relish with fresh pears, giblet gravy, candied butternut squash, baguette and dessert. Feeds 10-15 people; $295.00. 521-9777.
• Pacific Beach Hotel offers a roasted 12- to 14-pound turkey, Portuguese sausage stuffing, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, hearty gravy, corn on the cob, dinner rolls, cranberry relish and a pumpkin pie. Convenient drive-through pickup. Feeds 6-8 people; $65 inclusive. 921-6137.
• Hawaii Prince Hotel has a 10- to 12-pound hot macadamia nut, honey-glazed turkey, plus cornbread-sausage-chestnut stuffing, garlic mashed red skin potatoes, giblet gravy, orange-cranberry sauce, maple glazed yams, fresh baked rolls and pumpkin pie. Serves 4; $95 plus tax if pre-paid before tomorrow, or $105 plus tax thereafter. 944-4438.
• Hau Tree Lanai offers a 10- to 12-pound roast Butterball turkey, sage and apple stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, Portuguese bean soup, buttered corn on the cob, fresh cranberry relish, baked caramel sweet potatoes, taro rolls and a choice of apple or pumpkin pie. Feeds 4-6; $79 plus tax on orders placed before Nov. 20, $85 plus tax thereafter. 921-7066.
• Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii hotel provides a 12- to 14-pound roasted turkey with chestnut stuffing and gravy, maple glazed Moloka'i sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts with smoked bacon, cranberry sauce, ciabatta bread, salad of artichokes and mushrooms, and pumpkin pie. Serves 4-6; $95. 739-8742.
• Wailana Coffee House is offering a 10- to 12-pound roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, macadamia nut stuffing, corn-on-the-cob, giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and a pumpkin pie. Serves 6-8; $59 plus tax. 955-1764.
• Zippy's (Vineyard, Waipi'o, Kahala, Kapolei, Pearlridge and Hawaiian Bagel Manoa locations only) has a 10-12 pound turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry-pineapple relish and one dozen sweet dinner rolls. Serves 8-10; $52.95.
• Beau Soleil is offering a roasted Diestel Farm free-range turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, sage stuffing, green beans with roasted shallots, gravy, cranberry-orange relish and dinner rolls. Serves 6-8 people for $79; 10-12 people for $89. 988-0967.