The Localist: Celebrating Thanksgiving in Portland Neighborhoods

Whether you're planning a traditional family feast or prefer fine dining out on Thanksgiving, you'll want to check out our hot picks for the best in local, fresh fare for DIY dinner at home or delish choices from Portland's fab food scene.

Buying seasonal goodies adds life to your recipes, and supporting local businesses makes great sense on a variety of levels. There's something for diners and chefs alike here to ensure that everyone's happy at the Thanksgiving table.

Dining out? Try these tasty options.

We've got five great choices for dining out on America's favorite meal holiday. Each offers festive menus featuring fresh, seasonal delectables, with a range of settings and prices found in Portland neighborhoods.

The glamorous and classic Gracie's in southwest's Goose Hollow neighborhood is hosting a Thanksgiving brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. With a lengthy menu, diners will enjoy a vast array of delicious salads, appetizers, pastas, traditional turkey and ham, pork loin, and, of course, pumpkin pie. If you're seeking an elegant dining experience this year, Gracie's is the place to land. Thanksgiving brunch is $32.00 for adults, $17.00 for children 4 to 12, and children 4 and under eat free. Reservations: 503.222.2171

Bruce Carey's Bluehour in the Pearl District is offering Thanksgiving dinner from noon to 9 p.m. this year, with the last seating at 8:30 p.m. All items are a la carte—yummies like roasted butternut squash soup, oysters on the half shell, foie gras, free range veal chops, and a pumpkin spice ice cream sundae. You can count on a range from $12 to $16 for appetizers and $26 to $32 for main course selections. Make reservations NOW, as the dining room is filling up quickly. Reservations: 503.226.3394.

Over the river to the southeast in the Montavilla neighborhood, Country Cat is offering a sit down food extravaganza. Chances are if you love this consistently fantastic brunch and dinner house, you'll love what Adam and Jackie Sappington are serving up for Thanksgiving. Their $40 four-course menu will be available from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. There will also be an additional six side dishes to choose from for an extra $5 each.

Traditional favorites of the chefs—like brined, smoked and braised turkey with Granny Criss' stuffing and "The Judy," a spread of Longhorn cheddar cheese, beer, Tabasco sauce, and onion—are sure to please the palate. Vegetarian options are also featured, and a kid's menu is available upon request. Reservations: 503.408.1414.

Those of you in the northeast who want a more casual dining experience can pop on over to the Kennedy School in the Concordia neighborhood for a seemingly endless buffet. From 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. you and your loved ones can nosh on family favorites like roasted sweet potatoes with brown sugar glaze, roast turkey with all the trimmings, cider-brined leg of pork with maple-mustard sauce, and house made apple crisp.

Reservations are required and prices are $23.95 for adults, $18.95 for seniors, $11.95 for kids 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 and under. And, when you're finished with your family meal, you can all go float (!) in the soaking pool! Reservations: 503.249.3983.

The oft-overlooked groovy neighborhood of the north, St. John's, is hosting its Annual Community Thanksgiving Feast from noon to 4 p.m. The family-friendly event takes place at Po'Shines Cafe de la Soul, 8139 N Denver at Kilpatrick Street with volunteer chefs offering up vegetarian options and other fare. In addition to the feast, live entertainment featuring storyteller/performing artist Anne-Louise Sterry will amuse one and all! Reservations: 503.936.3704.

Dining in? You'll need supplies.

The Pearl Neighborhood's gem of a market, Little Green Grocer, is now taking orders in the store or by phone for holiday turkeys and pies. Turkey orders must be placed by Wednesday, November 18 by high noon. Little Green Grocer offers exceptional, fresh birds from Mary's and Diestel Farms. Free-range options are $2.89 to 3.39/lb, organic choices from $4.79 to $5.49/lb, and Heritage selections at $7.59/lb.

When you shop at Little Green Grocer, you'll instantly notice the emphasis on local growers, suppliers, and products. Be sure to grab Ancient Heritage Dairy Adelle soft-ripened cheese, Rogue Brewery's stout, and Dave's Killer Bread.

Aside from gathering staples for your holiday feast, you can also order your very own Random Order pie at the Little Green Grocer. And, good news for fans, the entire Thanksgiving pie menu is available. Choose from Organic Pear and Cranberry, Kentucky Pecan, Spirited Pumpkin, and more. The 9" pies serve 6 to 8 people and cost $28. Orders must be received by Sunday, November 22 by 12:00 p.m.

Be sure to visit New Seasons Market Homegrown Thanksgiving Headquarters before you head to the store with the lengthy shopping list you need for your feast. Here you'll find all you need to make your family meal special—from Turkey ordering to roasting tips, from helpful wine selections to ideas for the perfect centerpiece, this is a great online resource. When you get to your neighborhood New Seasons outpost, you'll surely be tempted by local favorites such as Rogue Creamery's Crater Lake Blue and Oregonzola, organic greens from Gathering Together Farm, Diestel free-range turkeys and Pacific Village pork products from Banks, Oregon. There's quite a local bounty of food to choose from at all New Seasons locations.

Turkeys, turduckens, and hams need to be ordered by Sunday, November 22nd. You can easily order online or call the Turkey Hotline at 503.473.8695. Special holiday hours are: Tuesday, November 24, and Wednesday, November 25 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. New Seasons will be closed on Thanksgiving, so shop online and in the store in advance!

Believe it or not, we can still enjoy the Portland Farmers Market well into the winter months. It's an amazing place to gather all your meal necessities—from turkeys to cranberries to the sweetest pumpkin and salad greens—and have some fun, too. The market's FEASTival on Saturday, November 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., kicks off the holiday season with a shopping extravanganza. On Tuesday, November 24 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., you'll be able to get last-minute items and free hot cider at the Thanksgiving Reunion Market at Eastbank on SE 20th Avenue.

Cruise the stalls for organic produce, prepared foods and condiments, and even flowers and other holiday crafts. Both Portland Farmers Market venues offer a fun way to prepare for the best meal of the year with local food and local farmers in mind.

Got sweets?

Cupcake Jones is a sweet, casual stop near Powell's and Portland Center Stage. The sweet shop is closing at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25, and will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, so be sure to order your cupcakes soon. There's a monthly menu with November offerings spanning pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin chocolate chip, gingerbread, and caramel apple cakey delights. You should, however, probably plan to order a dozen (buy 11 and the 12th is "free") of the especially scrumptious candied yam with brown sugar butter cream and a marshmallow that's been blowtorched to perfection. Really. Mini cupcakes (two to three bites) are $1.50 and jumbos (always filled with creamy goodness) are $3.25.

Voted the best in multiple categories (coffeehouse, pie, fried egg sandwich, and, um, pie) and lauded by The New York Times, Northeast Alberta Street's very own Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery wants you to save room for pie (not only on Thanksgiving). Until Sunday, November 22, you can order your handmade pies that will please all at your table. "Old World Apple Farm" Apple, Blackberry Organic Apple, Brandied Pears w/ Dark Chocolate and Candied Ginger Streusel are among the delicious offerings this season. Don't delay—call 971.340.6995 for pie today!

With one northeast and two northwest locations, there's no excuse to not visit Mio Gelato. For Thanksgiving, one of our City's best dessert palaces is offering a special pumpkin gelato pie with whipped cream in a flaky pie crust for $19.95 Orders in advance are recommended, for pick up now, or on Wednesday before the holiday. All Mio Gelato stores will be closed on Thanksgiving.

Interested in vegan treats? Then try the southeast outlet for dairy-free sweets. Sweet Pea Bakery will make you a vegan pumpkin or shoe fly pie for $10 or a vegan pumpkin cheesecake for $35. Orders are taken in advance, for pick up on or before Wednesday, November 25. If you haven't tried a vegan dessert from Sweet Pea, you're missing out. Don't be afraid of missing out on the dairy—you'll be amazed with these desserts that have all the rich flavor and texture you expect from such treats.

Got wine?

Vino Paradiso in northwest is a fun and funky wine bar that also is a retailer able to serve your serving needs on Thanksgiving. Why not try local favorites at this year's feast? Pick up a bottle of bubbly from Argyle in the Willamette Valley (‘02 Brut, $44) to pair with your appetizers or desserts, a wonderful white from Sokol Blosser (also Willamette Valley), the Evolution NV Oregon Blend, $30 to go with your first courses, and perhaps a full bodied red like Willamette Valley Vineyards '04 Estate Pinot Noir, $52 to go with the main meal.

Most of the wines that Nancy and Randy offer at Bar Avignon, a favorite southeast haunt, also retail for 25% off regular prices. A delicious pink to try on Thanksgiving is the Pinot Noir Rosé Roséo from Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, Oregon (2008, $32). A crowd-pleasing Chardonnay is The Eyrie Vineyards, Original Vines, from Dundee Hills (2006, $39), and the same for a Pinot Noir is the Evesham Wood Vineyard, La Grive Bleue, from the Eola Hills (2007, 37). Why not stop in at Bar sometime this week and sample a few different glasses to see what you might like to serve at your dinner? You'll love the understated atmosphere and the selections.

The newly reinvented Alu Wine Bar on NE MLK proudly focuses on offering "sustainable, organic, biodynamic, female-produced, and local wine choices." Given that, you might want to stop in and not only try some wines but cart some bottles home from an extensive menu that notes local, sustainable, organic tags, among other categories, for your big party on the 26th. Staff picks include the 2008 Chardonnay Reserve from Cooper Mountain Vineyards in the Willamette Valley, the 2008 Rosé Roseena (100% Pinot Noir) Maysara from McMinnville, and the N/V Red Blend The Earth Series Vol. One (Merlot, Carmenére, Malbec, Petite Verdot) from Basel Cellars in the Columbia Valley, Washington

However you choose to dine this holiday, you've got plenty of fantastic choices to make the most of your feast. Our local bounty is chock full o' variety no matter what your palate or budget dictate. Remember, dining in or dining out, be sure to save room—there's pie!