Thanksgiving is about sharing gratitude, for everything and everyone in our lives. It’s impossible to ignore the fact that the world’s richest economy derives from the bounty of the North American continent, a land that has nurtured and sustained wave after wave of immigration from the time humans settled here.
In the spirit of community that we seek to preserve, give generously to others that have little, and tip and appreciate those who work so hard to keep restaurants open on Thanksgiving and other holidays. Here are some last-minute gobbling options that are also worth considering for festive dinners throughout the holiday season.
Foodie friends raved about Dry Creek Grill in San Jose for their traditional Thanksgiving feast last year and are booking it again this year. They might be onto something.
Signia by Hilton in San Jose is offering Thanksgiving Brunch at Fountain Restaurant, including citrus-brined turkey with chorizo cornbread stuffing, slow-cooked prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, maple-glazed pork loin with roasted squash, and crab-stuffed salmon, plus seasonal side dishes. Seafood, sushi, artisanal cheeses, grilled vegetables, fresh omelets, and pasta stations, plus indulgent desserts. Kids’ Corner and complimentary dining for children 4 and under. Pricing is $100 per adult and $55 for children ages 5-12, exclusive of tax, gratuity and alcoholic beverages. Reserve on OpenTable.
Scott’s Seafood Ballroom at The Rotary Summit Center, three blocks from the Scott’s Seafood main restaurant in downtown San Jose, offers spectacular views of Silicon Valley. Thanksgiving Day brunch and dinner buffets are offered, both from $55 to $95/pp. Brunch, from 10:30 until 2pm, offers a bountiful buffet featuring various favorites, including brunch classics, prime rib carving station, made-to-order omelets, fresh shellfish station, and Scott’s signature seafood dishes. From 5pm until 8pm, Scott’s will serve a dinner buffet with classic Thanksgiving dishes, like roasted turkey and mashed potatoes, along with seafood favorites like fresh oysters and Scott’s signature seafood selections. ScottsSeafoodBallroom
Heading up the road to Santana Row, LB Steak will be open from 11:30am to 7:30pm on Thanksgiving Day, serving autumn-inspired menu additions, like Turkey Roulade with accompaniments ($45), apple crisp tart with ice cream ($15) and cinnamon rum pumpkin pie with vanilla crème Chantilly ($15), alongside their regular menus. LBSteakReserve
Left Bank Brasseries serves a four-course prix fixe Thanksgiving meal on Nov. 28, from noon to 8pm. Prices start at $79/pp. All items also available à la carte, including turkey, salmon and butternut squash ravioli.
Hotel Valencia on Santana Row will offer a Thanksgiving Harvest Luncheon at Oveja Negra from 11 until 3pm. Adults $100 and children $60, including taxes and gratuities. Book Oveja Negra Restaurant on Opentable.
Meso Modern Mediterranean will serve a Mediterranean-inspired holiday menu prix fix, from noon–8pm. Choices include falafel bites, hummus, meatballs, leg of lamb, turkey, vegetarian moussaka, vegan gnocchi, pumpkin cheesecake and baklava. Kids menu also available, 12 and under. Four course prix fixe starts at $85; three-course limited menu, $24.
Please note that Santana Row staples Suspiro, Zazil and El Jardin are all closed on Thanksgiving. But at Valley Fair Mall, there are various options: Eataly (7:30am–8pm), Baekjeong Koren BBQ (11am–10pm), Bowlero (noon–midnight) and Kings Fish House (11am–10pm).
Around the Valley and Peninsula
In Saratoga, La Mere Michelle offers traditional French cuisine, and The Plumed Horse is offering a five-course Thanksgiving dinner with seating beginning at 3 PM, priced at $185 per guest. A 22% service charge will be applied to all purchases in lieu of gratuity.
Mastro’s Steakhouse and Morton’s are also good options in San Jose.
If Italian is what you seek, try Il Fornaio or Rollati Ristorante in San Jose. Cucina Venti in Mountain View offers excellent Italian dining.
Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ in downtown San Jose, offers a prix-fixe Japanese BBQ designed for beginners and fans alike, starting at $40/pp.
If seafood floats your boat, try Pacific Catch in Santa Clara, Campbell, Sunnyvale, Cupertino and Mountain View.
Fleming’s Steak House in Santa Clara and Palo Alto, will serve a 3-course menu with turkey, Filet Mignon or prime bone-in ribeye, including a starter, all the fixings, and dessert, for $65/pp. Open at 11am.
In Mountain View, try Sushi Jim or Benihana, or Scratch. For French flair, try La Fontaine.
Menlo Tavern in Menlo Park is open for lunch and dinner, but you’d best call ahead. Also in the Menlo Park and Palo Alto area, Anatolian Kitchen, Bistro Vida, British Bankers Club, Buca Di Peppo, Cetrella, Il Fornaio, Iron Gate, Naschmarkt, Nobu, Meyhouse, Porta Blu, Reposada, and The Mandarin are great options.
Madera at Rosewood at Sand Hill offers a four-course menu, for $198 per person. Firehouse Bistro in Woodside.
At the Four Seasons Hotel in Palo Alto, try Quattro.
Nearby Getaways
Chaminade in Santa Cruz offers a Thanksgiving Day Buffet, from 9am until 7pm, featuring holiday favorites, including an omelet bar, poke bar, carving station with turkey and prime rib, traditional holiday accompaniments and desserts, all accompanied by beautiful views of Monterey Bay. Gluten-free and vegan selections will be available. $85++ per person (ages 13+), and $25++ per person (ages 3–12). Tax and gratuity additional. Reservations required: ReserveChaminade
Lucia at Bernardus in Carmel Valley is offering a Thanksgiving Day Buffet from 11am to 3pm, with turkey, grilled pacific salmon and a seafood station. Tickets here are $165 for adults and $65 for children. An autumnal four-course Thanksgiving dinner will be served from 5 to 8pm, with sugar pie pumpkin and sweet potato gnocchi, roasted turkey, and a salad of delicata squash and beets, accompanied by selected wines from Bernardus Winery. Tickets are $165 per person here.
Who needs turkey when duck delivers lots more flavor? In San Francisco, check out Z&Y Restaurant & Z&Y Peking Duck from 11:30am to 3pm for lunch, and dinner from 4:30–9pm.
Recently renovated, ANZU at the Union Square Hotel in San Francisco offers a Thanksgiving Day Buffet, 1 to 8pm. Along with traditional fare, you’ll find sushi, dim sum, a raw bar, and delicious desserts.
Mendocino’s MacCallum House offers a three-course wine-paired meal on Nov. 28, beginning with wild mushroom soup paired with Roederer Brut, and it just gets better from there. $145 with wine, $100 without alcohol. Two seatings: 3 pm or 6pm. For reservations, call 707.937.0289.
Stanford By The Sea Inn in Mendocino offers dining at one of the most creative vegan restaurants on the West Coast, with items like seared maitake and radicchio salad, chestnut stuffed portobello with all the fixings, mushroom Wellington with pesto drizzle, grilled apple pizzetta with Shiitake “bacon,” and Candy Cap Brûlée with locally foraged, maple-scented mushrooms. Price: $79 per adult, $35 per child (ages 4-12).
