9 dining gems for a stress-free Thanksgiving in NYC

For many Americans, Thanksgiving is a day to spend celebrating with close family and friends around a large home-cooked meal. But for those who don’t feel like cooking, can’t spend time with family or simply don’t care about the holiday, New York has many restaurants eager to serve.
Here are 9 New York eateries open on Turkey Day this year that we recommend, whether you want a traditional holiday meal or something a little different.
For one of the most elegant offerings in town, head to highly-esteemed Café Boulud, inspired by Chef Daniel Boulud’s family’s cafe in Lyon, France. The three-course pre-fixe Thanksgiving menu at Café Boulud is predominantly French. For course one, choose from offerings like velouté de courge et sésame (butternut squash and tahini soup) and pāté en croûte châtaigne cranberries (duck, foie gras and chicken terrine with cranberry chutney). Enjoy “la dinde,” or turkey, with two types of potatoes for your main course. Finish off strong with tarte tatin (roasted apple tart with smoked vanilla ice cream).
It would be easy to argue that it’s Thanksgiving year-round at Amy Ruth’s, a soul food mecca in Harlem. Their home-cooked style meals, which include massive portions and one of the best chicken and waffles on the planet, will leave you heartily stuffed. For Thanksgiving, Amy Ruth’s will be running a pre-fixe menu priced at $44.95, which includes either roast turkey (with cornbread stuffing and cranberry sauce) or cured honey-glazed ham, served with  two sides and your choice of peach cobbler or banana pudding. Alternatively, you can opt for a dish off the regular menu.
Terms like “fresh ingredients” and “fresh produce” get thrown around quite a bit these days, but few in the city can claim it the way Bell Book & Candle can. Their aeroponic rooftop garden is the key to the West Village restaurant’s fresh seasonal fare. Adults enjoy a $75 three-course pre-fixe menu while kids eat for$45 . Start off strong with a pear and blue cheese salad or butternut squash soup before moving on to turkey with pan gravy, sourdough sage stuffing, Brussels sprouts with bacon and chive mashed potatoes. End on a sweet note with a slice of apple pie.
Fewer seats in town are as noteworthy as one at the country’s oldest fine-dining restaurant, Delmonico’s. The longstanding establishment is the birthplace of several classic Americana dishes, including the baked Alaska, eggs Benedict, lobster Newburg and, of course, the classic Delmonico steak. For Thanksgiving this year, they’re offering a pre-fixe meal at $145 per person, with selections of some signature dishes like Oscar’s wedge salad and a 12 oz. eye of Delmonico. Additionally, they have turkey day specials like a Norbest family turkey dish and a rotation of sides for the table, including glazed honey carrots, stuffing, brussel sprouts and more.
If you’re craving Italian but still looking to try something new this Thanksgiving, head to Cremini’s, a small restaurant in Carroll Gardens focusing on cuisine from Italy’s Le Marche region. Enjoy a wide range of pasta dishes along with regional specialities like olive all’ascolana, or deep fried stuffed olives with meat, cheese or veggies. To try the dish the restaurant is named after, you must order “cremini,” or fried cubes of sweet custard, served in flavors like chocolate, pistachio and lemon. Aside from their regular menu, Cremini’s will offer Thanksgiving specials, such as a “tacchino della tradizione” ($37), with turkey and classic fixings and sides; “sformatino di zucca” ($18), or butternut squash flan with smoked scamorza fondue; and classic homemade pumpkin pie ($15).
Turkey isn’t for everyone, and if you fall under that category, you might feel like quite the outcast on Thanksgiving. Luckily, Skirt Steak, which is right in the heart of the action of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, is open on Turkey Day with a no-frills turkey-free menu. For $45, enjoy the same pre-fixe menu they offer every day of the year, with a mixed field green salad, prime skirt steak cooked to your liking and endless handmade fries. For an extra 12 dollars, enjoy a rotating selection of sides such as stuffed mushrooms and roasted brussels sprouts. If you’re craving something sweet, add on some New York cheesecake, caramel espresso mousse or a black cocoa cake with maple buttercream.
Swanky yet cozy, old-school yet modern, and one of my personal go-to spots for a consistent, solid meal is Hoexters. Luckily, they’re open on Thanksgiving, meaning you, too, can enjoy this warm neighborhood haunt. Hoexters’ Thanksgiving special is priced at $120 per person, with classic offerings like roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, stuffing and cranberry sauce. For dessert, enjoy an apple crumble or pumpkin tart, and if you fancy a beverage, they make one of the best gin martinis in town.
Thanksgiving isn’t only for sitting down for a fancy meal. Sometimes, the heart wants what it wants, and what my heart personally always wants is a burger. After years of popups, Gotham Burger Social Club finally has a brick-and-mortar in the Lower East Side, and with their first annual Thanksgiving in the location, they will be open until 3 p.m. Since we all know leftovers are the best part of Thanksgiving, Gotham Burger Social Club has beat us to the punch with their Thanksgiving specialty sliders, made with roasted turkey, topped with stuffing and cranberry sauce and served with gravy (2 sliders for $9). If you want to avoid turkey altogether, enjoy their “Gotham Smash,” which will quickly clue you into why Gotham Burger Social Club consistently has lines down the block.
If you’re in the city with a group of friends, couldn’t care less about celebrating Thanksgiving and are simply looking for a fun night (or day) out, a rooftop bar can certainly tick that box. Bar Sprezzatura is a little slice of Italian summer right in the heart of Times Square. Sip a Select Spritz for pure holiday escapism. For a great shareable bite, go for the Sprezzatura Tower, a platter made with a mix of appetizers of your choosing, with options like spicy big eye tuna cannoli and broiled artichokes gratinato. Bar Sprezzatura will be running a pasta special ($33) for the holiday, with roasted chestnut, ricotta, brown butter, sage, parsnip puree and guanciale, but aside from that, forget about Thanksgiving altogether with their carefully curated cocktails and warm, summery setting.
Have a suggestion for a great hidden dining gem in your neighborhood? Reach out to us with your recommendations