Giving Thanks For A Cooking Break

If the mere thought of cooking a big, involved Thanksgiving meal for your friends and family is making you crazy, why not let someone else do the work? Several restaurants in the Richmond area are open for Thanksgiving, giving you time to relax and mingle with your posse rather than bustling about the hot kitchen and burning the dang turkey.

Manakin Grill is one such place taking reservations for turkey day, and they’re doing it buffet style. The smorgasbord will include garlic mashed potatoes, green beans with garlic and shallots, herbed bread-crumb stuffing, turkey, honey and clove-glazed Virginia pitt ham and pumpkin pie. Call 784-0544 for reservations and more information.

Following last year’s success, Hidden Treasure in Jackson Ward is once again preparing full holiday meals for customer pick-up. Nearly 30 families bought full meals last season, but even more people stopped in for fixings and whatever else chef Norman Jordan had on hand. “We actually sold everything that was prepared in the entire restaurant,” Jordan says. No leftovers for him! Call 225-9048 at least a week in advance to order your Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s meal.

Bistro 104, The Glen Restaurant and Sam Miller’s are among the other dozen or so restaurants that pledge to be open on Thanksgiving — guaranteeing you get your fill of tryptophan and all the fixings.