Had it with stuffing the big bird and all the work that goes with preparing Thanksgiving Day dinner? If you`d like to give thanks by letting someone else prepare the turkey-day feast, there are plenty of restaurants and hotels in the city and suburbs that will do it for you.
Chicago area restaurateurs and hoteliers are offering a tempting array of holiday feasts. Our list includes some of the restaurants and hotels where turkey with all the trimmings will be the order of the day on Nov. 24.
Most places will be offering other entrees for non-turkey lovers. For those who prefer prime rib over turkey, Lawry`s The Prime Rib (100 E. Ontario St., 787-5000) will open on Thanksgiving Day for the first time in 50 years. Opening at noon, the restaurant will serve its single-entree menu of roasted prime ribs of beef with all the trimmings-including Yorkshire pudding-and traditional Thanksgiving desserts.
Should you want to spend Thanksgiving in your home, but not do the cooking, no problem. Some places (see below) are preparing turkey dinners-or whole turkeys-to take home.
Our listing includes city and surburban spots. All times apply to Thanksgiving Day only. Please note that reservations are necessary at most of the places listed here.
City
Arnie`s, 1030 N. State St., 266-4800. Hours: 2-8:30 p.m. Entrees include turkey with giblet gravy, dressing and cranberry sauce ($18.95); filet mignon with bearnaise sauce ($23.95); and whitefish with lemon and capers ($19.95). Included are an appetizer buffet, choice of soup, vegetables and dessert.
Butch McGuire`s, 20 W. Division St., 787-4318. Hours: 4-9 p.m. Buffet
($13.95) includes turkey with stuffing, ham, sweet and mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, Irish Whisky loaf and beer or wine.
Chicago Hilton and Towers Hotel, 720 S. Michigan Ave., 922-4400, ext. 4315. Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. The buffet in the Pavilion restaurant features entrees of turkey with oyster stuffing and giblet gravy, roast pork loin and apple sauce, roast beef and cranberry sauce and ham. Also included are side dishes, salads, soup and dessert. Cost: $14.95; $10.95, seniors; $7.50, children.
Ditka`s, 223 E. Ontario St., 280-7660. Hours: noon-10 p.m. Entrees-served with various side dishes-include turkey with sage dressing, baked ham, roast leg of lamb, prime rib, broiled whitefish and Ditka`s pork chops. Soup or salad and dessert are included. Parties of six or more can have a whole turkey. Cost: $17.50; $10.50, children.
Executive House Hotel, 71 E. Wacker Dr., 346-7100. Seatings at noon and 3 p.m. Dinner-served family style, with a ”carve your own turkey”-will be in small private dining and meeting rooms. Accompaniments include sweet and mashed potatoes, sausage and sage stuffing, giblet gravy, cranberry jelly, soup, salad and pumpkin pie. From $89 for parties of eight to $289 for parties up to 30.
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Hotel 21 East, 21 E. Bellevue Pl., 266-2103. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Turkey day dinner in Cafe 21 features entrees of turkey with a garlic and sage sauce, roast Indiana duck with a maple syrup in an apricot and pecan sauce, grilled medallions of venison, grilled salmon and ribsteak. The meal also includes a choice of appetizer (among them, corn blinis with smoked salmon and creme fraiche, and black pepper tenderloin with asparagus points and parmesan cheese), soup or salad and dessert. Price ranges from $24 to $36, depending on the entree.
Hotel Nikko, 320 N. Dearborn St., 744-1900, ext. 36. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. The buffet in Les Celebrites offers entrees of turkey with cornbread stuffing, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce; baked salmon with honey-mustard glaze; ham with raisin apple sauce or smoked swordfish. Soup, salad and dessert are included. Buffet is $24.95; $13.95, children under 12. The restaurant also has a four-course, fixed price meal from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. that includes choice of appetizer, soup or salad, entree (roast turkey with country dressing is one of five entrees) and dessert. Cost: $28.50; $17, children under 12.
Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Dr., 565-1234. Seatings at 3 or 6 p.m. Holiday meals in La Misada, a kosher restaurant, feature turkey with all the trimmings or broiled red snapper plus a selection of kosher wines. Cost:
$18.50; $9.25, children under 10.
Mareva`s, 1250 N. Milwaukee Ave., 227-4400. Hours: noon-6 p.m. In the main dining room, entree choices include turkey, grilled quail and venison, veal tenderloin and duck. All dinners include appetizers, soup, salad and dessert. The buffet in the Crystal Ballroom will feature turkey with the trimmings, pierogies, veal cutlets in a creamy dill sauce, ham, duckling, assorted salads, fruits and vegetables and pastries. Prices range from $12.95 for the buffet and from $29.95 to $39.95 for the main dining room. Musicians will entertain throughout the day in both rooms.
Mayfair Regent Hotel, 181 E. Lake Shore Dr., 787-8500. Seatings at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30, 3, 4, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Buffet in Le Ciel Bleu restaurant features pumpkin soup, turkey with giblet gravy and chestnut stuffing, honey- glazed ham, sweet potatoes, kugel, cold poached salmon and desserts such as Indian pudding and pumpkin mousse. Cost: $28.50; $14, children under 12.
Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 160 E. Pearson St., 266-1000. In the Dining Room, a buffet (seatings from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.) features turkey with chestnut stuffing, beef tenderloin in crust with Madeira sauce and an omelet station, which will be replaced by a pasta station at 3 p.m. Desserts are included. Cost: $29.95; $17.50, children under 12. In the Cafe, a prix-fixe turkey with all the trimmings lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: $17.50; $12, children under 12. Dinner in the Cafe-from 5 to 10 p.m.-offers a choice of turkey with chestnut dressing, broiled St. Peter fish with lobster sauce or beef tenderloin in crust with Madeira sauce. Appetizer, salads and dessert are included. Cost: $24.50; $13.50, children under 12.
Sheraton Plaza Hotel, 160 E. Huron St., 787-2900, ext. 400. Hours: noon-10:30 p.m. In Tiff`s Too restaurant, the meal ($25.95) includes choice of appetizer, soup, salad, entree, vegetables, dessert and coffee. Entree choices are turkey with chestnut dressing (parties of four or more can have a whole turkey), fillet of Dover Sole Veronique, roast tenderloin with sauce Perigourdine or sauteed filet of venison with game sauce and served with cranberries and apples.
Swiss Grand Hotel, 323 E. Wacker Dr., 565-0565, ext. 5171. Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The Grand Ballroom has a buffet featuring turkey with all the trimmings, roast beef, ham, appetizers, salad buffet, vegetables and dessert. Cost: $25; $15, children under 12.
The Village in the Italian Village, 71 W. Monroe St., 332-7005. Hours:
noon-midnight. Turkey dinner ($10.95) includes chestnut and chicken liver stuffing, soup, salad, sweet potato, cranberries and pumpkin pie.
Suburbs
Arnie`s First Street Pier, 1876 1st St., Highland Park, 432-1200. Hours:
2-7:30 p.m. Buffet features steak tartare, pasta salad, caesar salad, chicken liver pate as well as clam chowder, side dishes and desserts of apple pie, pumpkin pie and Indian bread pudding. Price of the dinner is determined by entree: roast turkey with giblet gravy, dressing and cranberry sauce, $13.95; filet mignon with bearnaise sauce, $19.95; grilled swordfish with choron sauce, $17.95. Turkey dinner for children under 10 is $9.95.
Don Roth`s, 61 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, 537-5800. Hours: 2-8 p.m. Roast turkey dinners with soup and salad, side dishes and desserts of hot fudge sundae and pumpkin pie will be available. Cost: $14.50; $6.95, children under 12. Other complete dinner choices include prime ribs of beef ($20.50), Boston scrod ($14.95) and baked sugar cured ham ($14.95); children`s prices start at $6.95 for these entrees.
Embassy Suites-O`Hare, 6501 N. Mannheim Rd., Rosemont, 699-6300. Hours:
11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. In Ellington`s restaurant, a buffet includes turkey, honey-roasted ham, yams, vegetables, salad bar and pies. Cost: $11.95; $3.95, children under 12; free for children under 3.
Holiday Inn O`Hare, 5440 N. River Rd., Rosemont, 671-6350. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. In the Marketplace restaurant, a buffet (with entertainment)
includes turkey, round of beef, honey-baked ham, honey-dipped roasted chicken, cod with butter dill sauce, tenderloin tips Bordelaise, side dishes, salad bar and desserts. Cost: $12.95; $5.95, children 10 and under.
Hyatt Lincolnwood, 4500 W. Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood, 667-1234. Hours:
noon-7 p.m. Buffet includes turkey with the trimmings, ham, roast sirloin of beef, baked fish, seafood Newburg, baked chicken, salad bar and desserts. Cost: $19.95; $12.95, children under 12; $7.95, children under 3.
North Shore Hilton Hotel, 9599 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, 676-4537 or 679-7000, ext. 1397. Seatings at 11 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m. Buffet in the Windows restaurant includes a shrimp and oyster bar, soups, turkey, round of beef, a stir fry, seafood creole, fried chicken, pepper steak, pasta primavera, candied sweet potatoes, chestnut dressing and a dessert bar. Cost: $17.95; $7.95, children 12 and under.
Oak Brook Hills Hotel & Conference Center, 3500 Midwest Rd., Oak Brook, 850-5555, ext. 5525. In Ascots restaurant (hours are noon-8 p.m.), a family-style dinner includes turkey with giblet gravy, corn and pheasant chowder, apple sage dressing and desserts. In the Grand Ballroom (hours are noon-5 p.m.), family-style turkey dinners include soup and salad bar, relish tray, side dishes and a dessert bar. Parties of eight or more can carve their own turkey. Cost in both places: $16.95; $7.95, children under 12.
Omni Orrington Hotel, 1710 Orrington Ave., Evanston, 866-8700. Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Dinner in the Wedgwood House includes roast turkey and goose with chestnut stuffing, cranberry dressing, sweet potatoes, vegetables and desserts. Cost: $21.95; $16.95, children under 12. In the Grand Ballroom, a buffet with more than 25 items has turkey and the trimmings. Cost: $16.95;
$8.95, children.
R.D. Clucker`s, 933 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, 537-6969. Hours: noon-8 p.m. Entrees include turkey, honey-baked ham and chicken with honey mustard or cranberry sauce. The meal also includes matzo ball or butternut squash soup, side dishes and pumpkin or pecan pie. Cost: $13.95; $7.95, children.
Sage`s Sages, 75 W. Algonquin Rd., Arlington Heights, 593-6200. Hours:
noon-8 p.m. Besides maple-glazed roast turkey ($14.95) with ginger butter sauce or giblet gravy, other choices include venison and wild mushrooms with cognac sauce and wild rice with currants ($18.95) and prime rib with creamed horseradish sauce ($18.95). Appetizers, side dishes and dessert are included. For children under 12, the meal is $7.95. For parties of six or more, whole turkeys can be ordered at $14.95 per person.
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Woodfield Hilton and Towers, 3400 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights, 394-2000. Hours: noon-5 p.m. In the Brasserie restaurant and the Paramount Ballroom, a buffet includes turkey with giblet gravy dressing, round of beef, honey-cured ham, fillet of sole, roast pork, vegetables, a salad bar with 21 selections and various desserts. Cost: $13.95; $7.95, children 10 and under;
free, children under 4.
Turkeys to go
Hyatt Regency Chicago (see address and number above). Friday is the last day to place an order for a turkey dinner that serves up to nine people. Includes a 16- to 18-pound roasted, ready-to-serve turkey with traditional trimmings. Cost is $75; pumpkin and pecan pies for an additional $10.
Omni Orrington (see address and number above). Turkeys-with all the trimmings-are available in 10- (for up to six people) or 15-pound size (for up to 10 people) from $45 to $65. All orders must be given by Monday.
Sage`s Sages (see address and number above). Orders for turkey dinners with all the trimmings-$10 per person-should be placed by Monday.