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Thanksgiving Reservations
Leave the Cooking to Pittsburgh's Hottest Restaurants
Posted: Nov. 21, 2011
By Victoria Bradley

When cheeky actress Lauren Graham confessed on Ellen, “You know what I’m making for Thanksgiving? …Reservations,” we smirked a little, sighed in relief, and started scoping out our favorite local restaurants serving turkey and all of the trimmings.

Habitat, at the Fairmont, is offering up Thanksgiving brunch with free mimosas and five stations, including goodies like marshmallow sweet potatoes and roast turkey with sage and onion gravy. There’s a dinner menu, too, with a la carte items to build the perfect Thanksgiving table.

Also downtown, Braddock’s American Brasserie is serving Thanksgiving dinner from noon until 6 p.m. Most appealing menu item? Roasted Pumpkin Cream Soup with Cinnamon Ginger Crème Frâiche. The restaurant is already setting the proverbial table by asking its facebook fans what they’re most thankful for. One random winner is going to score a $200 gift card.

If you’re into doing (some of) the dirty work yourself, The Terrace Room, at the Omni William Penn, serves up an entire turkey for each family to carve.

Michael’s Restaurant & Lounge, in Baldwin, gets great web reviews for its Thanksgiving traditions, and we love The Supper Club, in Greensburg, with its option for family style turkey or pot roast. The pumpkin mousse is worth the trip alone.

Our favorite lunch spot, Bistro To Go on the North Side, is open until 2 p.m., with its famous deli case stocked with all of hearty homey favorites.

And if you have family flying in, park for free at the Hyatt Regency and sit down to a spread at the Olive Press restaurant. Chef Drew Vitter does amazing things with local food (some from his own greenhouse).

The most impressive charity tie we found was at Papa J’s Ristorante, in Carnegie, serving seated and coursed table service with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation (kinda makes the pumpkin tortellini sound even more delicious).

There are plenty of places to grab Thanksgiving Dinner To-Go (no need to tell the company), and two of our favorites are in Oakmont: Hoffstot’s Chef Brian Leri takes orders for holiday meals to be picked up at the restaurant on Wednesday, the 23^rd, and Chelsea Grille is organizing pick ups for 12-15 people on Thanksgiving day, until 2 p.m.

Now, if you’re just looking to escape the madness of a full house, duck into Coffee Buddha in the North Hills. The Indian Monsoon blend tastes like a cedar drawer — in a good way.

And if you’re sniffing out an after-party, Remedy, in Lawrenceville, is the perfect neighborhood spot for a shot and a beer to jostle you out of your turkey coma.