Elementary school had me programmed to think of today as a half day. And Friday as a vacation day. However, here in the real world, sometimes you have to work full-time both those days. After getting a touch of annoying news about my hospital bills (yeah, there’s going to be some out-of pocket expenses right at the same times as the holidays, and bigger than I thought) I’m in no mood to work today.
I am looking forward to tomorrow. You may or may not know this, but I come from a non-cooking family. Of all of us, I’m the foodie, and that’s because I have groceries in the fridge beyond juice and Cadbury’s chocolate. Sometime after my extended family moved to Virginia, my immediate family decided that going to a restaurant is the way to go for the holiday. And you know what? We love it. Last year, we went to a restaurant up here in the Hudson Valley, a place that is known for its vegan seitan! We’re going there again this year.
As I read blogs, and hear other people talk about their holiday plans, it seems everybody but us is doing some kind of family dinner thing at someone’s house. But when we go to these restaurants on Thanksgiving, the places are PACKED. Actually, the first place I called this year, and I called on November 4th or something, was booked already. I’m starting to feel like my family and I are in a secret cult of people who realized they can have a great holiday without grocery shopping, dirty dishes, cleaning the house, football on TV, or any of the other unpleasantnesses associated with the “traditional” Thanksgiving. Oh, and we still give thanks. Thanks for the kind restaurant workers that serve us. Thanks for the place taking Visa. Thanks for all the wonderful vegetarian food that is not just a side dish. (Except for my dad, who still thinks of it as “that crazy diet” and is quite happy to eat the turkey, not the seitan, thank you very much.) So how about you, doing anything out of the ordinary?
Posted by Aaron on November 21, 2007 at 10:34 am
You know, I’m actually hearing a lot about people doing the restaurant thing this year. It’s actually not a bad idea. I suppose it’s just tradition that keeps us from doing something different. I mean, I’m still annoyed that my parents switched to a fake Christmas tree several years ago (I blame my mother’s QVC addiction for that one).
I could never abide by a fake Christmas Tree. Not as long as they’re growing in my backyard, anyway.
Posted by nancypearlwannabe on November 21, 2007 at 10:35 am
We’ve actually gone out to T-Day dinner the last 6 years in a row. This is the first year we’re actually doing it at my parents house, and already I feel like it’s more of a hassle than it’s worth. Plus, when you go out there is no cleaning up. BONUS.
The only part about going out I don’t like is having to sit in the car all bloated after eating too much.
Posted by 3carnations on November 21, 2007 at 11:32 am
We went to a restaurant a couple years ago. It was OK…we prefer the leftovers, though.
We cook a Thanksgiving meal for ourselves (we enjoy leftovers) then visit the extended family in the evening. We don’t eat there because they are 30 people crammed into two average sized rooms, and it’s just too crowded (for us – everyone else thinks we’re crazy for having a problem with it). We come after they take the two folding tables out of the living room, thank you very much.
I’ve been in a crowded house for Thanksgiving before. It can be very not fun after an hour.
Posted by John on November 21, 2007 at 12:03 pm
We’re going to Zurich! Of course, it’s not such a long flight from here.
When I was studying in London I was there for Thanksgiving. Do you find it odd that life still goes on that day? Have a great trip!
Posted by Laurel on November 21, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Forget homemade dinners! We’re going to Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro! That’s not a family tradition for us (my mom is a good cook), but there was no way that I was going to attempt TG with the parents in my 4′ x 10″ NYC kitchen!
I thought about doing that once when I was in the city, but yeah, that’s just asking for trouble!
Posted by The Dutchess of Kickball on November 21, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Back in the day (when I was a young, I’m not a kid anymore…name that song!) and I was working at Mohonk I had to work literally every holiday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years you name it. And those snotty big bad b-word guests never gave a shit that I was there, serving them coffee and scooping ice cream in a skirt and heals and being away from my family on Christmas just so they could celebrate in style. But I’m not bitter about it at all.
Just say thank you and tip BIG.
I actually can’t name that song. But I’ll pass on the tip message to my dad when it comes time to pay.
Posted by xsquared on November 21, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Both of us come from cook-tday-at-home families. But this year, my husband’s family said NO MORE and they are having the entire thing catered. The meal shows up hot at the time you select. Voila! They are looking forward to a much less stressful day.
That is brilliant. You get the efficiency of the caterer, and the comfort of home. (see bloating comment above.)
Posted by lizgwiz on November 21, 2007 at 12:50 pm
I do have a half-day today and Friday off. Yay!
We thought about going to a restaurant last year, and I discovered there are very few restaurants even open on Thanksgiving here. It was sort of disappointing–I had envisioned Chinese food, with the waiters lined up singing to us a la “A Christmas Story,” I guess.
This year we’re gathering as usual, and eating leftovers from my sister’s catering business (she’s done three Thanksgiving dinners already this week), with something vegetarian being prepared just for me. God only knows what.
I like the idea of starting with the leftovers. Who wants to wait for Friday?
Posted by stefanie on November 21, 2007 at 1:55 pm
My family is in that not-so-secret cult, too. I have actually NEVER been to a so-called traditional Thanksgiving meal in someone’s home. We always go to a restaurant. The only holiday when we don’t is Christmas, and that’s just because the restaurants aren’t open on Christmas. Even then, we don’t have a big impressive meal. I am not kidding when I say the usual fare is frozen pizza or takeout. I have decided to think of it as whimsical and avant-garde instead of just plain sad.
Posted by alyndabear on November 21, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Never fear – I am not staying at home or travelling to any other homes for Thanksgiving!
Posted by rdl on November 21, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Sounds good. Just 4 or us here so it’s pretty easy; it’s actually the only day i like to cook ( since that is all i am expected to do that day and in my pajamas or sweats and slippers – will change into jeans later. ) And i don’t bake – just buy the dessert but i better get chopping.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by Allie on November 21, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I used to work at a little Italian restaurant and it was PACKED on Thanksgiving. I always got beat up — spilled soup on my hand, got whacked with a serving tray, etc., and took a few days to recover, but people do like to tip well on the holidays.
I was going to push for going out this year, but caved at the last minute and ordered a turkey (which I then forgot to take out of the freezer until yesterday afternoon, so while tomorrow is Thanksgiving, we’re going to pretend Saturday is.)
Posted by elizabeth on November 21, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Ask Noelle sometime about the Thanksgiving where we travelled three hours to spend the holiday at my sister-in-law’s female housemate’s ex-husband’s house with the killer dogs and you will know why we are grateful for any and all restaurants that are willing to cook for us. And you thought your family was dysfunctional!
Posted by kir on November 22, 2007 at 12:08 am
i’m having dinner at some folk’s home that i’ve never met before… that’s pretty out of the ordinary for me.
Posted by xsquared on November 26, 2007 at 8:24 am
Catering update: dinner was AWESOME. Inlaws say they will never cook again.
Posted by EvilKate on November 28, 2007 at 10:35 am
yeah yeah, Thanksgiving dinner. Here I am catching up on posts after the fact. I slack, I know.
Anyway my comment is about the bills. Being the regular hospital patient that I am, I can tell you this. You can make payments. No, really. Like if you only want to send them $20.00 a month, you can do that. Just tell them you’re doing that. So you don’t have to shell out the whole balance before Christmas shopping. What do they care, they make millions anyway.
Posted by Hope on November 29, 2007 at 10:28 am
While driving through my neighborhood in the city at around 4:30 (had to let my dogs out inbetween family gatherings) the place was DEAD. Like, it looked like those movies where everyone dies and the one person who’s alive is like…hey…where is everybody as a tumbleweed careens across the street…) and as I looked at the closed restaurants, I actually thought of you, and this post and wondered where the restaurants are that are open. Where are these packed restaurants?
And it’s a totally great idea btw because…no prep and no clean up!!