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Sprouts & Shutters: Thanksgiving in the Tri-Valley

This special edition of Sprouts & Shutters covers Thanksgiving in the Tri-Valley from restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner to Thanksgiving-themed wine-tasting events.

In this special holiday edition of our biweekly Sprouts & Shutters column, we're focusing on Thanksgiving meals and deals to help you plan your holiday.

Are you looking for a specialty baker to help you top off your Thanksgiving meal at home? Maybe you’d like to treat your family to Thanksgiving dinner at a local restaurant? We’ve scoured the Tri-Valley for Thanksgiving options to help you prepare a holiday that’s just right for your family.

For some, Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without a home-cooked meal. But several local restaurants feature Thanksgiving specials for those who prefer to skip the cooking and cleanup:

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Blackhawk Grille, Bridges Restaurant, Patrick David's and Esin Restaurant in Danville, The Brass Door and Max's Diner in San Ramon, Mimis Café and Black Angus Steakhouse in Dublin and Handles Gastropub in Pleasanton all offer prix-fixe three-course Thanksgiving dinners. Prices typically range from $15 to $45 per person (many with a separate kids' menu) and offerings range from the traditional to gourmet (Sea Salt and Lavender Roasted Turkey with Pan Gravy, for example).

If you prefer a large holiday buffet, opt for Porters Restaurant in Livermore and Faz in Danville and Pleasanton. Others, like Piatti in Danville and Cellar 9 Restaurant and McNamara’s Steak and Chop House in Dublin offer a modified menu with special a la carte dishes or full Thanksgiving meals.

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Tip: Book soon because reservations get snapped up quickly. Also check holiday hours as some restaurants close early. For example, Max’s in San Ramon serves Thanksgiving dinner until 3 p.m. and Blackhawk Grille in Danville offers its three-course meal from noon to 6:30 p.m.

Prefer to dine at home but don't want to cook? Plenty of upscale grocery stores and small catering companies will prepare simple sides or the complete dinner for you to heat and eat:

San Ramon's Whole Foods sells a "Traditional Organic Turkey Holiday Dinner" package that serves eight plus a variety of holiday dishes a la carte. Gene's Fine Foods in Pleasanton can set you up with a full Thanksgiving dinner, including fully cooked Diestel turkeys and side dishes. Draeger's Market in Blackhawk also offers a large holiday catering menu.

Several local restaurants and caterers offer customized Thanksgiving dinners, too. San Ramon-based Thyme to Eat, which operates a kitchen in Livermore, has a holiday package for $22.95 per person that includes turkey or ham with all the traditional sides, pumpkin pie and even Chef Keith’s homemade Tom & Jerry Mix (you supply the alcohol). GourMade Cookery in Pleasanton offers ready-to-cook holiday packages that include locally raised free-range turkey, San Francisco sourdough stuffing, cinnamon cider cranberries apple caramel pie and more. For your main course, Main Street Meat & Fish Market offers free-range turkeys, spiral sliced hams, prime rib roasts, lobster tails and, yes, even turduckens. San Ramon’s Simple Elegance Catering (a division of Ruggie’s) offers a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings and Livermore's Checkers Catering offers an expansive holiday menu. Click here to scroll through nine pages of options. Pleasanton's A Tasteful Aaffair catering company offers a traditional Thanksgiving dinner package for $18.95 per person. Wente isn't open on Thanksgiving, but fans of the winery's restaurant can order the "Wente Take Home Holiday" Thanksgiving meal that includes free-range turkey with apricot-orange blossom honey glaze, toasted bread stuffing, cranberry compote, salad, sweet potato gratin, spiced pumpkin pie and more. Visit the catering company websites above for details on pricing, ordering deadlines and pick-up schedules.

Do your culinary skills need a little polishing? Consider signing up for a local holiday cooking class to learn tips and tricks to preparing Thanksgiving fare. Danville’s Draeger’s Cooking School offers a hands-on pie-making class on Nov. 14. Pleasanton's Pan on Fire presents “The Healthy Thanksgiving Table” class on Nov. 17, “How to Carve a Turkey” class on Nov. 20 and a free “The Day After – Thanksgiving Leftovers” class on Nov. 23. Get your kids to help this Thanksgiving by signing them up for Pans on Fire "Kids in the Kitchen: Thanksgiving Side Dishes" classes on Nov. 21 and 22.

What wine goes with turkey and cranberry sauce? Find out at local Thanksgiving wine-tasting events. The Wine Steward in Pleasanton will hold a tasting event “Thanksgiving Wines: The Ones You Know Plus the Ones You’ll Want to Know” in its upstairs wine loft Nov. 17, 18 and 19. Stomp in Danville features a “Turkey Trot Flight” you can pair with its Turkey Trot Sandwich for the November specials its running Nov. 14 – Nov. 30. Serving some bubbly for your holiday? Danville's Vine at Bridges is holding a holiday Champagne tasting Nov. 19 featuring more than 10 sparkling wines served from 2 – 4 p.m. You can extend Thanksgiving holiday weekend for a special event on Friday, Nov. 25: AuburnJames Winery in Danville is planning a live music, hot cocoa and cider event to celebrate Danville's annual tree lighting and will also pour tastes of its latest release from 5 – 9 p.m. in its new tasting room.

Thanksgiving is also known for its sensational seasonal sweets, so save room for dessert. Local bakeries can provide a perfect ending to your Thanksgiving meal with traditional pumpkin pies or gourmet treats like Pumpkin Cream Cheese Mousse Cake. Click on the bakery links to review Thanksgiving dessert options: A Sweet AffairLa Boulange, Old Towne Danville Bakery and Miglet's in Danville, Café Attila (formerly City of D’Lights) and Max's Diner in San Ramon, Nothing Bunt Cakes, Denica's and Coco's Bakery in Dublin, Primose, Filigree and Sweet & Savory in Pleasanton and Tiffane's and Let 'em Eat Cake in Livermore. Many local grocery stores, including Whole Foods in San Ramon, the new in Pleasanton and Draeger’s Market in Danville, offer full-service bakeries with many Thanksgiving desserts.

Looking for somewhere to spend the holiday? Livermore and San Ramon host dinners on Thanksgiving Day open to the whole community. San Ramon is hosting a dinner at the Alcosta Senior & Community Center featuring traditional Thanksgiving fare. The cost is $10 for residents and $12 for non-residents. Reserve your space by Nov. 18 by calling 925-973-3200. Livermore's 29th Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner takes place at the Bothwell Recreation Center from 1 – 5 p.m. The free community dinner open to anyone who doesn’t want to be alone on Thanksgiving. Run completely by community volunteers, this event features a traditional Thanksgiving meal plus live entertainment and a children's playroom. .

Not everyone can afford a Thanksgiving feast. Several local nonprofit organizations seek community support to provide Thanksgiving meals to those in need. Find out what's most critical in your community this holiday season, and all year round, at Open Heart Kitchen, Tri-Valley Haven, Shepherd's Gate, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Alameda County Community Food Bank. Local Boy Scout troops in the Tri-valley are participating in the annual Scouting for Food collection campaign and will be picking up bags of nonperishable food on Nov. 19.

Get the latest retail and restaurant news in our next Sprouts & Shutters column, coming soon.

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