Where To Eat Thanksgiving Dinner In San Francisco

Residents of San Francisco who aren't celebrating Thanksgiving at home can gather family and friends together to give thanks over an intimate, multi-course meal at one of the city's iconic restaurants, or they can journey outside the metropolitan area and take advantage of some of America's best locally sourced ingredients for food and wine in more rural environments. Thanksgiving in San Francisco, then, can please homebodies and adventurers alike this holiday season.

You should make your reservations now if you plan to dine out because most places are busy and fill up quickly. In addition, if you're getting your meal delivered or picking it up, call now to find out if you can still place an order.

Note: Prices do not include beverages, tax, or gratuity, and please verify the menu and pricing when you make your reservation.  

In celebration of Thanksgiving, Bistro Boudin will serve a special pre-fixe menu prepared by executive chef Misael Reyes from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Located at the Boudin Flagship on world-famous Fisherman's Wharf, Bistro Boudin is ideal for those who are entertaining friends and family from out of town. Menu items include roasted tom turkey with apple, sourdough, and turkey sausage stuffing, and jalapeño-cranberry chutney, mashed potatoes with sage, pan-roasted carrots and squash, and traditional turkey giblet gravy. The cost is $29.95 per person, and for an additional $6.95 guests can enjoy a dessert of warm caramel crumble apple pie with vanilla bean gelato and nutmeg.

On Thanksgiving Day, guests are invited to enjoy Charlie Trotter alumnus chef Michael Rotondo's special holiday four-course menu at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco's signature restaurant, Parallel 37. Anticipate dishes such as sage-infused autumn squash soup, crispy duck confit, and roasted sea bass. The perennial favorite, a traditional turkey dinner complete with the customary fixings, will also be available. Guests will have the choice of Guanaja chocolate with candied walnuts or honey crisp apple tart for dessert. The meal is priced at $115 per adult and $55 per child, with additional courses and beverage pairings available for purchase.

At Scala's Bistro, chef Larry Finn will be offering a three-course prix-fixe menu for Thanksgiving, featuring traditional holiday dishes such as Diestel Farms roasted turkey breast with thigh roulade, cranberry sauce, sourdough stuffing, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and turkey gravy. Other seasonal choices include butternut squash soup with toasted pumpkin seeds and crème fraîche, Ōra King salmon with four beans, roasted eggplant, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and a spicy tomato broth, and the choice of pumpkin pie, caramel apple tart, or spiced chocolate torte. The meal is priced at $65 for adults and $35 for children; additionally, à la carte sides will be offered, including herb roasted sweet potatoes, sautéed Brentwood corn with crème fraîche and ricotta salata, and marinated olives.

Perfect for oenophiles and just an hour's drive from San Francisco, Michelin-starred La Toque at The Westin Verasa Napa is offering a prix-fixe meal on Thanksgiving Day, with the first seating at 1 p.m. and the final at 5 p.m. Tickets are $78 per person for three savory courses plus dessert; wine pairings are available for each course for an additional $42. Past Thanksgiving feasts have included elegant dishes like a goujonettes of Dover sole with sweet garlic purée and sauce verte paired with 2009 Domaine Cherrier Père et Fils Sancerre, and Maine lobster and cauliflower horseradish chowder paired with 2007 Pierre Matrot Meursault. Recognizing that for some, the leftovers are the best part of the holiday, executive chef and owner Ken Frank will be sending all dinner guests home with one of his "Famous Turkey Sandwich 'Leftover' Bags."

Just a slightly longer drive from San Francisco than Napa, Healdsburg in Sonoma County is home to two restaurants offering gourmet takes on the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Dry Creek Kitchen, whose menu utilizes the region's seasonal ingredients, invites guests to partake in their special Thanksgiving three-course, prix-fixe menu prepared by chef Dustin Valette. Dishes include roasted sugar pie pumpkin soup, crispy-skin bass, and a classic turkey dinner of slow roasted breast, dark meat confit, cranberry jus, Yukon Gold potato purée, turkey stuffing, and pumpkin pie pavé. Dinner will be served from 2 to 7 p.m.; the tariff is $65 per adult, $25 children 12 years old and younger.

Named for the outdoor "Spoonfall," a water sculpture of 3,500 espresso spoons positioned to the north of the establishment, Spoonbar is h2hotel's signature restaurant, located on the ground floor of the hotel's LEED Gold certified property. Chef Louis Maldonado and his team will be begin the evening with an amuse-bouche of scallion biscuits with smoked honey butter and celery root soup with Moroccan spices. They will then serve a four-course Thanksgiving feast that will begin with roasted gem lettuces, walnuts, and pickled raisins in tarragon vinaigrette, followed by roasted scallops with Brussels sprouts, pear, and mustard. The third course will feature slow-roasted roulade of turkey, fingerling potato purée, gravy, Swiss chard, cipollini onions, and rutabaga. Completing the meal will be a dark chocolate pavé with caramel ice cream and passion fruit consommé. Service runs from 3:30 to 9:30 p.m.; the cost is $65 per person $25 for children ages 7 to 12 years of age, and those 6 and under eat for free.  

Kate Kolenda is the Restaurant and City Guide Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @BeefWerky and @theconversant.