Although most people celebrate Thanksgiving at home with family and friends, many local restaurants are concocting Thanksgiving feasts for those in need of a sound holiday meal. The Cork, Greenbriar Inn and Peaceful Valley Ranch have unique Thanksgiving menus and specials this year.
Jim Smailer, head chef at the Cork for 29 years, says the restaurant is creating its entire Thanksgiving menu from scratch.
“We bought 24 turkeys locally for a traditional entrée, but will also serve ham, prime rib, sea specials and butternut squash ravioli,” Smailer says. “The squash ravioli is made with fresh garden sage and is vegetarian, but not vegan.”
He says the turkey and ham entrees are $28 per person and include turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli and cranberry sauce made with orange peel.
“When I roast the turkeys and ham, I use white wine, celery, onion, carrots, thyme and pineapple juice,” Smailer says. “The white wine and pineapple juice combination make the gravy, giving it a hint of sweetness and a little bit of complexity.”
The Cork, located at 3295 30th St., is open from 12 to 3 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and offers children’s portions and prices, in addition to its regular entrees.
“It’s a real nice Thanksgiving meal,” Smailer says.
For a Thanksgiving feast that takes you out of Boulder city limits, the Greenbriar Inn at 8735 N. Foothills Highway offers a four-course celebratory meal. A sure palate pleaser, the Inn features dishes like ruby red trout, autumn squash bisque, traditional roast turkey and a wide array of delectable desserts. Like the Cork, the Inn will serve customary Thanksgiving cuisine in addition to specialties like filet mignon served with a pinot noir sauce and Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Cake served with brandied cherry sauce.
Also outside of Boulder, the Peaceful Valley Ranch is serving a Thanksgiving meal in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Located at 475 Peaceful Valley Road in Lyons, the Ranch will have turkey, ham and vegetarian entrée options. Karie Green, the Ranch’s wedding coordinator, says Thanksgiving dinner at Peaceful Valley Ranch is an annual tradition of many years.
“We have a large 1930s-style dance hall with a stone fireplace where our dinner guests can walk around and enjoy the mountain atmosphere,” Green says. “We have 120 reservations filled for this year’s meal and a whole team of chefs cooking it up.”
Although Mateo, located at 1837 Pearl St., is closed Thanksgiving Day, Executive Chef Kelly Kingsford says their polenta entrée mimes Thanksgiving stuffing. “It has a creamy sauce, local squash, mushroom and fried sage on top,” Kingsford says. “I’ve thought about calling it the taste of Thanksgiving.”
For more information, visit www.bouldercork.com, www.greenbriarinn.com, www.peacefulvalley.com and www.mateorestaurant.com
