Have A Great Chicago Thanksgiving Dining In Or Out

It has to be the best Thanksgiving pairing anywhere - the year's No. 1 day to eat and one of the world's great foodie cities, Chicago.

Many people no doubt are going to be home with the family here or somewhere else, but if you're dining out or at home in the Second City this Thanksgiving, there are great options everywhere. If you elect to dine out but still want that turkey-with-the-trimmings experience, there are restaurants in every price range that will be open Thanksgiving Day. And if you want to dine at home with friends and/or family, you can choose to cook it all from scratch or have it cooked to perfection - and tailor-made for your party - by some great neighborhood grocery delis.

First, here are some surefire dining out options for Thanksgiving Day. One place that's become a Chicago Thanksgiving tradition for many in our community is Ann Sather. The Swedish-inspired standby is serving up an ample feast, with chicken soup, roast turkey, mashed potatoes and giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, homemade breads and homemade apple or pumpkin pie. It's just $18.95 for adults and $10.95 for kids. No one will walk out hungry, promise. Ann Sather is open Thanksgiving Day 7 a.m.-4 p.m. at 909 W. Belmont and 5207 N. Clark St. and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. at 3411 N. Broadway.

In Lakeview Jack's on Halsted, 3201 N. Halsted St., has become a new tradition for many, and for good reason. Chef Jack Jones' casual but elegant restaurant consistently plates outstanding fare and the Thanksgiving menu will surely meet that high standard. Get a choice of roasted turkey, grilled beef tenderloin, Colorado lamb shank, Nova Scotia salmon and more for $44.95 per person. And Jack's is opening at 11 a.m. and will be open late. Call 773-244-9191 to reserve your table.

A bit south of there, Select Cut, 2808 N. Halsted St., is deservedly famous for their great steaks but on Thanksgiving Day they put together a traditional Turkey Day feast that includes everything you'd expect, from turkey to mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie and more. Select Cut is one of the area's more underrated diamonds, but not for people who've eaten there before. Have a Thanksgiving feast there and you'll likely become a regular, too. Call 773-244-1500 for reservations.

A little west at 2834 N. Southport, Palette Bistro is serving a three-course Thanksgiving dinner from 2-8 p.m. that includes a choice of mushroom and rosemary soup or classic Caesar or apple salad and a choice of roast turkey with fixings, filet mignon or blackened salmon. Top it off with pumpkin pie, apple pie or carrot bundt cake. Simple and elegantly prepared for just $32. Reservations at 773-477-2565 are recommended.

If Old Town suits you better, check out Bistrot Margot at 1437 N. Wells. They are offering a three-course prix fixe menu with too many choices to list. Some of the dishes include traditional French onion soup, sole limande, roasted pork tenderloin, glazed ham, steak frites and, of course, turkey and dressing. And how about pudding au Grand Marnier or tarte au citroille (pumpkin pie with caramel and whipped cream) for dessert? Yum! It's just $32.95 per person. Call 312-587-3660 for reservations.

Down in Streeterville, Markethouse, 611 N. Fairbanks Court, has rightfully earned plaudits for its creative use of fresh local ingredients. And it's a beautiful place, too, casual, comfortable but elegant. Thanksgiving dinner is a la carte and plated. At just $28 it includes lavender buttermilk biscuits, huckleberry jam, maple thyme Miller Farms young turkey, heirloom apple, brown butter-sage brioche stuffing, buttermilk Yukon mashed potatoes, sweet potato gratin and more. And there's roasted pumpkin bread pudding, butterscotch sauce and praline ice cream for dessert. Eat there once, and you'll likely want to go back often. And here's a deal: If you want to take in a Thanksgiving Day movie at nearby AMC River East, you can purchase a ticket for $7.50 when you buy an entree at Marketplace. Hours on Thanksgiving are 11 a.m.-10 p.m., with last seating at 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended at 312-224-2200.

Want to go all out for something different? Find it in the South Loop at Mercat a La Planxa, 638 S. Michigan Ave. This innovative Catalan tapas restaurant, managed by acclaimed "Iron Chef" Jose Garces, has put together a Thanksgiving feast that blends American holiday traditions with its own Spanish heritage and very high standards. For example, start with their amazing Serrano ham and fig salad and move on to bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with almonds or butternut squash dumplings with lamb ragout, black truffle and beech mushroom escabeche. See? And you're not even on the third course yet, which includes offerings like smoke-roasted turkey with sherry pan gravy and cranberry-orange compote and rosemary-chestnut stuffing with foie gras and celery root. It's $65 per person and reservations are highly suggested; call 312-765-0524.

All this Thanksgiving meat got you shaking your head? Then try the Vegetarian Thanksgiving at the Chicago Diner, 3411 N. Halsted St. The city's vegetarian experts, they've cooked up a healthy, tasty menu, with veggie turkey - roasted tofu with herb-seasoned multi-grain stuffing and country gravy - and other great fare, including pumpkin potato dumplings with a brown butter-sage balsamic reduction.

Sides are traditional favorites such as candied yams, rosemary redskins and ginger-garlic green beans, while dessert brings mouth-watering choices of pumpkin pie, peanut butter chocolate cake or pumpkin chocolate cheesecake. These guys really will make anyone forget about meat. It's $37.99 per person ($22.99 for kids) and seatings on Thanksgiving are at noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m. Call 773-935-6696.

Dining at home? If you're cooking it all from scratch, find great ingredients at neighborhood stores such as The Market Place, 521 W. Diversey, and Treasure Island's seven locations, including 3460 N. Broadway, 1639 N. Wells and 75 W. Elm. Both The Market Place (photo right) and Treasure Island offer a range of fresh organic turkeys and have top-notch produce departments to finish out your feast. The Market Place meat market is also taking orders for fresh holiday hams right now. Don't forget that the day after Thsanksgiving, The Market Place is the place to buy a great Christmas tree from the Upper Peninsula, too.

If you want to eat at home but aren't keen, both stores will also have their deli chefs prepare the meal for you. The Market Place can tailor a menu to your needs, depending on how many guests you'll have and what your taste and price preferences are. Your imagination is basically the limit here for whatever kind of menu you want to put together - you can go for both turkey and ham or go all out on traditional and favorite side dishes. And you can pick it up or have it delivered. Nothing could be more convenient or personalized. Drop by or call 773-348-5774 for friendly service and information.

Treasure Island's deli also offers a range of choices for a fresh-cooked meal. Serve eight to 12 for just $99.99 and get fresh roasted turkey, traditional bread stuffing, classic gravy, a choice of potatoes, rolls and two apple or pumpkin pies. Serve four to six with Treasure Island's $79.99 package. They also offer a wonderful fresh roasted Hoka turkey meal for $149.99 that serves eight to 12 people. Hoka turkeys are top-rated organic birds that are free range-fed and are known for their flavor and moistness. And if you're a fan of ham on Thanksgiving, Treasure Island offers a whole spiral-cut ham dinner that feeds 15 to 20 for just $149.99, including choice of potatoes, green beans almondine, rolls and two pies. Stop by your local Treasure Island or visit tifoods.com online.

Finally, if you're hosting 10 or more people for Thanksgiving, check out the deal at The Bagel, 3107 N. Broadway. They'll cook up a lovely dinner for you that includes roasted turkey, sweet potato, carrot and prune tzimmes, mashed potatoes, green beans almondine and their famous Challe bread stuffing. There's more, and it's just $16.95 per person, with a10-person minimum. Call 773-477-0300.

As Julia Child would say, bon appetit!