Restaurants offering Thanksgiving meals to go

By Natalie Rademacher

nrademacher@mankatofreepress.com

MANKATO — Thanksgiving will be different this year as COVID-19 cases surge and Gov. Tim Walz and state public health officials urge people to not gather with others outside their immediate households for the holiday.

In these unprecedented times, many local restaurants are offering takehome and some dine-in Thanksgiving meal options for people who may not want to cook — or don’t cook — and provide an alternative to large gettogethers.

Here is a roundup of some area restaurants providing Thanksgiving meals this year. The list is not comprehensive but gives a sampling of what some local options are. Note that many of these establishments require meals to be ordered ahead of time.

Pub 500

The bar and restaurant is offering a take-andbake dinner this year that includes sliced slow roasted turkey, red skin mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, coleslaw, homemade cranberries, maple glazed carrots, French rolls and bread pudding for dessert. Everything comes prepackaged and just needs to be reheated.

The meal feeds five and is $59.99. Orders should be placed by Friday and can be picked up on Wednesday, Nov. 25. To place an order, call 507-625-6500.

Wooden Spoon

Wooden Spoon is providing traditional Thanksgiving meals to-go this year. The meals are available for parties of four, eight and 12. Individual meals can also be made available upon request.

The entree includes boneless turkey breast or ham and three sides. Side options are typical Thanksgiving fixings such as pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes and candied yam mash.

All dinners come with gravy and fresh baked dinner rolls.

“They are traditional meals so everything that grandma had on her table is what you’ll have from us,” said head chef Bridgette Rasmussen.

Meals are $50 for a party of four, $95 for a party of eight and $145.99 for a party of 12. Along with meals, the restaurant also is offering ala-carte options where individual parts of the meal can be purchased.

“A person can come in and buy as many gallons of mashed potatoes as they want,” Rasmussen said.

To order, visit woodenspoonmn. com, stop by the restaurant or call 507-345-4114. Meals are available for pickup or delivery.

Please see MEALS, Page B2

Continued from Page B1

Pickup is next Wednesday, Nov. 25, but Rasmussen said they are flexible.

Olives

The restaurant is offering a “sit around our table” dine-in and “Olives at home” take-out options this year. The dinner includes typical Thanksgiving dishes, such as herb-crusted turkey, homestyle gravy, sage and sausage stuffing, and comes with two additional sides.

The sides available allows guests to pick food that is a part of their own Thanksgiving tradition, said Najwa Massad, whose family owns the restaurant. More information on the sides are available on the restaurant’s website.

Dinner at the restaurant will be served family-style. People hoping to dine-in should make a reservation first.

Orders for takeout should be placed by this Saturday, Nov. 21. To place an order or make a reservation, call 507-386-1001 or visit olivesmankato.com. Meals can be picked up at the restaurant on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Delivery option is also available.

Number 4 American Bar & Kitchen; 3rd Street Tavern, St. Peter

These restaurants, with the same ownership, will be offering take-home family turkey dinners that are precooked and just need to be reheated.

The meal includes a whole house-smoked or roasted turkey and fixings such as mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, buttered sweet corn stuffing and, of course, pumpkin pie.

Meals also come with a loaf of Italian peasant bread with homemade whipped herb butter.

A dinner for four is $59.95 and a dinner for eight is $109.95. Dinners can be picked up from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25. The deadline to order a dinner is 3 p.m. Sunday. Orders can be made by phone at 507-382-2133 or email at takeout4mio@gmail.com. The restaurant offered a similar takeout dinner on Easter and sold out a few days before the order deadline because of the high interest so people are encouraged to reach out early.

The Knotty Bar & Grill, Elysian

This Thanksgiving dinner also comes precooked and can be warmed up. The meal from the Elysian restaurant includes the traditional fixings of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and green bean casserole.

Meals range from $28 for two people to $120 for 10. For an additional $15, people can bring home a pie, carrot cake or cheese cake for dessert.

To place an order, call 507-267-4007 or visit knottymn. com/thanksgiving. Orders should be placed by this Sunday and can be picked up next Wednesday.

The Landing on Madison

The Madison Lake restaurant is offering dinner and breakfast take-out specials on Thanksgiving. Breakfast includes a dozen cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting for $12.

The dinner option is made up of turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole and dinner rolls and serves four. The meal is available for $56. The restaurant also is offering a ready-to-bake pan of lasagna for $28.

To order and pre-pay, call 507-243-9898. Preorders should be placed by 3 p.m. Thursday. Meals will be available for pick up Wednesday, Nov. 25.