How to Dine Out for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in the city could be fantastic if only you allowed it to be.  If you can't be with family on Thursday (and who's to say that this is a bad thing.  Really.), gather a group of equally orphaned friends and have dinner at one of these delightfully unexpected, inexpensive places of eatery.  It's much nicer than sitting at home and watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with a feast of salsa, chips and Haagen-Dazs, and much more sensible than venturing out into the homicidal crowds at the Macy's parade.  

Bistro Les Amis

$33.95 a person

180 Spring Street

The Place: A really fantastic French Bistro in SoHo, Les Amis is serving the Thanksgiving dinner your mother might make... after returning from a two week Parisian vacation.  

The Feast: French as can be.  Includes carrot ginger soup, stuffed turkey bread with garlic sausage, mashed potato quenelles, cranberry sauce with pears and cardamon, and a variety of desserts.

Ellen's Stardust Diner

$39.95 a person

1650 Broadway at the corner of 51s

The Place: Legendary for it's "singing waitstaff," the notion at Ellen's could be summed up in three words: don't hate, participate.  If singing waiters and waitresses isn't your thing, stay away.  But if you're looking for a uniquely vintage, extremely tuneful, and certainly unexpected Thanksgiving, Ellen's is it.

The Feast: As can be expected: includes roasted carrot 

ginger puree, roast turkey with mashed sweet potatoes, salmon or pumpkin ravioli, and all of the predictable pies.  

Cornelia Street Cafe

$50.00 a person

29 Cornelia Street

The Place: Cornelia's is as West Village as one can get on Thanksgiving.  Often a venue for jazz musicians and other musical acts, tonight the entertainment is lacking, but the mood remains intact.  There's candlelit tables and decor that screams "you're going to be paying a lot for your meal, but isn't it worth it?"

The Feast: The price delivers a more sophisicated menu and includes crab cakes, roasted turkey, risotto, salmon or lamb, bread pudding, creme brulee or sorbet.