Bird Is the Word

It’s Thanksgiving, and finally we can channel Little Richard in that Geico commercial we love: “Mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce! Wooooo!” Yeah, today is all about gathering in familial bliss to celebrate the ties that bind, but we gotta keep it real. All anyone really looks forward to on Turkey Day is that damn bird, preferably served with a mountain of stuffing so high it prevents eye contact with creepy Uncle Joe across the dinner table. Thanksgiving is a gourmand’s favorite holiday, but for some people in your family, it ain’t exactly a day off. Because we think it’s total B.S. that some of us spend all day slaving over a hot stove while the rest of the lazy slobs veg out and watch football, we’ve got some great Thanksgiving dinner options for a holiday out on the town.

You can dream up the kind of turkey you’d love to devour and find a restaurant with a prix-fixe menu that will accommodate your culinary desires. Want a supertraditional bird? Head to North 110 (11052 Biscayne Blvd., Miami) for roasted Carolina turkey with wheatberry-cornbread stuffing and a kumquat-cranberry conserve. It’ll set you back $52 per person. Call 305-893-4211. At Tuscan Steak (433 Washington Ave., Miami Beach), they’re stuffing the bird with rosemary ciabatta and drizzling it with dried cherry demi-glace for $55 a head. Call 305-672-4322. Maybe you’d prefer a French flair? Leave tout de suite for Palme d’Or at the Biltmore (1200 Anastasia Ave,, Coral Gables), where they’ll be serving farm-raised turkey with foie gras gravy for $75 per person. Call 305-913-3201. Feeling exotic enough for Bombay turkey? Ishq (530 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach) is offering brined, crisp roasted Indian-style turkey alongside cinnamon sweet potato soufflé and green beans with shaved coconut and curry leaves for $65. Call 305-532-4747. What if you’re like, forget turkey? Then how about pumpkin gnocchi and braised lamb osso buco? You can get down on that at La Marea at the Tides, 1220 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach. Call 305-604-5070. Of course, reservations are required at all of these restaurants, so hurry up and dial.
Thu., Nov. 22, 2007