ASHEVILLE – Act fast to lock down holiday meal plans that take a load off your plate.
Restaurants, catering companies and local farms have opened reservations and preorders for Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24. Although weeks away, it’s not too early to set plans for the holiday meals whether dining out or at home, said Michel Baudouin, owner of RendezVous and Bouchon.
“A lot of people have already made their plans,” Baudouin said. RendezVous, a French comfort food restaurant will be open on the holiday and serving traditional Thanksgiving and French-inspired fare. Its sister restaurant, Bouchon, will be closed.
“It is not too early. We’re offering takeout the day before. It’s probably the busiest day of the year for restaurants who are open,” he said.
Guests vary from those who may not have family in town to families who would rather opt out of the preparation and clean-up of cooking at home, he said.
“We also have the family who still wants to do it at home but don’t want to have to do all the cooking. Those are the ones who will order takeout,” he said.
Baudouin expects to have a full dining room and to sell out of takeout meals. RendezVous is nearly fully booked for its indoor dining room and reserving guests for the climate-controlled covered patio.
He recommends diners reserve early before seats are filled – especially if in a large group – and before prepared meal pickup services are ended.
“The sooner you make reservations, the better chance,” Baudouin said.
Spend Thanksgiving Day 2022 at the local eateries below.
For home cooks, consider purchasing a turkey and other ingredients from WNC farmers and producers. Check out Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s local turkey guide at asapconnections.org/find-local-food/turkey/ for information on farm preorders, including how to reserve Hickory Nut Gap Farm’s pasture-raised broad-breasted white turkeys.
This listing is being updated. Submit restaurant Thanksgiving menus and details to tkennell@citizentimes.com.
Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ
Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ is accepting preorders of smoked turkey, ham and other meat, vegan Impossible meatloaf, sides, pies and more.
The Bears Feast serves 6-8 people and costs $185. The Little Bear Feast serves two people and costs $60.
View the full menu at bearsbbq.com/thanksgivingasheville.
Pickup times are 2-7 p.m. Nov 23 or 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 24 at 135 Coxe Ave. at the South Slope location.
Blue Mountain Pizza
Blue Mountain Pizza will continue its 17-year tradition and offer a free community Thanksgiving Day dinner from 12-3 p.m. at 55 N Main St. in Weaverville.
The invitation is for “anyone alone, in need, or just anyone looking for some company on the holiday,” owner Matt Danford said in an email.
The dinner is to give thanks to the Weaverville community for their year-round support and to give back to the community, he said.
A full Thanksgiving spread will be served which will include turkey, ham, sides and dessert. Dine-in only. Space is limited.
Visit Blue Mountain Pizza at bluemountainpizza.com.
Hemingway’s Cuba
Hemingway’s Cuba will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on Nov. 24 at 15 Page Ave. on the fourth-floor rooftop of the Cambria Hotel downtown.
Breakfast will be 7-10 a.m.
Lunch and dinner services will be offered from noon-8 p.m., which will include the regular menu offerings and a herb-brined turkey breast with Cuban sides special for $42. Buy pie for $12.
The bar will be open from 8-10 p.m. The cocktail special is a bruleed peach and rosemary old fashioned for $16.
Make a reservation at hemingwayscuba.com or call 828-417-6866.
Isa’s French Bistro
Isa’s French Bistro will be open for breakfast from 7-10 a.m. at 1 Battery Park Ave. in downtown.
Lunch and dinner will be offered from noon-8 p.m. (the last seating time). The prix fixe three-course menu will include herb-brined Joyce Family Farm turkey breast, Antarctica salmon, vegan sausage ragout and steak frites. The cost is $82 per person and a wine pairing may be added on for $32. A children’s turkey plate is $25.
Make reservations at isasbistro.com or call 828-575-9636.
Pack’s Tavern
Pack’s Tavern will offer a Thanksgiving buffet with reservations accepted from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Nov. 24. The buffet will be open until 8 p.m.
Multiple buffet stations will be set up upstairs and downstairs.
The offerings will include maple and brown sugar glazed ham, herb-roasted turkey, cornbread dressing with turkey gravy, Southern collard greens, pecan pie and more.
Meals are $49.99 per adult and $24.99 for children ages 10 and under.
To make reservations (for Thanksgiving only), call 828-225-6944.
View the full menu at packstavern.com/packs-thanksgiving-buffet-we-cook-we-clean-you-enjoy-2/.
RendezVous
RendezVous will be open for dine-in service on Nov. 24 and offering take-out services with the pickup date on Nov. 23.
The restaurant, at 184 New Haw Creek Road, will serve a traditional and French-influenced menu. The prix fixe three-course meal costs $75 per person.
The first course options are autumn squash soup, a winter salad (arugula, einkorn wheat berries, carrots, port-soaked figs, goat cheese with honey sherry vinaigrette) and salmon en croûte (puff pastry-wrapped salmon and cranberry chutney).
The main course plate options include a traditional butter and thyme roasted turkey served with mashed potatoes, haricots verts, giblet gravy, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, roasted yams and traditional rolls. The second choice is a seafood risotto containing diver scallops and steamed mussels prepared with white wine and brandy in a creamy parmesan risotto. The third plate is a braised short rib served with roasted root vegetables, creamy polenta, sherry braising jus and horseradish gremolata.
The dessert menu features pumpkin crème brûlée, chocolate torte with chantilly cream, and sabayon with fresh fruit.
Make reservations by calling 828-348-0909. Leave a message on the events line (option 2) if no answer.
The take-out menu features autumn squash soup, dark and white turkey meat, mashed potatoes, gravy, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, haricots verts, a yeast roll and a slice of pumpkin pie
Place orders by Nov. 9 and pick up from noon-6 p.m. Nov. 23.
For details, visit ashevillerendezvous.com.
RendezVous’ sister restaurant Bouchon will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.
Sovereign Remedies
Sovereign Remedies, at 29 N. Market St., will host a Thanksgiving Supper with special guest chef Terri Terrell.
The menu will feature classic deviled eggs and crab toast appetizers, winter squash bisque and seasonal winter greens and vegetable salad with blue cheese vinaigrette and toasted walnuts.
The main course will include slow-roasted turkey, spiral-glazed ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole and more. Dessert options will be pecan and pumpkin pie.
A vegetarian meatloaf with mushroom gravy may be offered. The menu can accommodate a vegetarian diet, by request at the time of making reservations. However, the menu is not gluten-free or vegan.
The cost is $160 per person which includes the full menu, reception beverage, sales tax and gratuity. Tables will be available to purchase for a two-hour block at sovereignremedies.com.
For details on chef Terri Terrell, visit territerrell.org and follow on Instagram @chefttlivinandlovin and @theclarksdale.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
