THANKSGIVING 2010: Traditional Thanksgiving Dining Out, Close to Home

It's really feeling like fall is here, with Thanksgiving just around the corner.

You may be looking forward to eating roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings, but maybe this year, you're not sure you want to go to all the work to prepare it.

If you decide to save yourself from cooking this year and have someone else do the work, there's a handful of Mountain View restaurants open Thursday to serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. And there's take-out, too!

will prepare a roast turkey dinner for you to pick up the day before Thanksgiving. Country Gourmet will be offer five meal packages: for four to six people, $98.88; eight to 12 people, $158.88; for 14-18, $218.88; for 20-24, $278.88; for 26-30, $328.88. The restaurant will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, so call to place your order before it's too late!

Country Gourmet is a cafeteria-style breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant with a diner-style layout and floor plan. The menu has a wide variety of seasonal entrees, such as wild salmon, goat cheese and mushroom omelets, as well as house favorites like banana french toast. All food is prepared after ordering, so patrons of Country Gourmet can expect their meals to be fresh.   

will be open Thanksgiving Day and will have sit-down service with a traditional roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings. The special dinner will be offered from 5-10 p.m. The menu will be a la carte, and diners will be able to select from the following items: roasted turkey, stuffing with chestnuts, homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie and baklava. Wine and other beverages will be available to complement the meal. Chef and owner, Memet Degerli, suggests a light-to-medium Turkish red wine to accompany the turkey dinner.

Bodrum Café is a Mediterranean restaurant that offers authentic Greek and Turkish cuisine. This year, Memet Degerli decided to fill a gastronomic need—to experience a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in a fine-dining setting without having to travel far. This will be an ideally convenient dining destination for all local residents.

will offer a complimentary—free—traditional dinner on Thanksgiving Day. High school seniors from will donate their time to help out for the day. The Thanksgiving dinner will be served from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ristorante Don Giovanni is a fine-dining Italian restaurant that has served the community for more than 15 years. The owner, John Akkaya, has offered the Thanksgiving dinner every year since opening the restaurant.

"It is my way of thanking the community that was good to the restaurant," said Akkaya. The meal includes roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, cranberry sauce and choice of milk, soda or water.  Akkaya says he always gets a very good turnout at this event.

Travel a short distance to in Palo Alto at the Town & Country Village shopping center for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. The menu, a three-course meal, boasts butternut-squash soup or mixed-green salad as the first course; oven -oasted turkey or honey-baked ham as the main course; served with homemade cornbread stuffing, seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes with gravy and cranberry sauce; and finally, pecan or pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream for dessert. The meal is $29.95 for adults and $14.95 for children.

Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar serves up fresh fish, steak, chicken and pasta dishes in a simple and elegant setting of white linen and wooden decor. It is a classy dining environment that's served the community for over 20 years.

Many of Mountain View's restaurants are closed on Thanksgiving Day; others may be open with their regular menus.