10 Best Thanksgiving Restaurants in Los Angeles

Star Foreman

Locanda del Lago

5. Locanda del Lago
Cuisine: Northern Italian. Vibe: Rustic elegance in a spacious building on the Third Street Promenade. Menu: The pilgrims didn't land in Italy, but can't we pretend? Try items such as fontina cheese ravioli, monkfish wrapped in pancetta, stewed cabbage mixed with cannellini beans, and roasted turkey stuffed with sausage and chestnuts complimented by cranberry compote. Put a spin on typical pumpkin pie with an Italian crostata di zucca. Price: $49 for three courses; $59 for four courses; $10 - $28 for a la carte items; $18 for wine tasting. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Info: 231 Arizona Ave. Santa Monica; (310) 451-3525.

Noah Galuten

Polka

4. Polka
Cuisine: Polish. Vibe: Cozy like your Polish grandma's parlor, and a world away from the strip mall just outside. Menu: Polka promises a hearty Thanksgiving complete with kielbasa. Begin with one of the restaurant's excellent soups before the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and vegetables, including slightly sweet carrots cooked in honey and curry spices. For dessert choose between pumpkin or apple pie spiced with cinnamon, or a "surprise" dish -- Polish, of course. Price: $30. Hours: 3-7:30 p.m. Info: 4112 Verdugo Road, Highland Park; (323) 255-7887.

LA Weekly

The Proud Bird

3. The Proud Bird
Cuisine: American. Vibe: Sprawling restaurant decked out with aviation memorabilia, including the WWII combat planes (both real and replica) dotting the grounds. Menu: Could a restaurant called "The Proud Bird" be any more appropriate for our foodie holiday? Sip champagne, then pick and choose from a mammoth buffet -- turkey, prime rib, ham, seafood, pasta, salads -- while watching (and hearing) the planes land at LAX just outside. Price: $40; $15.95 for children ages 3 -11. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Info: 11022 Aviation Blvd. Westchester; (310) 670-3815.

D. Solomon

seafood pasta at Taix

2. Taix
Cuisine: French. Vibe: Old-school, elegant, and comfortable. Think booths, brocade, and chandeliers. Menu: Escargot with your turkey? Mais oui. Or perhaps cassoulet instead of the bird? At Taix, an L.A. institution established in 1927, you can give your Thanksgiving a French twist. Choose between a table in the fancy dining room or in the laid-back lounge with its leather booths and recliners. Price: $29.95 for entrees with dessert; $6.95 and $13.95 for a la carte hors d'oeuvres. Hours: 12-8 p.m. Info: 1911 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles. (213) 484-1265.

Guzzle & Nosh

prime rib at Tam O'Shanter

1. Tam O'Shanter
Cuisine: Scottish. Vibe: Quaint, old-timey tavern. (The restaurant is 90 years old!) Menu: Prefer prime rib over turkey? Tam O'Shanter is for you. You can pick from four cuts off the a la carte Thanksgiving menu, each served with Yorkshire pudding, fresh horseradish, and mashed potatoes. Or have it both ways -- add a slice of prime rib to your turkey for only a few extra bucks. Osso bucco, pan roasted duck breast and salmon are options too. You'll find stuffing and veggies among the side dishes, but go for the "Scotch Rarebit." Price: $6 - $44 for a la carte items. Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Info: 2980 Los Feliz Blvd. Atwater; (323) 664-0228.

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