I’ve been putting together lists of restaurants that serve Thanksgiving Dinner for decades and I can’t remember there ever being as many as there are this year. I don’t know why that is. Maybe more of us are growing weary of the long preparation, drawn out service and the inevitable cleanup after. If that’s you, the good news is that you have a lot of choices.
The bad news is — if you haven’t already made your reservations, the longer you wait, the fewer choices you’ll have. So don’t wait any longer — check out the list of restaurants that will be open on Nov. 26 (which is a Thursday, by the way) and make your reservations pronto, as the pilgrims used to say.
But be prepared to be flexible with your preferred dining time.
Be on time for your reservation but don’t be surprised if you are made to wait beyond the appointed time. People dining on holidays tend to take longer and may linger over coffee and pumpkin pie. Just take a seat in the bar and relax.
If your plans change and you’re unable to keep your reservation, call the restaurant and let them know. They’ll appreciate it, and so will the party waiting in the bar for a table.
Be nice to the servers -- they’re working on a day that most people have off to spend with their families.
And at the end of the dinner, think about the people waiting for your table and consider having your coffee and pie in the lounge.
Some of the restaurants to consider for this year’s feast are:
• The Grand Bohemian
• Bull and Bear at the Waldorf-Astoria
• Tapa Toro
• Taverna Opa
• MOOR at the Gaylord Palms
• Hamilton’s Kitchen at the Alfond Inn
• Caribe Royale
• Raglan Road
• Norman’s
There are also several restaurants and caterers offering to prepare a meal in advance for you to serve in your home if you don’t want to do the cooking. Unfortunately, they won’t offer to come back later and clean it all up.