By Lauren Koblara

Does the idea of hosting another Thanksgiving Dinner at home have you contemplating hopping on the next plane out of town and leaving your ravenous family and friends to fend for themselves? Or maybe you’re a local college student hunkering down in the dorms, foregoing the traveling mayhem of Thanksgiving break? Either way, I am going to prove that you can have your turkey and eat it, too. While most of the country closes up shop on Turkey Day, there are, thankfully, some great restaurants ready to help make your Thanksgiving 2007 totally relaxing and stress free.

Bull Run Restaurant will be serving their “bountiful Thanksgiving dinner buffet” beginning at 11 am. The Bull Run is located on Rt. 2A in Shirley. For the full buffet menu and pricing log onto bullrunrestaurant.com and for reservations (recommended) call 978-425-4311.

The Harlequin Restaurant at the Beechwood Hotel in Worcester will also be serving a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. The major plus here? At the Harlequin, if you have a party of 8 or more you are served your dinner family style and have your own beautiful turkey right at your table. For reservations call 508-754-5789.

The Publick House, a historic inn founded in 1771 and located on Sturbridge Common, will be hosting a Thanksgiving Feast between 11 am and 8pm. Excellent food and the colonial inn’s atmosphere make for a cozy and “at home” dining experience. For information, log onto publickhouse.com or call 508-347-3313 for reservations.

For the ultimate Thanksgiving experience, make the short trip to Plimoth Plantation where you can travel back in time, see the Mayflower II, and make a day out of discovering all that this historical living museum has to offer. Plimoth Plantation offers four different dining events and tables fill up very quickly. For reservations call 508 746 1622; to find out more about Plimoth Plantation, log onto plimoth.org.

The Salem Cross Inn is a colonial style, family run restaurant in West Brookfield that provides a cozy New England experience. Reservations for their full Thanksgiving Dinner can be made online at salemcrossinn.com or by phone at 508-867-2345.

Thanksgiving Memories

By Lauren Koblara

It’s that time of year! The holidays are here again, so we thought we’d ask local chef Stephano “Steve” Zimei of Worcester’s Sole Proprietor to share his favorite Thanksgiving memories and dish on what he’ll be looking forward to at this year’s family dinner.
“Thanksgiving growing up as a kid for me was always a favorite time of the year. My parents knew I loved to cook and always asked for my help in the kitchen that day. I can vividly remember listening to Leominster High Blue Devil Football on the radio and making mashed potatoes, green beans with spiced almonds, giblet gravy, and my mom would always have me cut the turkey with that electric knife that I didn’t care for too much ~ but it made her happy…then I would use my favorite slicer. The kitchen had such a great aroma that Thanksgiving is all about.”

“My favorite dish is my dad’s stuffed turkey,” Stephano explains. “He stuffs the bird with a mixture of sausage, onions, giblets, fresh herbs, and cooked elbow macaroni. While the turkey is cooking the pasta absorbed all the juices and flavors from the turkey and it is pure heaven. The whole family is anticipating it for weeks in advance.”

The Sole is located at 118 Highland St. Worcester, MA and is an award winning restaurant and a Worcester favorite. The Sole offers the freshest seafood and the finest wine all in a top-notch atmosphere. For information or reservations call 508-798-3474 or log onto www.thesole.com.