Whether you’re planning a feast at home or letting the professionals do the dirty work, Falls Church has plenty of options when it comes to eating well during Thanksgiving next week. From locally-raised birds and pre-made sides to gluten-free pies and turkey-and-stuffing-filled pop tarts, there’s something for everyone.
And for those those late-night, Thanksgiving Eve gatherings at the bar, The Little City has it covered there, too.
Thanksgiving To-Go
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken | 7511 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church | 703-356-0800 | astrodoughnuts.com
Astro is back with another special holiday doughnut dozen, this time for Turkey Day. Twenty bucks gets a Thanksgiving assortment of a dozen mini doughnuts including the shop’s signature flavors of maple bacon and creme brulee along with seasonal specials cinnamon sugar with apple jam filling and caramel drizzle, sweet potato fritters, cream cheese glazed with cranberry jam filling and chocolate glazed with Thanksgiving sprinkles.
Boxes are available for pick up starting Wednesday, Nov. 25, and for a limited time on Thanksgiving Day. Pre-orders can be made through Astro’s website or by calling 703-356-0800.
The Happy Tart | 410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church | 571-395-8280 | happytartbakery.com
The hottest new bakery in Falls Church has the gluten-free market covered this Thanksgiving with an assortment of pies for the dinner table.
Available pies include pumpkin ($20), pumpkin praline ($25), pecan ($25), chocolate pecan ($25), apple ($25), sour cream apple ($25) and a cranberry linzer pie ($25).
The deadline for ordering is this Sunday, Nov. 22.
The Local Market | 246 W. Broad St., Falls Church | 703-536-6123 | thelocalmarket.me
Keeping it local, The Little City’s Local Market is selling non-GMO, pasture raised broad breasted white turkeys from Warrenton’s Whiffletree Farm for $6/lb. The last day to order is today, Thursday, Nov. 19, so it’s best to act quickly.
The turkeys, which will be frozen, will be available to pick up over the weekend. A $35 deposit is required and will be deducted from the price of the turkey.
Red Apron Butcher | 110 Glass Alley, Fairfax | 703-676-3550 | redapronbutchery.com
The season’s coveted heritage turkeys are available at Red Apron in Mosaic District with the butcher selling local, free-range birds from Field of Athenry in Purcellville.
The all-natural turkeys are $9/lb. ($10/lb. brined) and available in five sizes from eight to 22 pounds. The birds are available for online advance orders now and pick-up at Red Apron beginning Monday, Nov. 23 on a first-come, first-serve basis. The deadline to order is noon Monday.
Also available to stock the table on Thursday are a selection of sides including roasted mushroom bread pudding, garlic smashed potatoes, caramelized Brussels sprouts, roasted fingerling sweet potatoes and more.
Orders can be made at redapronbutchery.com.
Ted’s Bulletin | 2911 District Ave., Fairfax | 571-830-6680 | tedsbulletin.com
The popular savory Thanksgiving pop tarts are back at Ted’s Bulletin starting Monday and running through Wednesday. The holiday tarts are filled with turkey and stuffing and topped with a cranberry sauce glaze and sweet potato mash.
Ted’s Bulletin’s Thanksgiving pop tarts are $3.99 each and available for preorder by calling the restaurant at 571-830-6680.
Thanksgiving Eve Parties
Dogfish Head Alehouse | 6220 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church | 703-534-3342 | dogfishalehouse.com
In Seven Corners, a pre-Thanksgiving bash at Dogfish Head Alehouse Wednesday night is set to feature food specials, live trivia, a DJ and a vintage beer sale.
Very limited inventories of classic Dogfish bottles will go on sale at 7 p.m. including the brewer’s 2008 Burton Baton, 2011 and 2014 120 Minute IPA, 2011 Old School Barleywine and Fort. Trivia kicks off at 8 p.m. and a DJ will be spinning until midnight. All-day food specials include an open face turkey sandwich and a turkey burger with sriracha mayo.
Dogwood Tavern | 132 W. Broad St., Falls Church | 703-237-8333 | dogwoodtavern.com
Dogwood starts its Thanksgiving Eve festivities with a tapping of Hardywood’s Gingerbread Stout at 5 p.m. and then continues the party until the wee hours of the morning with Dan Steele & Friends jamming out on stage starting beginning at 10 p.m. Additional cocktail specials will also be available throughout the night.
Mad Fox Brewing Company | 444 W. Broad St., Falls Church | 703-942-6840 | madfoxbrewing.com
Next Wednesday, the Mad Fox’s weekly Epic Burger special will be the Drunken Pilgrim which tops a turkey burger with a deep fried pumpkin puree-mascarpone fritter and, starting Tuesday, a house-roasted turkey sandwich, brined in Orange Whip served on multigrain with a chipotle cranberry sauce, fontina, lettuce and tomato will also be available. Keeping things festive, Mad Fox will be open extra late on Wednesday until 1 a.m.
Thanksgiving Day Feasts
2941 Restaurant | 2941 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church | 703-270-1500 | 2941.com
No disrespect to Mom but it’d be hard to top the Thanksgiving dinner at 2941 next Thursday. The three-course meal is $68 and features a generous appetizer selection of butternut squash veloute, caesar salad, beet salad, tuna tartare, chicken liver and foie gras mousse, crab salad and wild boar pappardelle before making way to a main course options that covers all the bases. For the meatless crowd, there’s a mushroom tart with roasted winter roots and black truffle and fish fans can opt for the chilean sea bass with spinach, cauliflower florets and a saffron lobster sauce. A filet mignon with mashed potatoes, winter roots and mushroom sauce checks off the red meat box and for traditionalists, a Maple Lawn Farm’s turkey breast is served with mushroom stuffing, sweet potato, vegetable fricassee, cranberry marmalade and gravy. And for those looking for something extra, a surf and turf dish pairs turkey with butter-poached lobster plus lobster emulsion, sauteed spinach and celery root.
For dessert, there’s apple pie, pumpkin creme caramel, pear pavlova and a chocolate pecan bark.
In addition to the standard Thanksgiving menu, there are also vegetarian and children’s menus ($25) available.
Reservations are required for 2941’s Thanksgiving menu available from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Thursday.
Bentley’s | 6654 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church | 703-532-4100 | bentleysfallschurch.com
Bentley’s annual Thanksgiving Day dinner includes turkey with trimmings, ham, dressing, sweet and mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, rolls and a choice of pumpkin or apple pie for dessert. Dinner is $17.99, half price for children until 10 and is available from 1 – 7 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended.
La Côte D’Or Café | 6876 Lee Highway, Arlington | 703-538-3033 | lacotedorcafe.com
On the Falls Church-Arlington border, La Côte D’Or is serving up a special Thanksgiving Day dinner from noon until 7 p.m.
For $41.50, the holiday meal begins with butternut squash soup and salade Raymond before making way for a main course of stuffed roast turkey with all the trimmings served with green beans, mushrooms, apple, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy.
Dessert choices include a choice of pecan or pumpkin pie or New York cheesecake.
Ireland’s Four Provinces | 105 W. Broad St., Falls Church | 703-534-8999 | 4psva.com
The Four P’s well-known holiday buffet is back with a lineup of Thanksgiving dishes available 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Thursday.
Highlighted by a carving station with roast turkey, glazed Virginia ham, roasted prime rib and pan-seared salmon, a selection of traditional sides including corn bread stuffing, giblet gravy, maple glazed sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts will also be on tap.
Additionally, a dessert station with five kinds of pies, fresh berries, Belgian chocolate cake, chocolate-covered strawberries and mini pastries is available to finish off the meal. Or start it. We won’t judge.
The Four P’s Thanksgiving buffet is $34.99 for adults and $12.99 for children under 12. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 703-534-8999.
