Thanksgiving is just 10 days away. For some of us, that means actually taking on the task of hosting an entire holiday meal (I've done it — but never again) or preparing a side dish or a dessert to take along to the home of a relative or a friend who is gracious enough to host a family gathering.
And then there's the less ambitious types, who prefer making reservations to making Waldorf salad. The problem is that not as many restaurants as you might think are actually open on November 24. The casino buffets are always serving, of course, and several hotel dining rooms. Fat City has a cornucopia of tasty suggestions for places that are most assuredly open and serving on Thanksgiving. In most cases, advance reservations are required.
The Shields Manor Bistro in the Northland (121 Main, Platte City) is serving Thanksgiving dinner from noon to 7 p.m. November 24. Reservations are required by calling 816-858-5557. The meal is priced at $28 per person and includes turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry-pecan relish, country green beans, buttered corn and home-baked bread. Desserts are available for an additional charge.
If you feel brave enough to confront the Thanksgiving Day chaos on the Country Club Plaza, McCormick & Schmick's (448 West 47th Street, 816-531-6800) offers both the regular dinner menu and a special three-course Thanksgiving menu from 10:45 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Thanksgiving special menu offers a choice of house salad or butternut squash bisque, turkey with gravy served with mashed potatoes, cornbread casserole, apple-butternut squash casserole, and a choice of apple or pumpkin pie. The meal is priced at $23.95 for adults and $7.95 for children.
Another Plaza favorite, Plaza III - the Steakhouse (4749 Pennsylvania, 816-753-0000) is serving both regular-menu dishes and a special all-you-can-eat turkey dinner, served at the table, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The turkey dinner is priced at $27.95.
Buca di Beppo on the Plaza (310 West 47th Street, 816-931-6548) serves both the regular Italian-inspired menu and a special holiday menu on Thanksgiving Day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Thanksgiving meal is priced at $69.99 (it feeds five or six diners) or $39.99 (it feeds two to three diners) and includes white-meat turkey, an Italian sausage stuffing, garlic mashers, gravy, cranberry sauce and green beans.
The legendary Savoy Grill (219 West Ninth Street, 816-842-3890) is serving on Thanksgiving from noon to 9 p.m. In addition to the regular menu offerings, the restaurant will serve a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner for $18.50. Reservations are encouraged.
For a soulful Thanksgiving, Niecie's Restaurant (6441 Troost, 816-444-6006) will be open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The only dinner entree served that day will be the sliced turkey dinner, but all the breakfast dishes will be available.
Ophelia's Restaurant in Independence (201 North Main, 816-461-4525) will be serving a traditional Thanksgiving Day buffet from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The buffet features ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, a variety of salads, and desserts. The meal is priced at $24.95 per person, $12 for children.
The New Peking Chinese Restaurant in Westport (540 Westport Road, 816-531-6969) is open Thanksgiving from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. "We won't be offering any lunch specials that day," an employee told Fat City. "We'll serve the dinner menu all day."
The Country Keepsakes Tea Room in Belton (501 Main, 816-348-7888) is taking reservations for its Thanksgiving meal. Call for details.
The Village Inn in Mission (5800 Broadmoor, 913-236-7088) is open Thanksgiving from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Waffle House restaurant at 6840 East Front St. will be open 24 hours on Thanksgiving Day.
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Well, we discovered today that Burrito Joe's has ow closed. That didn't take long. Is it the Macaluso Curse or the even more dreaded Curse of the Mommadillos?
We need to bear in mind that "Abe" is something of a troll and makes a habit of posting his nonsensical rants on various topics; I suspect he relishes the reactions and finds himself amusing. We need to respond accordingly, i.e., not, and perhaps he will seek gratifcation elsewhere...like on the Glenn Beck website.
Abe, if you go to a comedy show or Improv and they ask you to tip your hostess "accordingly", do you get your panties in a wad? The term accordingly is not asking you to empty your wallet, it is merely reminding you to be Thankful for your service. I know we have on occasions taken the family to a restaurant instead of gathering and hosting on our own. I am extremely thankful that I don't have to prepare the house, meal, and cleanup. That is worth a world to me and I will tip accordingly.
Hey Abe, I don't think that Dave called you a bad tipper, rather was politely inferring that you are an asshole. I'm sure that you would agree that you can be a good tipper, but an asshole too.
I'm sure even in your absurd worldview you can understand that many servers sacrifice time with their families to serve yours. Sure they choose that line of work, but that doesn't negate the fact that working on a holiday sucks. All that Dave is saying is to be considerate of this fact, and not tip them poorly.
If you have ever worked in the restaurant industry you would probably have a better understanding of the unrealistic image that has been concocted for you by that stupid movie. To infer that because someone who is a service professional would ever retaliate against a guest because of poor tip is devoid of any common sense and shows your ignorance.
Take some xanax, chill out with the ad hominems, treat people the way you expect to be treated, and be kind to the people waiting on you on the holidays.
I am so glad I don't have to work with customers. My own short experience delivering pizzas long time ago taught me that nice customers are not the rule but an exception. At least some of them can feel guilt and compensate their asshole-like behavior with a tip.
Dave, just leave this one alone. People who tip - will, people who don't - won't, no public service reminders will help.
BTW, I used to work pretty much every holiday, I work for a company that provides essential services and it comes with the job, but there is no amount of pay that would compel me to work at any customer-facing job on something like Black Friday and stand in the way of the moron stampede.
I am not accusing you of being a bad tipper. I am accusing you of being unsympathetic to a group of people who are asked to not be with their family so they can serve yours. I don't think that is a stretch given your initial comments.
You in turn have called me "a pompous ass." Insulted me as a professional in any number of ways, made wild accusations about my motives, and accused me of adultering people's food. The accusations you have thrown at me are the most hostile you can make of someone in my profession. I think you might be a bit out of line.
All I ask is that people remember that those who are working on Thanksgiving are doing so to make your day enjoyable at the expense of their own. That does not mean you have to hand them your wallet, but it is worth remembering.
Fuck you Dave. I tip very well, but that doesn't mean I think people should just shovel money into your pockets because you chose this line of work. It's funny that when someone calls you out on your whining about tipping, you try and pigeonhole them as a bad tipper. What I don't understand is why a small minority of waiters don't even give people the benefit of doubt when it comes to tipping. You have a smug attitude about diners, we are all guilty of bad tipping until proven otherwise. Waiting requires a good attitude, patience, and a desire to please others, all traits you do not have.
It's amazing that you are not only a waiter but someone that writes books about it. I can't imagine you give good service because it's clear you don't trust any customer to leave a good tip and have no problem with admonishing hypothetical customers. I also love how your shitty books have given you a false sense of carte blanche when it comes to telling people how to tip. It's shitty waiters like you that make people think every kitchen is like the one in "Waiting", and if Mr. Dave doesn't get his sufficient tip he'll make sure the cook puts pubes in the next meal.
Abe: Try supporting yourself on the $3.63 an hour servers make and then tell me you wouldn't be concerned about tips. I am not asking people to hand me their credit card, but I would ask them to remember that servers are parents and children of people who they don't get to see on Thanksgiving because they are there to make your meal enjoyable.
For everyone else, remember that the person sitting at the table before you might have been Abe and remember to tip accordingly.
Abe: I don't think anyone "concerned about getting...dues" is guilty of anything, particularly in this economy, and I agree that servers working on holidays deserve to be acknowleged in some fashion. Over the years, I worked as a server on more holidays than I care to remember, including Thanksgiving. I didn't expect any additional gratuity -- which was a good thing, since it's unrealistic thinking -- on holidays, but it was always an unexpected surprise when certain customers acknowleged that I was spending my own holiday time working so that they could have a pleasant time away from their own homes. If I'm dining out on a holiday, I always try to tip a little extra. It's good karma, if nothing else.
"Just keep that in mind and if you do eat out, please tip accordingly."
What a pompous ass. It's waiters like you that make me not want to eat out. People like you wouldn't be happy with any tip unless the customer handed the credit card receipt over to you to fill out. If you're so concerned about getting your dues, you should probably find another line of work.
On previous Thanksgiving and Christmases, we've enjoyed the hospitality of Grinders. Not sure if they're going to be open for those holidays this year. Last year we went to Bamboo and Pine Garden on Thanksgiving for a little dim sum - now we know where most of the Chinese population of the Metro hangs out! Seems to me like maybe we went there on Christmas too. Sorry, Savvy Dave, but not all cultures worship the turkey like we do.
I cannot even begin to say how grateful I am that my boss has the respect for the lives of his employees to close on Thanksgiving day. If you choose to eat out on Thanksgiving, you choose to support a restaurant that values your dollar more than giving their employees the ability to spend the day with their families. Just keep that in mind and if you do eat out, please tip accordingly.
Bristol Seafood Grill Downtown (but probably Leawood too) is doing a Thanksgiving Day Buffet "featuring all the classics plus a few decadent surprises" from 9:30am-7:00pm. Reservations recommended. $29 for adults, $14 for children 12 & under.
Menu here: http://www.bristolseafoodgrill.com/menus/thanksgiving/162.pdf
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