Spoon
17 W. 20th St., nr. Fifth Ave.; 646-230-7000.
At $55 a head, Spoon’s fixed Thanksgiving menu is definitely our priciest pick. The banquet centers around a garlic-and-herb-roasted turkey, which can be broken down into assorted pieces (like wings and breasts) or presented whole. Side dishes may include potato gratiné or toasted-wheat-berry salad, baby asparagus or sliced beetroot, roasted-vegetable salad or autumn-vegetable succotash, and pecan pie or custard tart.
• Dinner for a dozen: $660
• Ordering deadline: Nov. 16
• Pickup dates: Nov. 21, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
• Delivery: No
iCi
246 DeKalb Ave., at Vanderbilt Ave., Fort Greene, Brooklyn; 718-789-2778.
This French bistro’s prix fixe feast spotlights dazzling renditions of seasonal standards: roast turkey breast with cranberry compote, pear-chestnut stuffing, collard greens, and, of course, a boatload of gravy. If you need a break from turkey this year, iCi also offers baked cod or a mushroom-and-pumpkin risotto. Dinners are presented with a choice of butternut-squash soup, goat-cheese tart, or endive salad; and pecan or shaker-lemon tart or chocolate pot de crème.
• Dinner for a dozen: $540
• Ordering deadline: Nov. 19, 1 p.m.
• Pickup dates: Nov. 21 and 22
• Delivery: $40 to all five boroughs
Applewood
501 11th St., nr. Seventh Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn; 718-768-2044.
If you enjoy the holiday’s preparatory rituals, this South Slope restaurant offers a limited supply of organic, uncooked free-range birds ($85 to $105) as well as a fixed menu of precooked sides like sweet-potato purée, cranberry chutney, and pecan stuffing ($265). Dessert options are limited to pumpkin pie and apple cake ($25 each).
• Dinner for a dozen: $420
• Ordering deadline: Nov. 13
• Pickup dates: Nov. 20 and 21
• Delivery: No
Market Table
54 Carmine St., nr. Bedford St.; 212-255-2100.
For chefs whose primary skill is boiling water, Market Table offers much that comes in ready-to-boil bags as well as half of an eighteen-pound turkey pre-seasoned and ready to throw in the oven ($50 each). Sides like candied yams ($48), corn-bread stuffing ($48), and roasted Brussels sprouts ($72) are best complemented by some good old pumpkin pie ($36).
• Dinner for a dozen: $358
• Ordering deadline: Nov. 19
• Pickup dates: Up to Nov. 21
• Delivery: No
Butterfield Market
1114 Lexington Ave., nr. 78th St.; 212-288-7800.
Butterfield is one of the few caterers that will deliver to your doorstep on the big day. The whole-roasted free-range turkey ($105) arrives hot but you’ll need to reheat the corn-bread-and-wild-mushroom stuffing ($40), the homemade gravy ($27), the praline sweet potatoes ($54), the country corn bread ($24), and the corn chowder ($36). Warming up the apple-crumb and pumpkin pies ($24 each) is strictly optional.
• Dinner for a dozen: $334
• Ordering deadline: Nov. 18
• Pickup dates: Nov. 20–22
• Delivery: Up to $40 on Nov. 21; $20–$60 on Nov. 22
Jive Turkey
441 Myrtle Ave., nr. Waverly Ave., Clinton Hill, Brooklyn; 718-797-1688.
This Clinton Hill poultry specialist delivers its preset holiday feasts anywhere in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The Thanksgiving package—which is offered until the Saturday after Thanksgiving—features one ten- to twelve-pound turkey, deep-fried and flavored one of fifteen ways. (Jive’s gobblers are all on the small side because they need to fit in a deep fryer; we suggest ordering a second bird for an additional $75 or less.) The trimmings span from corn-bread dressing and sautéed French green beans to yam brûlée and mashed potatoes. As an added bonus, throw in six bottles of inexpensive American wine: three red and three white.
• Dinner for a dozen: $325
• Ordering deadline: Nov. 16
• Pickup dates: Nov. 18–24
• Delivery: Free to Manhattan and Brooklyn; available Thanksgiving Day
Hill Country
30 W. 26th St., nr. Broadway; 212-255-4544.
For a moderately priced taste of the South, head to the hills. The newest big shot in New York’s competitive barbecue scene, Hill Country offers a complete turkey dinner, featuring a brined and spice-rubbed fourteen- to sixteen-pound smoked bird, cornbread with honey butter, four sides (sweet-potato bourbon mash, Texas-toast stuffing, longhorn Cheddar macaroni and cheese, and traditional cranberry sauce), and two pies or a sheet cake for dessert. Supplement the menu with two additional sides (at around $15 each) for a fittingly Texas-size meal.
• Dinner for a dozen: $285
• Ordering deadline: Nov. 15
• Pickup dates: Nov. 22, 9 a.m.–noon
• Delivery: No
FreshDirect
Delivery only, order from Freshdirect.com.
One of the cheapest options out there, FreshDirect’s fixed menu focuses on ready-to-warm dishes such as a twelve- to fourteen-pound antibiotic-free roasted turkey, a choice of two kinds of stuffing, four basic sides, and two desserts. Tack on a six-pack of wine ($68) for good measure.
• Dinner for a dozen: $229.99
• Ordering deadline: Nov. 18
• Delivery: Nov. 20 and 21, throughout most of Manhattan and in parts of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, New Jersey, and Westchester and Nassau counties
Citarella
Catering available from multiple locations; 212-874-0383, ext. 2.
Your best bargain comes from Citarella via an eighteen-pound turkey ($89.99), plenty of gravy ($11.97), and a smattering of inexpensive appetizers. The in-house caterer suggests a pumpkin bisque ($23.94), chestnut stuffing ($27.96), three loaves of corn bread ($8.97), and enough cranberry conserve to go around ($17.97). Double-down on both cheesecake ($14.99) and pumpkin pie ($14.99). One interesting option: Take the money you would have spent on a more expensive caterer, and parlay it on a roast goose ($95.99).
• Dinner for a dozen: $211
• Ordering deadline: Nov. 19
• Pickup dates: Nov. 21
• Delivery: $6 Manhattan; FedEx delivery available outside Manhattan