Where to Eat Thanksgiving Dinner

Sometimes the pressure of trying to cook a turkey, along with starters, sides and desserts, plus table settings and finding the right wines and cleaning up afterwards, can just be too much.

For those who prefer to have someone else do the cooking this Thanksgiving, here are some local restaurants that offer to cook the turkey—or other main dishes—for you.

Restaurant Serenade is fully booked on Thanksgiving, but they are offering their Thanksgiving menu as take-out and the bar will be open. This year's Thanksgiving menu is $69 a plate, $35 for children 10 and under. Some of the menu options are:

• appetizers of pumpkin soup, potato gnocchi, crab cakes or arugula salad;
• entrees of turkey with traditional sides, sea bass with lobster-tomato risotto and leeks, or venison with apples, pomegranates and butternut squash;
• and desserts of crème brûlée, pumpkin tart with hazelnut ice cream or flourless warm chocolate tart.

A full menu is attached as a PDF. Restaurant Serenade will open from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Call (973) 701-0303 for reservations.

For the third year, Chatham United Methodist Church will offer their traditional communal Thanksgiving Dinner at 5 p.m. Thursday. Church members cook their own original Thanksgiving dishes, enough to share with those gathered. Starters and desserts are included along with traditional main and side dishes.

If you prefer something semi-private but still casual, Charlie Brown's Steakhouse on Southern Boulevard will open at 11:30 a.m. The kitchen will close at 9 p.m., but the bar will remain open. Charlie Brown's gets busy on Thanksgiving, so call 973-822-1800 for a reservation in advance.

Another, less traditional option for Thanksgiving Day is Nine Thai in the Hickory Tree Shopping Center. The Asian eatery will open at noon on Thanksgiving Day and has specials available for the holiday. For reservations, call 973-377-3636.

After dinner is done, the River Grille will open at 7 p.m. for drinks.