Salmon entree at Lark Creek Blue in San Jose
Here are several Santa Cruz and San Jose restaurants – including Santana Row’s Lark Creek Blue – open on Thanksgiving, so you can make your reservations for dining out on Thursday, Nov. 22 if you aren’t in the cooking mood.
For a few other choices, see:
- Santa Cruz and San Jose restaurant highlights, Part 1
- Thanksgiving food from Whole Foods Market in Santa Cruz and Capitola
- Gluten-free Thanksgiving pies available in Santa Cruz (plus a gluten-free cornbread recipe)
- Cooking your own meal? Here’s a recipe for cranberry chutney from local Lifestyle Culinary Arts.
Santa Cruz Restaurants for Thanksgiving
Aquarius, open from 12:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, is offering a $45 prix fixe three-course menu for adults, and a special kids’ meal for $15. A local jazz trio will perform from 2:30 – 6:30 p.m. Appetizer choices include Pumpkin Panzanella with roasted pumpkin, apple, arugula, brioche, pepitas, and apple cider vinaigrette and Vanilla Poached Gulf Prawns with baby fennel, mushrooms, pancetta, and truffle cream. Entrée choices include Traditional Turkey Plate with chestnut and sage stuffing, potato puree, baby vegetables, rosemary gravy, and cranberry sauce, and Sweet Potato Gnocchi with lacinato kale, brown butter, mushrooms, and pecorino cheese. Desserts include Pumpkin Pie with cinnamon whipped cream and Maple Spice Cake with sweet mascarpone, pomegranate seeds, and orange-ginger syrup.
175 West Cliff (at the Santa Cruz Dream Inn), Santa Cruz, (831) 460-5012
Ideal Bar & Grill has a few options including Traditional Turkey Dinner ($18.95 captain’s portion, $14.95 adults, $9 kids): herb-roasted sliced turkey served with homemade gravy, maple-roasted yams, green beans and carrots, garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing, and orange-cranberry sauce. Another selection is Herb Crusted Prime Rib ($22.95 petite cut, $25.95 full cut) served with garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, and horseradish cream sauce.
106 Beach Street (at the Santa Cruz Wharf), (831) 423-5271
Café Gratitude is serving a free Thanksgiving feast with raw, vegan selections. The meal will be served from 12 – 3 p.m. and include a beverage, entrée, and dessert.
103 Lincoln Street, Santa Cruz, (831) 427-9583
Sanderlings has an all-day buffet; the price is $42.95 for adults, $19.95 for kids 2-12, and free for kids under 2. The buffet is open from 1:30 – 7:30 p.m. Selections include Spinach Salad with Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Glazed Pear, Caramelized Walnut, and Cranberry-Walnut Oil Dressing, Roasted Beets and Arugula Salad with Feta Cheese and Pomegranate Dressing, Cheddar -Corn Muffins with Jalapeno-Honey Butter, Domestic and Imported Cheese and Dried Fruit, Sweet Corn and Bacon Chowder with Sautéed Minced Onions, Sage Butter Roasted Turkey Breast with Apple-Sourdough Stuffing, Sorrel Seared Salmon with Large Pearl Couscous, Spinach and Cioppino Sauce, and Rosemary Roasted Prime Rib of Beef with Creamed Horseradish and Au Jus. The kids’ buffet includes turkey fingers and macaroni and cheese.
One Seascape Resort Drive (at Seascape Beach Resort), Aptos, (831) 662-7120
Michael’s on Main has dinner seatings at 3, 5, and 7 p.m. The restaurant is serving a 3-course prix fixe meal for adults ($28) and a special meal for kids 12 and under ($12). The adult dinner features choice of soup or salad, entrée choice (selections include oven-roasted turkey with sides such as garlic mashed potatoes and green beans with caramelized shallots, or Osso Bucco, or pistachio-crusted salmon), and choice of dessert (options include pumpkin cheesecake and cranberry orange bread pudding).
2591 Main Street, Soquel, (831) 479-9777
San Jose Restaurants
Lark Creek Blue on Santana Row opened on August 1, 2012 (it replaced Lark Creek Restaurant Group’s Yankee Pier which closed on July 15). For Thanksgiving, the restaurant has a special “Maine Lobster for the price of Turkey” promotion. Customers receive a 3-course prix fixe dinner, with either traditional Thanksgiving turkey plus “farmers market sides” or a pound-and-a-quarter live Maine lobster with “traditional accompaniments.” The price is $45 for adults, $22.50 for kids 10 and under (it’s half the size of the adult portion), and free for kids under 3. Lark Creek Blue will also be offering dishes from its regular menu including steak and seafood.
378 Santana Row, Suite 1100, San Jose, (408) 244-1244
The Fairmont San Jose is serving a special Champagne Harvest Buffet; seatings are from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. (every half-hour). The cost is $58 per adult and $29 per child 5-12, plus tax and 22% gratuity. Kids under 5 are free, and there will be a special kids’ buffet and entertainment. Buffet highlights: a selection of salads such as Artichoke, Oyster Mushroom and Fingerling Potato Salad with Shallot-Mustard Vinaigrette and Caesar Salad with Garlic Focaccia Croutons, hot options such as Sage Basted Roast Tom Turkey, Herb Roasted Sea Bass with Saffron Israeli Couscous, Lemon Butter Sauce, Smoked Bacon and Chicken Apple Sausage, a waffle station, an omelet station that switches to a pasta and mushroom station at 2 p.m., a carving station with prime rib and honey baked ham, and desserts including chocolate dipped strawberries and pumpkin pie. For full menu, see http://www.fsjholidays.com/.
170 South Market St, San Jose, (408) 998-3960