Taking it easy with takeout - how and where to order for a Thanksgiving takeout - includes list of establishments - Special Sunset Holiday Section

Sunset, Nov, 1995 by Linda Lau Anusasananan, Betsy Reynolds Bateson, Elaine Johnson

Everything you need to know to order the best Thanksgiving takeout, from a whole meal to pumpkin pie

Turkey to go. Times certainly have changed. As much as we d like to create lavish home-cooked feasts, busy schedules and demanding jobs sometimes make turkey with all the trimmings seem more like a nightmare than a celebration.

But now food businesses are helping to make the Thanksgiving feast easy for everyone. In many areas, with just a phone call you can arrange to pick up a fully cooked holiday dinner. And a few establishments will even deliver the meal to your door.

Businesses that have lots of ovens, like supermarket dells and hotels, are most likely to cook Thanksgiving dinner to take out. Some bakeries, caterers, delicatessens with rotisseries, and restaurants also cook a limited number of holiday dinners to go. Check newspaper and radio ads in November; many of these businesses advertise. Or call probable candidates and ask.

What can you expect?

There's a meal to fit every taste and budget. We sampled take-out Thanksgiving dinners priced from $30 to $140 for six to eight servings. All were satisfactory, and some rivaled home-cooked meals in quality.

Our $30 meal from a supermarket chain provided the basics - a fully cooked 11-pound turkey, bread stuffing, a dozen rolls, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. The meal had been precooked, frozen, and thawed. When reheated in its roasting bag, the turkey was extremely juicy but lacked crisp skin. Side dishes tasted a bit packaged, but many people would find this meal totally acceptable.

At almost five times the cost of the supermarket meal, our take-out dinner from a hotel might meet a gourmet's standards. The turkey was freshly roasted, and the side dishes were cooked from scratch. In addition to the basics provided by the supermarket meal, the hotel takeout dinner included a soup, two salads, and green vegetables. And at about $20 per serving, the takeout cost considerably less than eating in the posh hotel dining room. Other take-out options we sampled ranged between these two extremes in cost and quality of execution.

Thanksgiving take-out tactics

Q. When should I order?

A. Check in late October. Restaurants and smaller facilities sell a limited number of take-out meals, so it's wise to order a couple of weeks in advance. For a hot dinner, call early to get the pickup time you want. Some supermarkets can accommodate you almost until the last minute, but most ask for at least two days' notice.

Also check on the cancellation policy. Hotels often secure orders with credit card numbers and may charge if you don't pick up your dinner.

Q. How much will it cost?

A. Supermarket dells offer bargain prices for their complete precooked meals, ranging from $30 to $60 for six to eight servings. Most offer only cold meals; a few will provide hot food for an additional charge. Sometimes all parts of the meal are cooked by outside vendors, and the supermarket just assembles them in a box.

Pick up a hot fresh-cooked dinner at a hotel and the price goes up - to about $90 to $140 for six to eight servings. Dinners from small dells, restaurants, and bakeries generally cost slightly less. The lower-priced dinners include the basics - a roasted whole 10- to 12-pound turkey (or whole breast or slices), a casserole of dressing, mashed potatoes and/or candied yams, rolls, gravy, cranberry sauce, and dessert. The higher-priced dinners generally contain higher-quality natural ingredients, and dishes may be cooked inhouse. They may also include more courses, such as appetizers, soup, salad, vegetables, or extra desserts.

Q. How many will the meal serve?

A. Most meals with set menus serve six to eight and typically feature a 10- to 12-pound turkey with the trimmings. Bigger birds, some as large as 24 pounds, can sometimes be ordered for large gatherings. Side-dish portions we sampled were adequate for the number of servings suggested, and meals usually provided enough turkey for leftovers.

If you're buying the turkey a la carte, allow about 3/4-pound bone-in weight per person - more if you want leftovers. You'll usually need 1/2 to 3/4 cup each of stuffing, potatoes, and vegetables per person.

Q. Can I pick up dinner on Thanksgiving Day?

A. Most hotels and some restaurants are open and cooking on Thanksgiving. They'll roast your bird that day, and you can pick it up hot at a reserved time.

Other facilities offer the dinner the day before, cold and ready to reheat. The meal is usually packed compactly in one or two boxes with reheating directions. Make sure you'll have room in your refrigerator to store it overnight.

Q. Where do I pick it up? Can it be delivered?

A. Traffic the day before Thanksgiving can be a nightmare. When you order, ask about pickup. If parking is tight, ask about the best hours to collect your dinner. Some businesses will deliver for a fee. Many hotels have drive-through service, and someone will help load your car.

RELATED ARTICLE: MEMORABLE TAKE-OUT CHOICES

Alder-smoked turkey, a bread centerpiece, pie from organically grown pumpkins: a number of the take-out places we encountered offer noteworthy choices for holiday meals. In addition to our sampling from around the West, you may find many more options in your neighborhood, Chinese restaurants may offer turkey cooked like a crisp roasted duck. Some natural-food stores sell range-fed turkeys.