Turkey night on the town

There may be a couple key ingredients missing from a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in Prague: canned cranberry sauce, your mother's famous mashed potatoes/pumpkin pie/green bean casserole and, of course, your mother herself. But then, Thanksgivings abroad are usually cobbled affairs of new friends and approximated ingredients.

Since tradition goes out the window, why not throw the whole thing over and celebrate the holiday in a restaurant? Prague has a growing number of Thanksgiving dining options that cover a wide range of prices and menu offerings. Unless otherwise noted, all the restaurants below are serving on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26.

One thing they all have in common is limited seating. So reserve your table ahead of time to get a piece of the (pumpkin) pie.

Allegro

How about some bragging rights with your turkey? You can tell friends and family back home you gave thanks at Prague's first restaurant to earn a Michelin star. On Friday, Nov. 27, chef Andrea Accordi will offer a special lunch and dinner menu, four or five courses for 2,500 Kč and 2,900 Kč, respectively, which include a glass of wine with each course. The meal features roasted Canadian lobster on pumpkin sauce scented with Clementine goat cheese, homemade cappelletti filled with braised veal bacon and winter black truffle, roasted turkey breast with stuffing, or crispy leg with rosemary, caramelized chestnut autumn vegetable casserole and cranberry sauce. Four Seasons Hotel. Veleslavínova 2a, Prague 1-Old Town. Tel. 221 427 000

Bohemia Bagel

With multiple locations, this longtime expat standby offers even more variety. In Holešovice, an all-you-can-eat meal for 595 Kč includes turkey, venison stew, a Swedish Christmas ham and pumpkin cheesecake. The Malá Strana serving will be a more laid-back affair, with a self-service buffet for 495 Kč that includes turkey, sweet-potato casserole, your choice of meat or vegetarian gravy and the traditional pumpkin pie. Dukelských hrdinů 48, Prague 7-Holešovice. Tel. 220 806 590; Újezd 16, Prague 1-Malá Strana. Tel. 257 310 694

CzecHouse Grill

For a more upscale Thanksgiving, try this special five-course menu, being served 6-11 p.m. It includes turkey, dried fruit and sausage stuffing, pumpkin bisque and pecan and chestnut tart with caramelized fig ice cream, at 990 Kč a head. Hilton Hotel, Pobřežní 1, Prague 8-Karlín. Tel. 224 842 700

The Globe

The expat favorite will serve a special menu that was not finalized at press time but will include the traditional turkey and mashed potatoes. A special menu for kids will also be available. For an update on the menu and other details, check Globebookstore.cz. Pštrossova 6, Prague 1-New Town. Tel. 224 934 203

Jáma  

The busiest night of the year at this expat redoubt, with white tablecloths adding a holiday touch of class. This year, the meal includes clam chowder, dark and white meat cuts of turkey with almond stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, all for 420 Kč per person. Kids eat for half-price. V Jámě 7, Prague 1-New Town. Tel. 224 222 383

Marriott Hotel

The hotel hosts two Thanksgiving dinners, a casual one for 595 Kč per person in its Brasserie Praha restaurant and a more formal one for 895 Kč per person in its ballroom. Both are being served 6-11 p.m. The ballroom meal includes pumpkin soup, roast turkey with sage stuffing, candied yams and buttermilk pancakes and orange and pistachio sauce. V Celnici 8, Prague 1-Old Town. Tel. 222 881 212

Red Hot & Blues

The restaurant is proud to be serving its 17th annual Thanksgiving meal, which includes fresh dinner rolls, roast turkey with gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin, pecan and mince-meat pies. Reservations are being taken for sittings at 2, 5 and 8 p.m. The cost is 399 Kč, with a special menu for children under 12 for 199 Kč. Jakubská 12, Prague 1-Old Town. Tel.  222 314 639

T.G.I. Friday's

Well, it's certainly American. Both locations will be serving a three-course Thanksgiving meal of house soup or salad, grilled turkey breast with stuffing and gravy and pumpkin pie for dessert. The cost is 445 Kč. Na Příkopě 27, Prague 1-Old Town. Tel. 221 967 228; Nádražní 110, Prague 5-Anděl. Tel. 257 286 261

Zlatá Praha

Don't take this personally, but this menu might blow your grandmother's recipes out of the water. To start, a choice between a blue cheese mousse, Hokkaido pumpkin ice cream with sea salt or lettuce salad in baked pumpkin bread, followed by pumpkin cream soup with organic pumpkin oil. For the main course, roasted turkey breast with chestnut stuffing or confit leg of turkey with cranberry ragout and mashed potatoes. Dessert is candied apple and pecan pie, apple sorbet with calvados or sweet cheese mousse with cardamom. Price per person: 1,750 Kč. InterContinental Hotel, Pařížská 30, Prague 1-Old Town. Tel. 296 631 111

Finally, a lesson in planning ahead: In its very first year of offering Thanksgiving dinner, the cozy Pivovarský klub in Karlín is already "hopelessly booked." There goes your chance to pick one out of 200 beers to go with your turkey. But there's always next year!

Claire Compton can be reached at
ccompton@praguepost.com