This Thanksgiving, more than ever, you may feel the need to make arrangements as simple as possible. What could be easier than letting someone else cook, host, and serve Thanksgiving dinner? Get family and friends out of the house and into a safe, pleasant atmosphere with all the trimmings. Best of all, no clean-up!
English Grill, the signature dining room at The Brown Hotel, has hosted and served hundreds of guests every year on Thanksgiving Day for generations. General Manager and certified sommelier J. Troy Ritchie, Chef Dustin Willett, and their teams have been hard at work on the holiday plan. This year, the goal is to accommodate as many reservation requests as possible for a lovely dinner service maintaining guest and staff safety. Reservations will be staggered so that parties will not be crowded near the host stand. Throughout the dining room and into the lobby, tables will be appropriately spaced. The English Grill intends to follow Governor Beshear’s recommendations and CDC guidelines.
Louisville families and out-of-town guests alike have enjoyed the Thanksgiving Day tradition at The Brown Hotel, with all its “Georgian-Revival elegance and timeless Southern charm.” The landmark hotel and distinguished English Grill dining room make a lavish backdrop for any holiday celebration. The English Grill and Brown Hotel lobby are imbued with history and romance, only a few years from celebrating their centennial.
English Grill will serve Thanksgiving dinner from 11 am to 4 pm with a simplified yet still abundant four-course menu. With proper notice, the kitchen staff will adjust the menu for special dietary preferences and restrictions.
1st course:
Classic Shrimp Cocktail with Wild-Caught Shrimp, Cocktail Sauce, Lemon Wedges, and Fresh Dill
2nd course:
Groganica Local Heirloom Lettuce with Red Wine Poached Pear, Smoked Blue Cheese, Candied Pecans, Dried Cranberries, and Honey-Lavender Vinaigrette OR Butternut Squash Bisque with Spiced Crème Fraîche, Pepitas, and Candied Local Delicata Squash
3rd course:
Amish-Raised Ohio Turkey with Herb Dressing, Green Beans, Baby Carrots, Cranberry Sauce, and Pan Gravy OR Salmon with Fried Oysters, Sautéed Spinach, Sweet Potato Purée, and Creole Mustard Sauce OR Braised Beef Short Rib, Whipped Potatoes, Candied Baby Carrots, Broccolini, and Red Wine Jus
4th course:
Dessert Trio – Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream, Cranberry Crunch Bar with Berry Compote, Double Chocolate Brownie with Bourbon Caramel
Still planning on Thanksgiving Dinner at home this year? Leftover roast turkey is perfect for recreating The Brown Hotel’s World-Famous Hot Brown. For the recipe or to make reservations, visit brownhotel.com. Follow @brownhotel on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and specials.
inside The Brown Hotel
335 W Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 • (502) 583-1234 • brownhotel.com
Captain’s Quarters Riverside Grille in Prospect, Kentucky, has offered a Thanksgiving buffet every year since 1987, the year the Masterson family purchased Captain’s Quarters. Eventually, they even added Thanksgiving Day cruises. Thanksgiving Day events have been a sellout every year, and at least a month in advance! The plans have changed for 2020, but some changes should make this Thanksgiving holiday all the more special. Captain’s Quarters looks forward to seeing their regular customers and those families that return year after year.
Partner Andrew Masterson has been running Captain’s Quarters since 2003. He assured us that they plan to serve their traditional Thanksgiving Day buffet menu items, but now with a thoughtful combination of family-style dining and full table service. Captain’s Quarters is bringing the buffet to you! Thanksgiving Dinner is served from 11 am to 7 pm. Entrée selections are oven-roasted turkey breast and glazed ham, fried chicken, and peel & eat shrimp. There will be several classic side and dessert choices available, such as mashed potatoes with house-made gravy, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, bourbon bread pudding, and plenty of pies!
The ambiance of dining on the water remains at Captain’s Quarters. This year will feature live entertainment and outdoor dining options, including tents and igloos. The igloos are clear to allow for the beautiful river views and will be heated and festively decorated.
The indoor and outdoor capacity will be limited. So reserve quickly by calling (502)228-1651. Dinner is $35.95 for guests 12 and over, $15 for guests 11 and younger, $5 for small children requiring their own seats. Reservations require a $10 credit card deposit per person. Captain’s Quarters will be capping dining parties at 20 persons. Thanksgiving family meals to go are an excellent option for families gathering at home. Captain’s Quarters Family Feast Made Easy includes turkey, ham, five sides, gravy, rolls, and an apple or pumpkin pie, and feeds 6-8 people for $139. For more information, visit cqriverside.com and @CQRiverside on Facebook.
5700 Captain’s Quarters Rd, Prospect, KY 40059 • (502) 228-1651 • cqriverside.com
Perched atop Hilton Garden Inn Louisville Downtown, 8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen will wow your out-of-town Thanksgiving guests with spectacular city views. First Hospitality is a hotel and restaurant development and management company whose Louisville portfolio also includes The Henry Clay Event Center (Connected), Home2 Suites by Hilton® in NuLu, and Hancock House NuLu. First Hospitality’s Area Director of Sales & Marketing Dustin Stutzman shares 8UP’s seasonal plans for Thanksgiving and the transition from fall to winter.
8UP’s popular “IgLOU” dining is back at the open-air rooftop bar. To capitalize on the views, even in colder weather, 8UP has you and your guests covered with fire pits and heaters as well. Winter theming and snow machines will add to the festive, holiday ambiance. If you time it just right, Dustin believes the sunsets are at their most colorful in November. At 9000 square feet, 8UP offers plenty of space indoors and out to feel safe while sharing precious time with family and friends.
For Thanksgiving 2020, 8UP is offering a three-course dinner at $55 per person from 12-6 pm. Dinner includes five shareable dishes: Sweet Corn Hush Puppies, Brussels Sprouts, Baked Cavatappi and Cheese, Game Day Buffalo Cauliflower, and Whipped Potatoes and White Pepper Gravy. The four entrée options are Roasted Turkey & Confit Turkey Leg, Bourbon Braised Short Rib, Verlasso Salmon, and Sweet Potato Gnocchi. For dessert, choose from a Colossal Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookie with Chocolate Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce, French Vanilla Cheesecake with Luxardo Reduction and Luxardo Cherries, and Pear Panna Cotta with Spiced Chantilly Cream and Poached Pear.
Following dinner and drinks, guests can take the elevator home to hotel rooms booked at a discounted rate. “Downtown Louisville has seen some tough times this year, but 8UP and Hilton Garden Inn Louisville Downtown are a pleasant oasis,” says Dustin. “We have pressed forward and delivered great experiences.” With innovative, shareable meals and an updated cocktail menu in the works, those experiences are sure to continue. Reserve today through OpenTable® or at 8uplouisville.com.
350 W Chestnut St, Louisville, KY 40202 • (502) 631-4180 • 8uplouisville.com
According to Executive Chef Jonathan Searle, Thanksgiving has been a staple holiday and one of the biggest days of the year at Proof on Main in Louisville’s 21c Museum Hotel. The Southern-inspired, upscale family-style menu has typically been “completely holiday-focused all day.” This year’s plans retain that “spirit of a homestyle Southern family gathering,” says Chef Searle. You get that warm, familiar feeling of passing dishes around the table, dishes prepared with “top-notch execution” and served up in a fun, swanky atmosphere. The typical Thanksgiving restaurant buffet has never been their style at Proof on Main, and especially not this year.
Proof on Main Executive Chef Jonathan Searle got his start in Lexington restaurants. In the summer of 2011, the 21c Museum Hotels hired him as a cook. He worked his way up to Sous Chef, then Chef de Cuisine, and eventually to Executive Chef of Lockbox in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. In April of 2019, Jonathan Searle was named Executive Chef at Proof on Main in Louisville. His 2020 family-style Thanksgiving Menu will feature a bread service with scratch-made biscuits, cornbread, and rolls, a seasonal salad, turkey, and prime rib. Choose three of five traditional yet elevated side dishes - Proof on Main’s riff on the classic, Southern meat-and-three experience.
In addition to developing this year’s Thanksgiving Menu, Jonathan is working on a “Thanksgiving Feast Package” carryout component. Dine-in reservations are filling up fast, so this is a fantastic new option to consider! As a bonus, Chef Searle has posted his “Thanksgiving Chef Recipe” for Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars with Malted Whipped Cream online at www.proofonmain.com. “Downtown is safe and coming back to life. We need to get people back out to let us feed them!”
702 W Main St. Louisville, KY 40202 • (502) 217-6360 • proofonmain.com
Traditionally, Belle of Louisville Riverboats has hosted a Thanksgiving Day Dinner Cruise. This year, they have decided to offer something a little different. On Saturday, November 21, is their first-ever Friendsgiving Cruise aboard the Mary M. Miller. “Louisville’s newest addition to the waterfront, the Mary M. Miller is named for America’s first female licensed steamboat captain. With as much spirit as her namesake, the Mary M. Miller is a propeller-driven riverboat with old fashioned charm and modern amenities.”
The cruise leaves the 4th Street Wharf (401 W. River Road) at 7:00 pm and returns at 9:30 pm. The two and a half hour cruise will feature live music by the Ellie Ruth Trio, drink specials featuring Old ForesterⓇ, and fall-inspired heavy appetizers from Louisville’s award-winning Ladyfingers Catering.
What’s on the Friendsgiving Menu? “Get ready to gobble until you wobble!”
Brand-new, unopened cards and games will be available throughout the boat for you and your family or friend group to enjoy. Social distancing and mask-wearing will be required when not actively eating or drinking while stationary. The event is limited to guests 21 and over. Tickets are $44.99 per person and are available at belleoflouisville.com/special-events/. Be sure to visit Belle of Louisville Riverboats @TheBelleofLouisville on Facebook and Instagram.
401 W River Rd. Louisville, KY 40202 • (502) 574-2992 • belleoflouisville.org
