Thanksgiving in New York is different for everyone. Some transplants return to their hometowns to celebrate family traditions with their families, while others stay in the city, opting for intimate, potluck-style Friendsgiving feasts. If you find yourself in either of these situations, and also happen to be challenged in the kitchen, then read on: We spoke to seven New Yorkers about their favorite restaurants to order-in from (gasp!) for Thanksgiving. Because whether you plan to celebrate with your nuclear or chosen family, these New York establishments will give you all the satisfaction of eating turkey without having to baste one.
Name: Sean Martin
Age: 25
Occupation: Urban Planning Student, NYU
Instagram: @Sean_P_Martin93
Favorite Takeout Spot: Joe’s Pizza of Park Slope, 483 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
The Reason: “Great staff, great pizza, and it’s typically open until 5 a.m.”
The Go-To Dish: “Get the vodka pizza or the spicy chicken pizza if you’re feeling bold. And split a side of garlic knots with friends and family.”
Name: Grace Ralph
Age: 24
Occupation: Product Manager, FILA
Instagram: @_GraceRalph_
Favorite Takeout Spot: Black Flamingo, 168 Borinquen Place, Brooklyn, NY 11211
The Reason: “Because it’s delicious and I’m currently trialing a vegan lifestyle, which they cater to. There’s also a club downstairs in the basement for dancing where they’re having a Thanksgiving Eve event.”
The Go-To Dish: “The ‘Jam’ taco. It’s lit.”
Name: Miranda Goodwin-Raab
Age: 24
Instagram: @MirandaGrams
Favorite Takeout Spot: Spice, various locations
The Reason: “Because the food is so good. It’s exactly what you want to eat on the couch.”
The Go-To Dish: “Pad See Yew!”
Name: Oli Van Themsche
Occupation: CEO, COOLS
Instagram: @Je_Themsche
Favorite Takeout Spot: Emmett’s, 50 MacDougal Street, New York, NY 10012
The Reason: “The thin crust pizzas are the best I’ve tasted so far in New York.”
The Go-To Dish: “The meat lover’s deep dish pizza is the perfect choice if you have 10 people crashing your Thanksgiving evening.”
Name: Jen Hussein
Age: 23
Occupation: SEO Editor, COOLS
Instagram: @Jen_Hussein
Favorite Takeout Spot: Dean & DeLuca, various locations
The Reason: “It’s dependable, and you can get just about anything you want there—even if you’re craving sushi on Turkey Day.”
The Go-To Dish: “The lobster mac and cheese.”
Occupation: Creative Director, Freelance
Instagram: @Mabicus
Favorite Takeout Spot: Hop Lee, 16 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013
The Reason: “My Grandparents have been ordering in from this place forever, so it’s sort of tradition at this point.”
The Go-To Dish: “The Cantonese lobster and tofu squares are legit!”
Occupation: Manager, Mobile Media Strategy, Reprise Digital
Instagram: @Chatvie
Favorite Takeout Spot: “I celebrated my last California family Thanksgiving six years ago, with subsequent years spent across the east coast. In college, it was with friends at their family homes, but I actually found my favorite way to celebrate Thanksgiving just last year. I’m keeping up the tradition in 2018 by visiting 55 Fulton Market in FiDi with my best friend, Dylan, who’s flying in from Utah for the occasion (soon to be NYC-based again, though). We’ll take the J train from Brooklyn, an air pod each, and dance through the aisles while picking out the ingredients that will eventually become dinner: roast chicken with lots of garlic (sliced in half and cooked in olive oil underneath the chicken until almost sweet and melt-in-your-mouth), lemon, and butter; Stovetop stuffing; small rustic potatoes for skin-on mash; carrots for glazing; sparkling apple cider; and then, of course, Red Lobster biscuits made from the box.”
The Reason: “My mum’s from England and my California family is small—just my dad, mum, and sister—so Thanksgiving was never a big deal. Now I get to spend the holiday with my one of my closest friends in the best city to be transplanted on a holiday, surrounded by others doing the same. I also love wandering around the city when the streets are quiet and still. The experience is honestly almost surreal.”
The Go-To Dish: “Eat whatever you want and get out into the city with friends while it’s quiet. This year, we’re adding a puppy and finishing the night by joining a Friendsgiving for dessert, knowing that the friend who’s hosting is a trained pastry chef. In short, be selfish. That’s the best part about having your own Thanksgiving—it’s your party and you can do what you want to. Oh, and don’t try to go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We made this mistake last year while trying to get a good view from my office in Herald Square and instead found all the missing people who helped make the rest of Manhattan so quiet.”