With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s only right that turkey gets a moment under the spotlight. Traditional Thanksgiving turkey, however, can be contentious — and with all the holiday hype, it’s easy to forget that there’s more to turkey than its whole-roasted form. From turkey-stuffed cabbage to turkey-flavored ice cream, these five turkey dishes from restaurants around the city will remind you just how versatile this holiday bird is.
Court Street Grocers: The Delight | $17.50
540 LaGuardia Place
Right next to the Kimmel Center for University Life, Brooklyn-based gourmet sandwich shop Court Street Grocers serves up some of our favorite turkey sandwiches in the city. Don’t be overwhelmed by its large, colorful menu — between the Clean Turkey, a cold turkey sandwich with arugula, and the Delight, a Reuben-like hot sandwich with corned beef or turkey, we recommend sticking to the latter. The creaminess and slight sweetness of the coleslaw and the ketchup-mayo comeback sauce are balanced by the mild flavor of the turkey, along with some extra punch from the sour pickles. Court Street Grocers also cooks its hot sandwiches on the griddle to just the right amount of crisp and grease, creating a well-rounded texture and flavor. With its crispy rye bread and gooey Swiss cheese, the Delight lives up to its name with each savory bite.
Brown Bag Sandwich Co.: Thanksgiving Leftovers | $18
218 Thompson St.
Brown Bag Sandwich Co., one of Greenwich Village’s hottest new restaurants led by Eleven Madison Park alum Antonio Barbieri, recreates classic chopped sandwiches with an elevated twist. Don’t miss Brown Bag’s Thanksgiving Leftovers sandwich while it lasts. Think of the quintessential Thanksgiving dinner plate but sandwiched in a pillowy sesame hero. You’re hit with the scent of rosemary as soon as you bite in, followed by flavorful chunks of turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, a citrusy housemade cranberry jam and potato chips topped off with a healthy serving of gravy, creating the definition of comfort food.
Don’t fear, though, if you miss Brown Bag’s seasonal special — the Turkey Club is a great year-round alternative. Thanks to this sandwich’s copious amount of chopped turkey, it might be the freshest turkey BLT we’ve ever had. Distinctly peppery yet not too overbearing, the tarragon and black pepper aioli sauce is evenly spread throughout the sandwich, creating a perfectly juicy bite of hearty turkey, salty bacon bits, crisp lettuce and fresh tomatoes.
Thai Diner: Stuffed Cabbage Tom Khaa | $26
186 Mott St.
One of the most popular Thai restaurants in the city, SoHo’s trendy Thai Diner is best known for its innovative brunch items, like the Coconut Pancakes with Sangkayas and Thai Tea Babka French Toast. But, one of the restaurant’s lesser-known items is the Stuffed Cabbage Tom Khaa — and it might just be one of the best turkey dishes in the city. These tender cabbage rolls are filled with juicy ground turkey, mushrooms and rice, served over a decadent coconut milk broth alongside a heavy helping of cilantro and Thai basil. The Napa cabbage leaves are tender yet not too soft, and the turkey filling is seasoned heavily with lemongrass. Combined with the slight spiciness of the coconut broth and the freshness of the herbs, this dish comes pretty close to perfect — and that’s not something we take lightly.
Hill Country Barbecue Market: Turkey Breast | $19 for 1/2 lbs
30 W. 26th St.
After ordering several meat platters at Hill Country Barbecue Market, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the smoked turkey breast is a definite standout. At most other barbecue restaurants, a classic platter should contain a combination of smoky brisket, spare ribs and other dark meats — but Hill Country’s turkey alone is worth going to Flatiron for. While a typical slice of Thanksgiving turkey might be dry and bland, the smoked turkey breast at Hill Country is juicy and tender, packed with flavor and just the right amount of savoriness. We recommend pairing the turkey with Hill Country’s barbecue and hot sauces, along with a side of beans or green bean casserole for some proper Thanksgiving flair.
Salt & Straw: Turkey Stuffing and Cranberry Sauce | $6.95 for a single scoop
540 Hudson St.
Ice cream might be the last thing you expected to see on this list — which is exactly why we had to include it. Head to Salt & Straw’s new location in the West Village for the Turkey Stuffing and Cranberry Sauce ice cream, one of the brand’s five Thanksgiving specials. This flavor swirls together cranberry sauce, a variety of Thanksgiving spices and real pieces of rosemary turkey sausage. Surprisingly, this sweet and salty treat didn’t have a strong turkey flavor — the herbaceousness is rather strong and the chunkiness of the meat is slightly startling. Still, the cranberry sauce is a pleasant note to finish on. Salt & Straw currently also has four other Thanksgiving flavors, including Sweet Potato Casserole and Pumpkin Spiced Tiramisu. The shop’s employees encourage customers to sample as many flavors as they desire — so you can fill up on the five Thanksgiving specials, or even try all 25 flavors, like we did.
Contact Amy Song and Ryan Lin at [email protected].
