OMC Smokehouse turkey – Photo by Rolf Hagberg

The pandemic will quash many extended family and group gatherings this Thanksgiving. Opting out of cooking entirely and ordering takeout is a totally reasonable option for the smoldering dumpster fire that’s left of 2020.

A bevy of Twin Ports restaurants are offering Thanksgiving meals to go, so no one has to miss out on a full turkey dinner with all the traditional trimmings. Below is Perfect Duluth Day’s list of options to soothe the cumulative stress induced by the past nine months with some savory comfort food.

Try to muster up some gratitude. Whatever you do, leave room for pie.

— At Sara’s Table —

At Sara’s Table / Chester Creek Cafe will be open Thanksgiving day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a regular brunch menu as well as some Thanksgiving specials for takeout. Pie preorders, including gluten-free and vegan options, are available until Nov. 23. Call 218-724-6811 for flavors and to order ahead.

— Barker’s Island Inn —

Barkers Island has family-style meals to go this year in addition to a dine-in, plated meal option instead of the usual Thanksgiving buffet. Order ahead or make a reservation by Nov. 20. Takeout meals come in various serving sizes (four for $60, eight for $120, 12 for $180) and include traditional turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie. Pick up Thanksgiving morning. Call 715-392-7152 or 800-344-7515.

— Black Woods —

All three Black Woods Grill & Bar establishments will be serving their regular curbside pickup and delivery menus from noon to 8 p.m. A traditional Thanksgiving meal will be available to order as well.

Black Woods Group Catering is offering a family-style Thanksgiving meal for six for $130. The dinner includes a whole roasted turkey with traditional fixings like gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberries as well as corn, coleslaw, petit pan rolls, and pumpkin pie. Orders must be placed by Nov. 19. Pickup is in Proctor or there is a delivery option for $10 extra. Call 218-625-6147 or email [email protected].

— Bridgeman’s —

Bridgeman’s will offer its Thanksgiving dinner to-go meals again this year. Customers are encouraged to “Share the Love” and buy an extra meal to deliver to someone who can’t get out this holiday season. Meals are $12 and ready to reheat at home. They include turkey, a slice of sourdough, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, roasted carrots, cranberries and dessert. Income generated from this Thanksgiving special will go to Bridgeman’s staff. Pre-order and pick up on Wednesday, Nov. 25 in the evening or on Thanksgiving between 10 a.m. and noon.

— Buffalo House —

Buffalo House is offering $70 meals to serve 4–5 people. This includes six pounds of white meat turkey, two pounds of stuffing, two pounds of gravy, a pound of corn and six homemade rolls. Order by noon on Nov. 24 and pick up on Thanksgiving between noon and 2 p.m. Call 218-624-9901 to order.

— Crooked Pint —

Crooked Pint is offering a take-home-and-reheat Thanksgiving feast for $80, which will feed 4–6 people. It includes roasted turkey, herb stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans amandine, baked mac ’n’ cheese and dinner rolls. For $20, add four apple tarts for dessert. Call 218-464-4129 to order.

— Individual Nutrition —

Individual Nutrition is taking pre-orders for Thanksgiving meals until Nov. 18 (to be delivered on Nov. 22 or 23). Choose from honey-baked ham ($22-30 depending on size), smoked turkey breast ($28-35), or a mix of both. Add sides for $11-14 each of mac ’n’ cheese, baked yams, green bean or creamed corn casserole. The primary offering serves four people. A la carte options for groups of eight and 16 are available as well. Pies in a range of flavors are also available (including apple, pecan, pumpkin and chocolate cream). Email: [email protected] to order by Nov. 17.

— Famous Dave’s —

Famous Dave’s is doing carry-out and reheat meals this year. Get a whole hickory smoked turkey (12-14 lbs.) for $60 or a glazed pit smoked ham (8-9 lbs.) for $70. Order a full meal to serve 8-10, which includes one of the meats plus two quarts of cornbread stuffing, two quarts of garlic mashed potatoes, and two quarts of corn ($115 for turkey and $125 for ham). Call 218-740-3180 to order in advance.

— Green Mill —

Green Mill has the same take-home feast as the Crooked Pint. Feed 4–6 folks a traditional Thanksgiving meal for $80. The deadline to order is Nov. 21 for pickup on Wednesday, Nov. 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 218-727-7000 to order.

— Jamrock —

Spice up your holiday with a Jamaican jerk fried turkey from Jamrock Cultural Restaurant, which operates out of Average Joe’s bar in Superior. A full meal is $150 and includes a 12-14 lb. turkey, a bottle of jerk sauce, a half pan of smoked Gouda mac ’n’ cheese and a Jamaican rum cake. A la carte options of just the turkey ($75) or mac ’n’ cheese ($25) are also available. Preorder on the website.

— Lake Superior Catering —

Leave the cooking to Lake Superior Catering and get a meal to serve 6–8 people for $120. This includes a free-range, hormone-free turkey (12–14 lbs.) from Stokke’s Meat Market, gravy, potatoes, stuffing, green beans, cranberries, rolls, and pie. Pick up the premade meal on Nov. 25 from 1 to 6 p.m. and heat at home or pick up hot and ready on Thanksgiving from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pick up at AAD Shrine, 5152 Miller Trunk Highway in Hermantown. Call Kelly at 218-428-1946 to order by Nov. 22.

MidCoast Catering meal

— MidCoast Catering —

MidCoast Catering Co., which also operates the Rambler food truck, is taking orders for Thanksgiving meals to serve four people. For $60 get a full savory meal of turkey, gravy and rolls as well as a choice of two sides (green beans, garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potato praline, creamed corn or garden salad). Decadent sweet treats are also on offer. Add a pumpkin cheesecake for $35 or a chocolate bourbon pecan pie for $20. Call 218-464-1856 to order by Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. for pickup on Nov. 25.

Swedish Black Plum Cake from the New Scenic

— New Scenic Cafe —

New Scenic’s Mise en Place Marketplace brings a Nordic alternative to the Thanksgiving lineup this year. Patrons can choose from a Nordic smörgåsbord or a “North Shore Feast.”

The star of the smörgåsbord is Swedish meatballs with gravy and lingonberries. The Scandinavian spread includes delicacies like pickled herring, beet-cured gravlax, potato sausage and more.

The feast features lamb meatloaf with a sherry cream sauce and bourbon maple sockeye salmon. An array of autumnally-inspired sides accompany the main courses, such as sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, Belgian endive salad, savory bread pudding and more.

Both meals come in portions for two, four or eight people. Prices range from $65 to $240. The order deadline is noon on Nov. 20 (unless sold out sooner) for pickup or delivery on Nov. 25. Order online and add on desserts like Swedish black plum cake, apple cranberry pie or chocolate babka.

— OMC Smokehouse —

Some folks might like to make their own sides and leave the hardest part to the experts. For $115, OMC Smokehouse will cook your bird for you. The wood smoked, free-range whole turkey (19-22 lbs.) is enough to feed 15-20 people. Or have enough leftovers to satisfy your cravings for sandwiches, soups, casseroles and more. Preorder through Nov. 19 and pick up on Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

— Pickwick —

The Pickwick’s meals will be hot and ready to pick up on Thanksgiving between 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The menu includes roast turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, sausage stuffing, cranberries, corn, maple dijon slaw, dinner rolls and pumpkin pie. Get a dinner to serve 4 ($100) or 8 ($190). Call 218-623-7425 to preorder by Nov. 20.

— Perkins —

Thanksgiving meals with all the traditional fixings will be available from area Perkins restaurants for carryout and delivery through Food Dudes (locations include London Road, West Duluth, Miller Hill, Superior and Cloquet).

— Rich Cuisine —

For big eaters or a crowd, Rich Cuisine will be serving up hearty portions. Get a fire-roasted and carved turkey for $85 and a pan of sausage stuffing for $25 (both serve 20 people). Add on gravy by the quart ($8), fresh baked dinner rolls ($8 dozen) and homemade pie in several varieties including apple, pumpkin and pecan for $15. Text in an order to Jess 218-591-4333 or call Tom 218-349-5659 by Nov. 19. Pick up at either the Floodwood location or at the Wednesday Bakery in Superior on Thanksgiving Day (11 a.m. to noon).

— Super One —

For $60, Super One Foods has got the Thanksgiving basics covered for you. A family meal consists of a cooked, 8-10 lb. Butterball turkey, three pounds of stuffing, four pounds of mashed potatoes, two pounds of gravy, and a dozen King’s Hawaiian rolls (pick it up hot for an extra $10). Call your local Super One ahead to order this meal, which serves 6-8 people.

Whole Foods deli Thanksgiving sides

— Restaurant 301 —

The Sheraton’s Restaurant 301 is back after a little hiatus. It’s cooking up a turkey day takeout meal with a gourmet twist that features items like a pumpkin quinoa salad, roasted apple mashed potatoes, apple sausage stuffing, and pineapple cranberry relish. The family meals serve 4–8 people for $144–288. Email [email protected] or call 218-336-2706 to order ahead (by Nov. 20) for pickup on Thanksgiving.

— Vanilla Bean —

Calling all sweet tooths, the Two Harbors and Duluth Vanilla Bean locations will feature homemade desserts for Thanksgiving. From classic pumpkin pie to caramel pecan bread pudding or take-and-bake cinnamon rolls. A full selection can be found and ordered online.

— Whole Foods Co-op —

The Whole Foods Co-op‘s preorder date for plated meals has passed, but both locations will have Thanksgiving sides and pies in the grab-n-go coolers the week of Thanksgiving. Get them while supplies last. Details are on the website.

— Yellow Bike Coffee —

Simplify the holiday by leaving the baking up to Yellow Bike Coffee in Hermantown. Offerings include apple/sweet potato/pecan hand pies, vegan cocoa bombs, mini brownie cakes with salted caramel and more. Preorder by Nov. 21 for pickup on Nov. 25.

Meals for people in need

Chum is giving out a total of 300 free Thanksgiving dinner boxes this year. Pickup happens on Nov. 23 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or on Nov. 25 at the downtown food shelf from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. First come, first served.

The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center will be providing a free Thanksgiving dinner for veterans, active military members and their families. Meals will be available for curbside pickup and limited delivery. There are 150 meals available. First come, first served. Reserve a meal through Eventbrite or call 715-392-7151.

The typical community Thanksgiving meal sponsored by the College of St. Scholastica that happens at the DECC won’t happen due to safety reasons this year. But individuals (and up to one caregiver) who are homebound and in need in Duluth, Superior, Proctor, Hermantown, Esko, Cloquet and Two Harbors can register by Nov. 19 for a Thanksgiving meal delivery.

Union Gospel Mission is offering a traditional Thanksgiving day meal with all the fixings and a slice of pie, compliments of the Rustic Inn, on Thursday, Nov. 26 (noon–1 p.m.). The meal will be served curbside. First come, first served.