Florence’s Complete Thanksgiving Experience ’22

 

Turkey, family, autumn, and pie—all of the signs that Thanksgiving is just around the corner! There are many DIY, takeout, and dine-in restaurant options in Florence for the many who celebrate this warm holiday. Thanksgiving is a time for being appreciative of the people you care about, and giving thanks for everyone and everything that may be overlooked in daily life. It is a truly a festivity centered around an extraordinary dinner.

For ingredients and DIY options, there are many markets that offer Thanksgiving products. You can find sweet potatoes at the Sant’Ambrogio and San Lorenzo markets in addition to local stands and cranberry sauce can be found at Vivi Market on via del Giglio and Mu Lan Market on Via Pietro Toselli, 81. Those two ingredients are staples of the Thanksgiving meal. At the aforementioned two markets,  canned pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk (at Mu Lan only), and pre-made pie crusts for the iconic dessert associated with Thanksgiving are sold.

The Marcelleria Lanini 1980, which is in Sant’Ambrogio, also has exceptional service, offering a whole deboned turkey stuffed with pear, apple, prune, pistachio and chestnut available for pickup or delivery. At one of the six Marcellerie Vignoli throughout Florence clients get to customize the stuffing in their turkey or buy just the turkey breast. Macelleria Tordi (055/490820) on viale Don Minzoni is taking orders for whole, stuffed turkeys to be baked in the oven at home until Tuesday evening, November 22.

Cooking your own full-sized Thanksgiving dinner is certainly a lot of work, though the rewards are high. The typical prep time for a Thanksgiving dinner in America takes hours, most families even start their cooking the day before. So it might be easier to simply go out to a restaurant to eat on the day of Thanksgiving. For this reason, there are many restaurants all around Florence that offer the festive meal.

Ristorante Accademia (Piazza San Marco, 7), tel. 055 217 343

The restaurant’s Thanksgiving meal is something to look forward to. Their menu consists of pumpkin soup with cornbread, along with turkey with stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and creamed corn. There is a choice of apple strudel, pumpkin pie, or pecan pie for dessert. The price is €40, and it is recommended that you reserve early, since the meal is very popular.

The Thanksgiving dinner is full price all day Thursday and Friday dinner, though it is half price on Friday for lunch.

Francesco Vini (Borgo dei Greci, 7/r), tel. 055 21 87 37

Another notable restaurant is Francesco Vini. The menu includes pumpkin soup with shrimp wrapped in lard; traditional turkey with cranberry sauce, sausage/artichoke stuffing, and gravy. Sides consists of their acclaimed truffle mashed potatoes, green beans with scallions, roasted sweet potatoes, and corn on the cob. Cheesecake provides the final touch.  The dinner is €40 and reservations are not required but they are highly recommended.  People not accustomed to the holiday can join in on Thanksgiving and order Italian specialities while keeping their friends company.

Hard Rock Cafe (Via dei Brunelleschi, 1), tel. 055 277 841

Predictably participating in this traditional American holiday is the Hard Rock Cafe, the restaurant that makes American culture its (highly successful) business. Their Thanksgiving meal consists of mouth-watering, slow-roasted turkey breast with roasted fresh vegetables, home-style classic stuffing, creamy sweet potato mash, and cranberry sauce finished with traditional turkey gravy. Dessert is the classic pumpkin pie topped with caramel sauce and house-made whipped cream. Hard Rock Cafe even has a vegetarian option. The price per person for this meal is about €31 depending on what’s ordered.

Melaleuca (Lungarno delle Grazie, 18), tel. 055 614 6894

Melaleuca is having a traditional holiday feast, made from scratch with local produce. The kitchen will prepare turkey with bone broth gravy and a sourdough stuffing, along with a sage and sweet potato bake, house-made cranberry sauce, a kale and Jerusalem artichoke salad with a maple walnut dressing, house milk rolls with honey butter. For dessert, a slice of pie: pumpkin, apple, key lime, sweet potato, or pecan; whole pies are available upon request. Melaleuca does have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.  The meal takes place at 5 pm on Thanksgiving evening.  There is a take-home menu complete with eco-friendly packaging and reheating instructions in addition to special menus for children.

Pino’s Sandwiches (Via Giuseppe Verdi, 36R), tel. 055 244517

Pino’s Sandwiches offers a unique meal for this special occasion. The family have created their own special Thanksgiving sandwich for just €6.50, and €8 for the Thanksgiving meal. The available food is turkey breast, chestnut stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a green bean casserole with creamy onion sauce either on a plate or in a panino. Guests can stop by all day on Thanksgiving, from 9 am to 9 pm, to order from this menu and to share what they are thankful for in their lives.

Readers are invited to participate in Pino’s Thanksgiving sandwich and meal GIVEAWAY.  Either follow us on Instagram (@magentaflorence) OR like the Magenta Florence & Vista Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/VistaMagenta/) by Wednesday, November 23 to participate in a random drawing of winners, who will be announced on our Facebook page and on the Instagram account of Pino’s Sandwiches by midnight of the same day.

Djaria (Via dei Serragli, 100 r), tel. 055 493 7061

The menu comprises whole roasted turkey with celery and herb stuffing and cranberry sauce. Diners have a choice between mashed potatoes and turkey gravy or sweet potato casserole with marshmallows; green bean casserole with crispy onions, and cornbread. For dessert, also a vital part of a Thanksgiving meal, there is a choice apple pie, pumpkin pie, or cheesecake. There are also water and coffee refills. This meal comes at €40 per person, and reservations are necessary to attend. This dinner is highly popular just as it has been in previous years; one of the three time slots for this dinner is already fully booked

Palagio at the Four Seasons Hotel (Borgo Pinti, 99), tel. 055 26261

Palagio is giving their guests a meal to remember! Their menu consists of a four-course culinary experience. They will have green bean casserole with sweet potatoes and maple syrup, lobster mac and cheese, Turkey with sweet potatoes and pumpkin puree, kale, and a cranberry sauce with paprika, and finally, for dessert, a pumpkin pie topped with pecans. Each course ranges in price from €20 to €46 for a unique dining experience.

L’Osteria di Giovanni (Via del Moro, 22), tel. 055 284897

A simply delicious menu is provided by L’Osteria di Giovanni.  Dinner includes a house aperitivo, and an antipasto frisée salad, endive and lettuce with pomegranate and pistachio, dressed with citrus vinaigrette. This will be followed by cream of broccoli soup with rosemary croutons and risotto with pumpkin, and taleggio cheese and walnuts. For the main dish, the chefs are cooking a roast turkey with chestnut stuffing, sweet potato purée, and string beans. There is also a choice of dessert. The cost is about €50 per person including water, house wine, and coffee. Reservations are highly recommended, as most of the spots for this dinner are already full.

Harry’s Bar (Lungarno Vespucci 22/r), tel. 055 23 96 700

As one of the first placed to serve Thanksgiving in Florence, Harry’s Bar continues its time honored tradition with a sizable meal in its cozy and elegant establishment. The restaurant has designed a meal appropriate for the holiday costing €55 per person excluding wine.  The fixed menu offers creamy pumpkin soup with crispy bacon as a first course, roast turkey stuffed with chestnuts, carrots, onions and cranberry sauce as the main course, plus sweet potato, citrus cheesecake and miniature pastries for dessert — with water and coffee included in the tab.

Irene at the Savoy Hotel (piazza Repubblica 7), tel. 055 27351

Restaurant Irene is a much-loved destination for foodies all around the world, and guests are also invited for Thanksgiving dinner. Irene’s culinary experience is meant to honor the centuries-old American tradition with four courses consisting of a sophisticated seasonal salad, ricotta and chestnut stuffed tortelli pasta, the golden turkey stuffed and drizzled with a rich cranberry sauce, and for dessert, Irene’s version of the classic cinnamon apple crumble. The dinner will cost €75 per person, €38 for children under 12 years, and free for children under three.

L’Ov Osteria Vegetariana (Piazza del Carmine, 4/r), tel. 055.205-2388

This Thanksgiving dinner will appeal to those on a gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diet who would still like to indulge in a traditional meal with a twist.  The starter is butternut squash soup with croutons and toasted almonds.  This is followed by a main course of stuffing composed of veggie sausages, mashed potatoes and gravy, accompanied by cranberry sauce; for dessert, a slice of pumpkin pie with ice cream.  The meal is €25 per person, and is served from 7 to 10 pm.

Baccomatto (via dei Neri 39/r), tel. 370 378 4280

Located behind Palazzo Vecchio, Baccomatto will be preparing a spread that includes a portion of turkey, sweet potatoes, creamy onions, cranberry sauce, corn on the cob, vegetables in a sweet and sour sauce, Brussel sprouts with bacon and smoked pumpkin for €30 at dinnertime.

The experience below offers catering for those who want to eat at home, yet do no work at all.

The Dolce Vita Experience (https://www.thedolcevitaexperience.com/),  +39 331 579 6997

At The Dolce Vita Experience, Ileana Collado is cooking up a a delightful single-portion menu that lets each person build their own dream Thanksgiving meal. The turkey option is a 24-hour dry brined herb butter-roasted turkey. The sides include chive mashed potatoes and gravy, creamy green beans and mushrooms, sausage cornbread stuffing, sweet potato mash, crispy pecans, and cranberry sauce. One can order slices of both pumpkin or pecan pie, or a whole pie for €12. The Dolce Vita Experience also offer Thanksgiving meal leftovers.

Vanilla Cake Bakery, Galluzzo (055/046-2755)

For all pie and dessert cravings, contact the supplier of delicious desserts, the wholesale Vanilla Cake Bakery for home-delivered pies. In addition, the bakers are making pumpkin bread and decorated carrot cake cupcakes. Orders are accepted up until Tuesday evening of November 22.

All of these delicious options for either a homemade, do-it-yourself Thanksgiving dinner or one provided by one of the many noteworthy restaurants listed above, will allow everyone to be able to participate in this scrumptious holiday. The menus, overflowing with stunning plates and recipes, will create a dining experience sure to keep you full for hours— or at least until dessert. (Isabella Azzaro)