Letting the pros prepare the Thanksgiving feast

There’s no place like home on Thanksgiving. Yet, planning the biggest home-cooked feast of the year is a huge undertaking.

For simpler dining-out options, here are three local restaurants offering great dining choices, as well as one turkey-to-go option.

For formal Thanksgiving dining, Chat Noir and Pinot Provence offer four course sit-down menus with choices for each course. The Clubhouse suits families and casual diners. It offers an expansive buffet, and even has a turkey-to-go-menu.

Chat Noir, David Wilhem’s French bistro and jazz lounge, celebrates Thanksgiving dinner from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. The upscale lounge-style restaurant is in the South Coast Metro theater district in Costa Mesa.

Gourmands will appreciate the dinner that begins with hors d’oeuvres, a sampling of duck foie mousse, medley of marinated olives and cornichons, and crudites with mustard-horseradish aioli. The choice of appetizers includes sherried lobster bisque, butternut squash soup, shrimp cocktail, butter lettuce or mesclun greens and endive salad, as well as succulent braised veal cheeks.

For entrees, choose from traditional roast turkey, prime rib, John Dory on potato puree, and a roast rack of pork.

Desserts are always exceptional at Chat Noir. Choose from simply spiced maple-pumpkin creme brulee, warm apple tart tatin, Callebaut chocolate souffle, warm fresh berries, or profiteroles with eggnog-Courvoisier ice cream. The cost is $50 per person.

655 Anton Blvd. in Costa Mesa. (714) 557-6647.

Dining at Joachim Splichal’s Pinot Provence is always a treat. And it’s even more special at Thanksgiving. Dinner is served from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Executive chef Florent Marneau has planned a four-course dinner that starts with as delicious leek potage (soup).

Six choices for the second course include Papillon Roquefort (one of the most famous cheeses) with oven dried fall fruit salad, farmers market greens, crushed caramelized almond and Banyuls vinaigrette. There’s also coquille Saint-Jacques Farci, brioche crusted bay scallops, with Sancerre and creme fraiche shellfish fumet (a concentrated stock); a winter squash tarte comes with pumpkin seed pesto, fine Westphalian ham, and green onion Fromage frais; or a Terrine de Campagne is served with pickled vegetables and homemade onion-walnut Bannette. The shelled Dungeness crab legs are served with Bearnaise mousseline; or there are six oysters on the half shell with mignonette sauce.

The third course choices include roasted Canadian free-range turkey with wild mushrooms stuffing, haricot vert, roasted gravy, mashed potato and cranberry-apple sauce; a monkfish bouillabaisse with croutons, a fiery rouille, fennel and potatoes; or braised Acacia honey glazed pork shank, savoy cabbage and Dijon mustard. There’s also roasted duck breast with fricassee of Brussels sprout and bacon, and Armagnac scented foie gras sauce; or braised veal cheeks with Yukon potato gnocchi and cheese truffle jus, and asparagus. Dessert choices include pumpkin and pecan tarte served with pumpkin ice cream; flourless chocolate cake with nutmeg ice cream; and Gravenstein apple upside down cake with roasted walnut gelato.

The cost is $44 for adults; and $22.50 for children 10 and younger. Pinot Provence is at the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel, 686 Anton Blvd, in Costa Mesa. (714) 444-5900.

The Clubhouse at South Coast Plaza serves a classic Thanksgiving buffet from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. that will please all tastes. The grand buffet offers carved-to-order free range turkey, slow roasted Angus prime rib, and honey and mustard baked ham. Salads to choose from include heart of romaine with stone mustard dressing and fried artichokes; baby field greens with candied walnuts, gorgonzola cheese; and Belgium endive in an aged balsamic vinaigrette. There’s a beautiful display of domestic and imported hard and soft cheese arranged with hard crust breads and traditional roasted corn and jalapeno corn bread.

Side dishes to choose from include roasted garlic mashed potatoes, corn bread stuffing, candied yams, green beans almandine, ginger apple cranberry sauce, rice pilaf, and corn on the cob.

The dessert station offers traditional pecan pie, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, as well as a variety of cakes and pastries.

Just for fussy eaters, there’s a children’s table of chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, and pepperoni pizza.

The cost is $32.95 for adults; and $15.95 for children younger 10. A bottomless glass of champagne is $7.95. The Clubhouse is at South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa. (714) 708-2582.

The Clubhouse also offers a Thanksgiving feast to-go for $180 plus tax. It serves 7 to 10 people. Orders must be received by 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22. Dinners may be picked up between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 24.

The dinner includes a 20-pound average tom turkey with giblet gravy. Choice of one salad: Caesar salad; baby field greens with balsamic dressing and candied walnuts; harvest vegetable pasta salad; or coleslaw.

A choice of four sides includes roasted garlic mashed potatoes; corn bread stuffing; candied yams; green beans almandine; and ginger apple cranberry sauce; rice pilaf; corn on the cob; or macaroni and cheese.

A choice of two desserts includes pumpkin, apple or pecan pie; and carrot or chocolate cake. All dinners come with rolls and butter.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at greerwylder@yahoo.com; at 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626; or by fax at (714) 966-4679.