As Portland has attracted more new restaurants, bakeries and other food businesses in recent years, the influx of culinary talent has made Thanksgiving a lot easier for people who don’t want to spend the holiday toiling in the kitchen. The city and its suburbs have more options than ever for hosts who want to cheat a little – or a lot – and buy cooked turkeys, or creative sides, breads and desserts to wow their guests.

Sure, you could go out to eat on Thanksgiving – then you don’t even have to worry about the dishes – but you know what’s great about the take-out approach? Leftovers!

Here are a few of the local businesses, including a surprising number of restaurants, that are offering ready-made Thanksgiving dishes, along with details on menus, prices and ordering deadlines:

BELLEVILLE

1 North St., Portland

536-7463; blvl.me

On the menu: If you want stunning desserts, this is the place. And with just three choices, you won’t go crazy trying to decide: Butternut squash and cocoa nib tart ($34), salted honey and rosemary tart ($34) and apple hazelnut and cranberry galette ($30).

Ordering deadline: Nov. 22

Pick-up: Nov. 26 or before 1 p.m. Nov. 27

While you’re there: Pick up an almond croissant or lemon curd Danish – you’re worth it.

BLUE SPOON CAFÉ

64 Pine St., Portland

613-9922; thebluespoon.com

On the menu: You can order pretty much your entire Thanksgiving meal here, including cooked or uncooked brined turkeys. Highlights include creamy cauliflower soup ($12/quart), potato dauphinoise, Brussels sprouts with smoked bacon and whole grain mustard, and endive gratin (each $10.95/pound).

Ordering deadline: Nov. 23

Pick-up: Available through Thanksgiving morning; time arranged when you order.

Team effort: The café is teaming up with its West End neighbor, Chaval, to offer three of pastry chef Ilma Lopez’s delicious desserts, at $35 each – pumpkin custard pie topped with maple and pecans, dark chocolate and salted caramel tart, and cranberry-orange ricotta pie. (You can also order these pies directly from Chaval or Piccolo, both of which are owned by Lopez and her husband. The ordering deadline and price for the pies are the same.)

 DANDELION CATERING

81 Bridge St., Yarmouth (The company is owned by Christian Hayes, chef/owner of The Garrison restaurant.)

847-0023; dandelioncatering.com

On the menu: Brined and trussed whole turkey (14-16 pounds for $95 or 20-24 pounds for $150); sides include twice-baked potatoes with chives, crème fraîche and Parmesan (serves six, $30), fennel, apple and pecan stuffing (serves six, $30), and creamy roasted pumpkin and bay leaf soup with Gruyere crisps (serves six, $26); three kinds of bread – foccacia (loaf $14), Maine potato rolls ($16/dozen) and crescent rolls ($18/dozen); and four kinds of pie – buttermilk pie with sugared cranberries ($26), sweet potato pie with toasted marshmallow meringue ($28), chocolate and coffee pecan pie ($30) and honey caramel apple pie ($28).

Ordering deadline: Nov. 20. Ordering available on website, which includes photos of dishes so you can see what you’re getting.

Pick-up: Nov. 27 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. A reminder will be emailed to you a few days ahead.

Best update on a classic casserole: Green beans with lemon cream, garlic, fried shallot, and Benton’s ham (serves 6, $40).

DIZZY BIRDS ROTISSERIE

65 Main St., Biddeford

494-7089, dizzybirdrotisserie.com

On the menu: Dizzy Birds is offering complete turkey, chicken or cornish hen dinners that come with a choice of three side dishes, gravy, house orange-cranberry sauce, cornbread and baguette. (For sizes and pricing, see website. Turkey dinners start at $20.25 per person.) For vegans, Dizzy Birds is offering herbed polenta with veggie gravy and three sides for $19.25 per person. Side choices are classic herbed bread stuffing, cornbread stuffing with cranberries, candied sweet potatoes, mac-and-cheese, mashed Yukon Gold potatoes, green bean casserole with crispy onions, roasted butternut squash with pumpkin seeds, maple-ginger carrots with tarragon, creamed onions with thyme and sage, and roasted root vegetables.

Ordering deadline: Deadline for ordering the complete dinner is 5 p.m. Nov. 21; deadline for ordering a la carte dishes is 5 p.m. Nov. 25. Ordering may be available on the website as well as by phone.

Pick-up: Biddeford pick-up 10 a.m. to noon Thanksgiving Day; Portland pick-up noon to 1 p.m. Thanksgiving Day at the food truck parking spot on Spring Street, near Temple.

Don’t lift a finger: Dizzy Birds is also selling a la carte sides to serve six or 12 (prices vary); appetizers such as shrimp cocktail and scallops wrapped in bacon (both $17.50 per dozen); soups such as pumpkin puree with curry and lemon ($16.75 per quart), New England clam chowder or lobster bisque (both $18.50 per quart); and desserts, including pecan pie and deep dish apple pie. Desserts can be ordered as individual portions or whole pies.

FIRE & CO. CATERING AND NOBLE BBQ

1706 Forest Ave., Portland

536-1395; fireandcompany.com/thanksgiving

On the menu: The catering company and its sister restaurant are teaming up to offer 20, and 20 only, Thanksgiving packages that include a whole brined, smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, house-baked focaccia with herb butter, a grilled vegetable medley from Laughing Stock Farm, and whoopie pies. Each package feeds five and costs $250. Customers who only need sides, or want choices other than turkey, can also order from these a la carte options: pimento mac-and-cheese, griddled corn muffins with fancy butter, grandma’s baked beans, and old school coleslaw. Each side costs $20 and can feed up to five people.

Ordering deadline: Nov. 21; ordering available on the website.

Pick-up: 1 to 6 p.m. (time arranged at ordering) Nov. 26 and 27

Skip the turkey: For guests who don’t want to arrive empty-handed, or people who just want to eat something, anything, other than turkey, Fire & Co. and Noble are also taking orders for a full rack of smoked ribs ($24); spaghetti squash by the pound ($16); smoked brisket by the pound ($26); and smoked pastrami by the pound ($21).

FIVE FIFTY-FIVE/PETITE JACQUELINE

Five Fifty-Five, 555 Congress St., Portland

761-0555; fivefifty-five.com

Petite Jacqueline, 46 Market St., Portland

553-7094; bistropj.com

On the menu: Desserts only: Lots of pies ($35 each) and cakes ($48 each), but if you’re looking for something a little different, try their $8 truffle boxes or their nut brittle bundles (1/2 pound $10, 1 pound $20), which come in pecan, walnut, cashew and hazelnut varieties.

Ordering deadline: Nov. 25; call either restaurant to order.

Pick-up: Arranged when ordering.

Thanksgiving dinner ain’t over until: How about opera cake (almond sponge, espresso buttercream, chocolate ganache) instead of pie? Full cake $60, or $9 per slice.

LAKE & CO.

Fork Food Lab, 72 Parris St., Portland

798-9983; lakeandco.me; forkfoodlab.com

On the menu: No turkeys here, but an extra-large selection of 11 sides, including fresh cranberry and clementine sauce ($8.99/pint); carrots with tahini, sumac and horseradish ($9.99/pound); leek and celeriac gratin ($10.99/pound) and local winter squash agrodolce ($7.99/pound).

Ordering deadline: Nov. 23

Pick-up: Free delivery, or pick up at Fork Food Lab. Pick-up day and time arranged at ordering.

A finger in every pie: If you’re tired of the traditional Thanksgiving pies, Lake & Co. is offering cherry and coconut cream pies ($20.99-$21.99), along with pumpkin, pecan, lemon and Dutch apple.

OTHER SIDE DELICATESSEN

East Deering: 164 Veranda St., Portland

761-9650; othersidedeli.com

West End: 235 Vaughan, Portland

874-7414; othersidedeli.com

On the menu: Other Side also wins the prize for sides that have been kicked up a notch. For example: oyster and cornbread stuffing with house bacon ($8.99/pint or $16.99/quart), Brussels sprouts with foie gras butter ($8.99/pint or $16.99/quart), braised beets with orange and pistachio ($7.99/pint or $14.99/quart), cranberry sauce with grapefruit and juniper ($5.99/pint or $1.99/quart), and smoked turkey gravy ($6.99/pint or $12.99/quart). Also available: Local, cage-free, pastured turkeys beginning at 12 pounds ($5.99/pound; 75 cents/pound extra brined, or $1/pound extra brined and smoked), and three kinds of pie (9-inch, $19.99).

Ordering deadline: Nov. 18

Pick-up: Arranged when ordering

Impress your friends: Other Side is selling what may be the fanciest turkey preparation in town – a turkey breast stuffed with foie gras, cornbread and turkey confit ($14.99/pound). Other Side owner Pete Sueltenfuss removes the breast from the bone. He confits the legs (a French technique of preserving meat in lots of fat), then combines the confit with foie gras and cornbread to make stuffing. He spreads this stuffing on the breast, which is then rolled up, roulade-style. Buyers take the stuffed breast home to roast in their own ovens. Sueltenfuss says it is “a wicked rich, fun way to change things up and it cooks in about half the time of a whole bird.”

ROSEMONT MARKETS

580 Brighton Ave., Portland (for other locations, visit the website)

774-8129; rosemontmarket.com

On the menu: Rosemont is a triple threat: It has a wide selection of local turkeys, copious vegetarian/vegan offerings, and plenty of other entree choices for those who don’t like turkey. Choose an organic turkey ($5.99/pound) or conventional ($4.99/pound). The birds come in three sizes: 12-15 pounds (serves eight to 10); 16-20 pounds (serves 10-13); and 21-plus lbs (serves 14-plus).

Ordering deadline: Nov. 21 for turkeys, sides, entrees and pies; Nov. 25 for breads.

Pick-up: Nov. 26 and 27

Go Greek: Rosemont is also offering moussaka ($16.99 for four servings), or family size (serves 10-12) for $49.99. Other alternatives include chicken pot pie, shepherd’s pie, beef stroganoff, and meatloaf (four servings, prices vary).

STANDARD BAKING CO.

75 Commercial St., Portland

773-2112; standardbakingco.com

On the menu: If bread is a priority for your Thanksgiving table, Standard Baking has a great selection of specialty breads and rolls to put you in the holiday spirit. Choose from sage biscuits ($7.50/half-dozen), soft yeast rolls ($5.25/half-dozen), sweet potato rolls ($5.75/half-dozen), cranberry walnut rolls ($1.95 each) and more. For dessert, consider the apple spelt cake ($29.50, serves 10) or the pumpkin pavé ($29, serves 8).

Ordering deadline: Nov. 24

Pick-up: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 27

Stuffing Central: What better place to buy stuffing mix than from one of the city’s best bakeries? Standard Baking is selling 16-ounce packages of stuffing – a bag of cubed bread with a recipe card attached – for $8.50.

SUGA SUGA

Fork Food Lab, 72 Parris St., Portland

sugasugaportland.com, forkfoodlab.com

On the menu: French macaron boxes by the half- ($18) and full dozen ($36) in flavors such as honey cornbread, sweet potato pie and cider doughnut; pastry platters with a variety of macarons, mini cookie sammies and red velvet cheesecake brownies ($36)

Ordering deadline: Nov. 25. Order through the Suga Suga website, or visit the pop-up at Fork Food Lab from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 27.

Pick-up: Nov. 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Fork Food Lab.

Don’t forget breakfast: Thanksgiving can be exhausting, whether you cook or not. Take it easy Friday morning with take-and-bake cinnamon rolls (half-dozen $16).

TERRA COTTA PASTA CO.

501 Cottage Road, South Portland

799-9099; terracottapastacompany.com

On the menu: Terra Cotta is selling traditional sides such as butternut squash, mashed potatoes, and sausage and sage stuffing, but it also has a great deal on the whole meal: A turkey dinner for four, for just $44.99. The downside? You’re on your own for dessert.

Ordering deadline: Nov. 22

Pick-up: Nov. 26 and 27

Another deal: You’ll get 5 percent off your order of $50 or more if you place the order by Nov. 22.

THE 207 JARS

Fork Food Lab, 72 Parris St., Portland

the207jars@gmail.com, forkfoodlab.com

On the menu: Baker Tricia Corbet usually serves her desserts in mason jars, but for Thanksgiving she is offering full-size cakes and cheesecakes. Vanilla cake with lemon curd, Maine blueberry compote and vanilla buttercream $48 (8-inch cake, three layers, serves 10-12) or vanilla cake with dulce de leche caramel, cinnamon apples and cinnamon buttercream $48 (8-inch cake, three layers, serves 10-12).

Ordering deadline: Nov. 22. Order by emailing the207jars@gmail.com

Pick-up: Pick up at Fork Food Lab 6-7:30 p.m. Nov. 25 and Nov. 26, or 5:30-6:30 p.m. Nov. 27.

Happy Thanksgiving, vegans: All of Corbet’s cheesecakes are vegan. Choose from pumpkin with candied pecans, vanilla with cinnamon-apple compote, or layered vanilla and chocolate. All are 9-inch cheesecakes that serve 8 to 10 people and cost $40.

WILD OATS BAKERY & CAFÉ

149 Main St., Brunswick

725-6287; wildoatsbakery.com

On the menu: In addition to a selection of 11 classic sides and nine pies, Wild Oats offers a half-dozen roll and biscuit options, including cranberry cream cheese biscuits ($15/dozen). Make your own stuffing with their cornbread stuffing kit ($8.95/16-ounce bag).

Ordering deadline: Nov. 22

Pick-up: Nov. 26 and 27

Most unusual menu item: Pumpkin chia pudding (vegan, gluten-free and fat-free), which the bakery describes as “pumpkin pie in a cup.” ($4.95/serves one to two)

---

Want someone else to do the cooking and the cleaning up? Here’s our list of several restaurants in Maine serving Thanksgiving dinner.

Copy the Story Link