UPDATE: Stress-Free Thanksgiving Dinner: Eat Out in Half Moon Bay

Update 11/18 12:17 p.m.: The Thanksgiving brunch menu at the Ritz-Carlton has been added to the media box at the right.

Thanksgiving is about gathering with friends, family and loved ones to enjoy each other's company while reflecting on what one is thankful for. It's also time for a big meal.

But who said the meal has to be cooked and consumed at home? While some towns may not have many restaurants to choose from for a meal out on Turkey Day, Half Moon Bay residents are in luck.

Well-loved eating establishments — such as , the , the , and the — are all offering special Thanksgiving dinners. 

Each restaurant is bringing some of their signature styles to one of the most hyped-up dinners of the year.

Consider the options:

At the Moss Beach Distillery, diners looking for the traditional turkey dinner can enjoy a low-key yet thoughtfully composed dish of an herb-rubbed turkey breast with cider gravy (giblets included), sage sourdough stuffing, herb mashed potatoes, candied yams, haricots vert and cranberry relish. Pumpkin pie with whipped cream completes the meal.

Those who don't want turkey can choose from baby back ribs, chicken saltimbocca, pan seared seabass, alaskan halibut and more. Vegetarians can have the butternut squash lasagna. See the menu here.

Families and individuals who want to embrace the tradition of eating a multi-course meal might want to head over to Cetrella, the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, Pasta Moon or the Ritz-Carlton. All are serving prix fixe menus.

While Pasta Moon, Cetrella and the Half Moon Bay Brewing have three courses in store for their charges that evening, the Ritz is serving four.

Pasta Moon's highlights are a first course of caramelized brussel sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pancetta, frisee, cannelloni beans, and sherry vinaigrette, and entree of a maple-brined turkey from — eggplant parmesan for vegetarians — and a generous variety of side dishes, including Iacopi Farms romano beans.

Dessert is a choice of pumpkin pie with amaretti crust or a granny apple crostata with currants and pecans accompanied by housemade vanilla bean gelato.

See the attached PDF menu in the media box to the right for the full list of Thanksgiving menu choices at Pasta Moon.

Among some of the dishes which will be served up at Cetrella include a starter of parsnip soup, entrees of pumpkin gnocchi, Marin County turkey, fish, and a pumpkin tartlet with cinnamon ice cream for dessert.

To see the full list of choices, click on the photo menu in the media box to the right.

The Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is offering four choices for their entree and dessert courses — more than any of the other prix fixe menus in Half Moon Bay.

For their entree, diners can choose from a traditional roast turkey with stuffing and sweet potatoes, slow-roasted cross rib, vegetarian pasta, or opt to go with Mavericks drunken salmon marinated in beer with a citrus orange glaze.

The highlight of the dessert course is a pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust. Berry cobbler a la mode is also available, as is a trio of ice cream flavors.

At the Ritz-Carlton, diners should come ready to eat, whether it be for the hotel's Thanksgiving brunch or for its dinner at restaurant.

Navio pays tribute to Half Moon Bay's in two of its starter courses. The Farmer John's Mixed Greens features sweet dumpling squash, pomegranate, and candied pecans. Another choice is smoked salmon with a Daylight Farms celeriac and brussel sprout salad.

The restaurant gives another nod to Half Moon Bay pride with its second course of soup.

And raised by Kevin and ShaeLynn Watt in Pescadero will be the highlight of its main course.

Pumpkin flavored Petits fours and chocolates will be part of Navio's final course of the evening.

The Ritz-Carlton Thanksgiving brunch (served from 10:30 am - 3 pm) offers a dizzying selection of foods from appetizers to main courses and desserts. A special cheese table as well as a station of Asian foods like sushi and dim sum will be available.

See the PDF documents attached in the media box to the right for the full Navio Thanksgiving menu and the hotel's brunch offerings.

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