LET’S TALK TURKEY

CARMINE’S
When Carmine’s first opened on the Upper West Side, word spread quickly about the exciting atmosphere, the great food served family-style and reasonably priced. This along with the oversized cocktails and wine list composed of the best values and varieties from Italy and around the world made Carmine’s an immediate hit. Their second New York City location opened in the Theater District in 1992—and might be considered one of Broadway’s longest-running hits.

What is the biggest mistake most people make when preparing and cooking Thanksgiving dinner?
I believe that timing and the quantity of food are the biggest challenges most people face, it can be hard to properly estimate the amount of food you’ll need for your guests. Having all food ready and served hot can sometimes be challenging as well.

What is the one ingredient you can’t live without—especially on Thanksgiving Day?
I can’t live without sweet butter on Thanksgiving Day. It’s great to rub on the turkey and to add in your mashed potatoes and vegetables.

What will be on the menu at your home?
My plans for Thanksgiving this year will be cooking for my family at home. For starters, I will be serving jumbo kosher franks in a pastry blanket and mini-pizza bites. The main course will include a slow roasted turkey with giblet gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes and asparagus on the side. Dessert will be homemade ice cream with fresh fruit.

CARMINE’S
2450 Broadway
212-362-2200
200 West 44th St.
212-221-3800
carminesnyc.com

CHAZZ PALMINTERI RISTORANTE ITALIANO
One step inside Chazz transports guests to a bygone era of Italian hospitality, classic dishes with an updated flare, and Rat Pack charisma. In fact, once seated at the white linen tables surrounded by heavy-framed mirrors and dimly-lit wall sconces, you’ll be watching the door with expectations of Dino, Frank or Sammy walking in. However, you won’t be surprised to see the restaurant’s namesake owner enjoying a meal, chatting up guests and generally checking in on things when he’s in town.

What is the biggest mistake most people make when preparing and cooking Thanksgiving dinner?
Cooking for a large crowd like family, especially on holidays, comes with a lot of pressure. One error that occurs a lot during the meal preparation—and took me making a huge mistake to master—is the roasting of the turkey. With my experience, I’ve learned that allowing the turkey to defrost on its own to room temperature is vital. Trying to speed up the process by putting it in hot water is a huge mistake. Pre-heating the oven too high is also a mistake that many people make. I suggest keeping the oven at a steady, moderate temperature to get a perfectly cooked turkey with a crisp skin.

What is the one ingredient you can’t live without—especially on Thanksgiving Day?
The first ingredient that came to mind would have to be garlic, not only is it high in nutrition, but also delicious and super easy to incorporate in nearly every dish. It’s a win-win. During Thanksgiving, I love adding garlic to almost everything, from the turkey stuffing, to the pasta with shrimp and even homemade garlic and honey dressing.

What will be on the menu at your home?
I try to incorporate as many fruits and vegetables in my everyday meals, especially on holidays, My favorite stuffing that has been in our family for years is chopped fresh dried fruits: figs, apricots, prunes, dried cranberries combined with the traditional stuffing of ground beef, fresh herbs, and seasoning.

CHAZZ PALMINTERI RISTORANTE ITALIANO
890 Second Ave.
212-355-5540
chazzpalminterinyc.com

KINGSLEY
There’s something new brewing at this Lower East Side restaurant: Kingsley is made for easy comfort and languorous conversations, for late nights and high spirits. The restaurant sets its tables with gold flatware, Lagouille steak knives, and delicate flower vases. It sets its mood with soft lighting, copper accents, bar backlights, and French salon mirrors. And behind its intimate dining rooms and elegant bar, Kingsley has the Lower East Side’s most romantic city garden.

What is the biggest mistake most people make when preparing and cooking Thanksgiving dinner?

Brine your turkey people! Don’t be like my mom and use the right salt like Kosher because density is important (do not use table salt). Do realize that it will take way less time to cook the turkey, despite all of your thoughts that say, “Hey, no way this turkey is done.” It’s done so pull it out and let it rest. Don’t be like my mom.

What is the one ingredient you can’t live without—especially on Thanksgiving Day?
It’s terrible, but I absolutely love canned cranberry sauce. It’s a must-have for me!

What will be on the menu at your home?
I’m all about Thanksgiving, but what I really love are the leftovers.

KINGSLEY
190 Avenue B
212-675-4500
kingsleynyc.com

1633
The cuisine at 1633 is similar to what one would find when dining at a restaurant in the center of Greece and where Chef Dionisis uses global ingredients and techniques to blend them into traditional Greek dishes. Playful and creative, this urban dining experience is orchestrated by Chef Dionisis, whose Acropolis-size personality comes out in every tongue-in-cheek dish he serves. Chef Dionisis takes apart core elements that define his country’s traditional cuisine and then artfully reconstructs them into a refined and utterly intriguing dish of modern classics.

What is the biggest mistake most people make when preparing and cooking Thanksgiving dinner?
The biggest mistake that I’ve seen when making a big family dinner at Thanksgiving is that the recipes are not organized. As a result, everyone runs around like crazy. My advice is to organize each recipe. This just means having all the ingredients already measured before you start cooking. Believe me, it will be more fun to cook that way because there is less mess to clean up when you’re organized!

What is the one ingredient you can’t live without—especially on Thanksgiving Day?

Hmmm...that is hard to say because you have so many beautiful ingredients at this time of year—spices, chestnuts, pine nuts, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and many others. But I guess my favorite one is bread!

What will be on the menu at your home?
These days, 1633 is my home, so I’m going to present a different version of the traditional Thanksgiving meal with turkey as the main ingredient. The menu (from the soup to the dessert) will be inspired by Thanksgiving.

1633
1633 Second Avenue
212-837-8285
1633nyc.com

TESSA
TESSA is an energetic and lively restaurant featuring original, inspired and flavorful food. It’s a place where adults can enjoy everything from cocktail hour to a full meal at the bar, or dinner in the bustling dining room. It’s equally well appointed for pre-theater dinner or post-concert mezze with drinks, as for a multi-course dinner paired with the finest bottles of wine from TESSA’s reserve list.

What is the biggest mistake most people make when preparing and cooking Thanksgiving dinner?
Not giving themselves enough time to get everything done. Preparing a proper Thanksgiving meal takes hours of work and the last thing you want is to make your guests wait. You should be able to enjoy your family and friends’ company and give thanks for what you have.

What is the one ingredient you can’t live without—especially on Thanksgiving Day?
A beautiful Turkey. I believe that a well-cooked turkey or even a nice deli-style version is some of the best poultry out there. The flavor of a gigantic turkey leg is something that I could take to the grave.

What will be on the menu at your home?
My Thanksgiving plan this year is the same as every year: to spend it with family and friends who are closest to me and that I love very dearly. That’s one of the most important things in life, besides food obviously. The menu at my house will consist of green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes, pan gravy, sausage and cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, homemade biscuits, roasted vegetables and, of course, a big golden brown turkey.

TESSA
349 Amsterdam Avenue
212-390-1974
tessanyc.com

BURKE & WILLS
Since its opening, Burke & Wills has staked its claim as one of the most popular restaurants on the Upper West Side—and has become well known for its top-flight combination of seasonal cuisine and original, artisanal cocktails. Australian ex-pats Tim Harris and Matilda Boland offer a double experience under one roof—the casual Manhattan Cricket Club, a swanky exclusive cocktail lounge as well as the comfortable dining room where one can encounter the modern, adventurous flavors of Australia.

What is the biggest mistake most people make when preparing and cooking Thanksgiving dinner?
Overcooking the turkey for sure. People need to realize that legs and breast cook a different temperature—I always cook them separately.

What is the one ingredient you can’t live without—especially on Thanksgiving Day?

This is going to sound cliché, but butter is key when cooking my turkey. I always put a good amount of herbed butter under the breast skin, it makes it taste better, and helps to keep it moist.

What will be on the menu at your home?
Well, I can’t really remember the last time I had Thanksgiving at home! However, I will make sure to cook for my restaurant family, and they can definitely expect some foie gras and duck stuffing. I have made it the past few years, and it has become my favorite part of the day.

BURKE & WILLS 226 West 79th Street
646-823-9251
burkeandwillsnyc.com