Thanksgiving without all the cooking: 9 Baltimore-area spots for dinner, sides and pies

Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to mean spending all day in the kitchen. Whether you’re feeding a crowd, looking for a few shortcuts or leaving the cooking to someone else, Baltimore restaurants have plenty of options this year. From jerk chicken and smoked short ribs to Creole-inspired sides, plant-based options and plenty of pies, here are nine local spots putting their own spin on the holiday.

Rooted Rotisserie

• 1116 Hollins St., Baltimore

If cooking Thanksgiving dinner sounds overwhelming, Rooted Rotisserie has an answer that doesn’t involve spending hours in the kitchen. The Hollins Market restaurant is offering a complete Thanksgiving package for eight to 10 people, featuring rotisserie turkey breast and red wine-braised short ribs. The meal also includes braised collard greens, sweet potato purée casserole with maple oat crumble, smoked Gouda mac and cheese topped with toasted herb-panko crumbs, and butter and sage stuffing. Everything is available à la carte, as well. Orders must be placed by Nov. 20, with pickup on Nov. 25 from 4 to 9 p.m.

Holy Môli Food Truck

• Baltimore area

Turkey isn’t the only bird getting attention this Thanksgiving. Holy Môli Food Truck is shaking up the holiday menu with jerk chicken, herb turkey wings, yuzu Thai chili-glazed salmon and even rack of lamb. The food truck is offering two Thanksgiving feast packages, along with an extensive à la carte menu featuring smoked turkey green beans, four-cheese cavatappi mac and cheese, candied sweet potatoes and sweet potato bread pudding. Orders must be placed and paid for by Nov. 20, with pickup scheduled for Thanksgiving Day from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Earlier pickup and delivery can also be arranged.

The Local Oyster

• 3302 Clipper Mill Road, Baltimore

Thanksgiving is getting a seafood twist courtesy of The Local Oyster, which is offering a do-it-yourself steam kit for anyone looking to trade the roasting pan for a steam pot. Dubbed “The Original,” the kit is packed with fresh oysters, shrimp, clams, mussels, corn and potatoes, plus cocktail sauce, lemon and seasoning (and even the steamer pot). Each kit serves four to six people and comes chilled with easy instructions for steaming everything at home. Preorders can be placed at thelocaloyster.com, with pickup at The Local Oyster Warehouse in Hampden on Nov. 24 or 25 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Blacksauce Kitchen

• 401 W. 29th St., Baltimore

Blacksauce Kitchen knows its way around a smoker, and Thanksgiving is getting the Blacksauce treatment this year. The Remington favorite is serving up cider-braised turkey, smoked beef short ribs and smoked duck pie, with sides like brisket cornbread dressing, baked mac and cheese, and coconut milk-braised collard and mustard greens. And it wouldn’t be Blacksauce without the biscuits. Both buttermilk and sweet potato varieties are on the menu, because who could choose just one? Thanksgiving orders must be placed separately from the restaurant’s regular weekly orders by Nov. 21, with pickup scheduled for Nov. 25 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The Corner Pantry

• 6080 Falls Road, Baltimore

For anyone who enjoys cooking Thanksgiving dinner but wouldn’t mind a little help, The Corner Pantry has plenty of ways to take a few dishes off the to-do list. The café near Mount Washington is offering an à la carte holiday menu featuring Albright Farms turkey prepared roasted or as a cornbread stuffing roulade, along with savory pumpkin tarts, cauliflower cheese, scallion and nutmeg mashed potatoes, and roasted carrots with fresh herbs and sesame seeds. The desserts are particularly tempting, with toffee apple pie, pumpkin s’mores pie and brown butter pecan pie, including gluten-free options. There are even seasonal drink mixers for those hosting at home. With no minimum order required, customers can pick up everything from a single side dish to the centerpiece of their Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 25. Orders must be placed by Nov. 20 at noon through the café’s website.

Ethel’s Creole Kitchen

• 1615 Sulgrave Ave., Baltimore

Who says the sides can’t steal the show at Thanksgiving? Ethel’s Creole Kitchen is adding a little Southern flair to the holiday with a menu that might have you filling your plate before the turkey even appears. The Mount Washington restaurant is preparing cornbread stuffing with andouille sausage, jambalaya with fire-roasted peppers, roasted garlic and Parmesan mashed potatoes, and Brussels sprouts with golden raisins and bacon. And don’t overlook the crab dip with jumbo lump crab, smoked Gouda mac and cheese or candied yams. Most trays serve approximately eight people, and orders can be placed by calling 410-664-2971.

My Mama’s Vegan

• 3433 Greenmount Ave., Baltimore

Ham, roast and meatloaf are all on the Thanksgiving menu at My Mama’s Vegan. The catch? Not a single ounce of meat. The Waverly restaurant’s annual PlantsGiving menu also includes Parmesan baked mac and cheese, candied sweet potatoes, collard greens and cornbread stuffing. Customers can order individual meals, a family feast for up to six people or larger trays of their favorite sides. But don’t put off ordering. Only five family feasts are available, and preorders close once everything sells out. Pickup is scheduled for Nov. 25 from 1 to 6 p.m.

The Duchess

• 1000 W. 36th St., Baltimore

If you’d rather leave the cooking and cleanup to someone else, The Duchess is giving Thanksgiving a little Chamorro flair. The Hampden restaurant is offering a three-course dinner with choices ranging from roasted turkey breast with mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy to Chamorro barbecue spare ribs with red rice and fina’denne. Other options include short rib kare kare, pan-roasted mahi-mahi and appetizers like grilled chicken kelaguen and crispy shrimp and corn patties. Guests can finish with a dessert from the restaurant’s regular menu. Thanksgiving dinner will be served Nov. 26 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with reservations available through Resy. The entire table must participate in the prix fixe menu.

Zoe’s Just Dezzerts

• 807 N. Calvert St., Baltimore or 828 S. Charles St., Baltimore

Thanksgiving dinner may get all the attention, but let’s be honest, everyone is saving room for pie. Zoe’s Just Dezzerts is taking preorders for six varieties of homemade pies, including apple, cherry, pecan, pumpkin, sweet potato and key lime. All pies are handmade and available whole, so the only real challenge is deciding which flavors to bring. Orders must be placed by Nov. 20, with pickup available through Nov. 25 at either the Mount Vernon or Federal Hill locations.