A Kauai Thanksgiving Dining Guide

This Thanksgiving we have a lot to be grateful for, including a cornucopia of delicious dining options. The following guide will add great flavor and flourish to your holiday table, allow you to relax and dine out, or provide a satisfying pick-me-up while meeting the demands of the season. Because of its length, contact information and complete menus are not listed. Reservations are recommended to ensure availability of holiday menus.

Local fish, pork, vegetables, shrimp and lobster fill the Merriman’s Fish House four-course prix fixe dinner menu ($68). Among the five choices for the main course are roasted fresh organic turkey with whipped potatoes, sausage sage stuffing, Kilauea baby carrots, green beans and pineapple cranberry relish.

The main course for Tortilla Republic‘s three-course prix fixe menu ($35) includes a choice between spice-rubbed roasted turkey with chipotle-chorizo corn-bread dressing and tequila gravy, or herb-roasted prime rib with jalapeno and roasted garlic potato puree.

Living Foods Market will prepare a meal you can bring home. Options include Mary’s Free Range Organic Turkey (cooked $11.95 per pound, uncooked $6.50 per pound), and sides include maple-roasted yams ($15.95, quart) and classic stuffing ($11.95, quart) and there’s a choice of three pies ($16) for dessert.

Roy’s Poipu three-course prix fixe menu ($44) includes roasted Hamakua mushroom bisque with lemon goat cheese mousse, roast turkey with demi glace, mashed potatoes, Kulana wild boar and corn-bread stuffing, haricot verts almondine, cranberry poha relish and pumpkin bread pudding with tropical fruit crunch and Lappert’s Dulce De Leche ice cream.

Besides traditional favorites, Thanksgiving dinner at RumFire ($55/$25 keiki) offers vegetable Wellington, Hawaiian sweet bread and butter slow-roasted prime rib and purple potato haupia tart.

The Beach House holiday special ($35) includes honey-glazed roasted turkey with pancetta, garlic and green bean sauté, shiitake sage stuffing, roasted sweet onion mashed potatoes and fresh pan giblet gravy. For dessert ($12), the sampler platter includes pumpkin flan, pecan tart and apple crisp.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Grand Hyatt’s Ilima Terrace is serving a fresh and flavorful Thanksgiving buffet ($58/$29). For dinner, Tidepools will serve up a three-course prix fixe menu ($50), which includes Kauai Fresh Farms salad, Diestel Farms Sonoma Turkey and pumpkin hazelnut tart.

Plantation Gardens offers a traditional Thanksgiving meal ($29.95, $14.95 keiki) with roasted turkey, house-made herb stuffing, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, candied yams, local green beans and pumpkin pie.

Keoki’s Paradise Thanksgiving special ($27, $14 keiki) includes oven-roasted turkey, green salad, fresh cranberry sauce, roasted kabocha squash soup, sweet potato mash and green apple stuffing.

On the east side, the tasting room at Kauai Beer Company is open Fridays at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at noon. During Thanksgiving week, the tasting room will open at 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and will be closed Thanksgiving Day. Brewers will be on hand to talk about their craft beers and offer tours. Gift growlers will be on sale and refillable whenever the brewery is open.

Small Town Coffee sells fair trade and organic coffee by the pound. “I recommend picking up a half-pound of coffee to have enough for the pie-eating portion of your feast,” says owner Anni Caporuscio, who also sells Kauai Highlands coffee, a blend that includes Kau beans from Hawaii Island. “Small Town will be open until noon Thanksgiving for breakfast and also because we like to dress up like Indians and turkeys,” Caporuscio adds.

From special cakes and biscotti to holiday gift boxes, Hula Baby and Ko Bakery will add a sweet addition to your holiday table. Ko Bakery’s Pumpkin Crunch Cake (6-inch, $30) includes Kauai vanilla-infused cream cheese frosting between three layers of pumpkin spice pound cake, topped with Ko’s handmade candied pecans. Hula Baby’s Pumpkin Spice Biscotti is made with real pumpkin, pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds), cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

On Thanksgiving Day, The Green Pig will be closed, but during the week you can celebrate with a Turk-A-Holic ($12). With breaded turkey breast loin, smoked turkey stuffing, Jacon (Jake’s house-cured and -smoked bacon), lettuce, tomato, onion and a cranberry shallot mayonnaise on a taro brioche bun, this sandwich is a Thanksgiving feast!

Naupaka Terrace at Kauai Beach Resort will serve a Thanksgiving buffet ($45, $22.50 keiki) that includes salads, soups, bread, traditional sides and desserts. The carving station will have roast sirloin and honey-caramelized ham.

Gaylord’s will serve a three-course traditional Thanksgiving dinner ($42, $19 keiki), which includes Kailani Farms green salad, oven-roasted turkey breast, taro and sweet bread stuffing and pumpkin chai cheese-cake.

Holiday dining at Oasis on the Beach includes a three-course prix fixe menu ($55). There are three appetizer and main course options, including deep-fried turkey breast, apple sage stuffing, crispy shallot green bean casserole and cranberry relish. For dessert, choose between pumpkin panna cotta or a fresh fruit parfait with Kunana Dairy chevre and local honey drizzle.

Nanea‘s five-course prix fixe menu ($60) includes roasted and kalua turkey, sweet potato mash and macadamia nut stuffing. For vegetarians, the main entree is a roasted vegetable tower with seared tofu, ginger soy reduction and chive oil.

Makana Terrace is serving a tremendous Thanksgiving buffet ($90, $25 keiki). A few selections from the lengthy menu include sage-roasted whole turkey, thyme-stuffed boneless turkey and chestnut sage stuffing.

Thanksgiving at Kauai Grill includes a four-course prix fixe menu ($95).

Choices include iceberg lettuce salad with tomatoes, crispy bacon and blue cheese vinaigrette, foie gras-stuffed turkey with fall vegetables and natural jus, and kabocha pumpkin pie with apple guava sherbet.

Thank you for reading Kauai Midweek and happy Thanksgiving from the Lanes!