Braly: Thanks for chefs who'll be cooking

It's just a week before Thanksgiving, and while many people will be gathered for a home-cooked feast next Thursday, there also are many who would rather have someone else do the cooking. Thanksgiving hosts rarely get much of a breather on Thanksgiving day; by eating out, they can sit back and enjoy the company without the hassle of cooking, serving and cleaning up after the meal.

Here are some of the restaurants that will be serving meals next Thursday. Call now for reservations because, believe it or not, this is a busy day for restaurants. There are a lot of folks who eat out on Thanksgiving.

* The view from the Bluff View Art District will be made all the more dramatic with a plate filled with delectable delights from the Thanksgiving Brunch on the Bluff buffet. It will feature traditional fare coupled with dishes prepared by the culinary experts from Tony's Pasta, Rembrandt's, Back Inn Cafe and the Bluff View Bakery. The dishes include shrimp with bowtie pasta in tomato-spinach cream sauce; Asian salad with chicken and soba noodles; hazelnut French toast with apple compote and a quiche platter. Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Price: $26.95 adults, $14.95 children under 12. Price does not include alcohol, tax or gratuity. Reservations: 265-5033, ext. 4.

* Broad Street Grille at The Chattanoogan will celebrate the day with a Low Country Thanksgiving feast. The buffet will start with a fall harvest salad bar with untold numbers of salads and fixings before moving on to entrees such as Cajun-fried turkey breast; beer-braised boneless short ribs with pan gravy; and bourbon-cider-brined fresh ham served with bourbon mustard. Of course, there will be numerous side dishes and desserts to make your mouth water: bananas Foster bread pudding, caramel apple cobbler, sweet potato and apple pies and assorted tarts and cakes, as well as the always-popular milk chocolate fountain in which brownies, cookies and strawberries may be dunked. Hours: Noon-5 p.m. Price: $32.95 adults, $17.95 ages 6-12. Reservations: 424-3700.

* You'll realize you have a lot to be thankful for as you board the Delta Queen in the Paddlewheel Restaurant and take in the view of the river, bridges and downtown Chattanooga. But that's not all. You'll be dining on an incredible meal that includes Coca-Cola glazed ham, oven-roasted turkey, steamship round with au jus and N'awlins-style shrimp and grits. There will be several salads as well as numerous side dishes and made-from-scratch desserts, including a mouthwatering pumpkin bundt cake with caramel glaze. Hours: 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Price: $27.95 adults, $24.95 seniors, $18.95 children 12 and younger. Reservations: 468-4500. Also, the Texas Lounge will be open with full bar service.

* Get aboard The Chattanooga Choo Choo for a Thanksgiving feast that has something for everyone. Begin the meal with a huge selection of appetizers, including baked brie, Georgia pecan salad and fresh fruits and cheeses. Then fill your plates with fettuccine, shrimp scampi and other favorites from the pasta station. There will be a carving board filled with slow-roasted steamship round, as well as another buffet with all your Thanksgiving favorites, including roasted turkey and all the trimmings. Cooked-to-order bananas flambé, Chocolate Overload Torte, Bourbon Street pecan pie and many more desserts will finish off the feast. The buffet will be served 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Grand Dome lobby. Price: $24.95 adults, $19.95 seniors 65 and up, $13.95 children 12 and younger. Reservations: 308-2481.

* At the Sheraton Read House, you can relax in the splendor of one of Chattanooga's most historic hotels and enjoy a meal that features turkey with all the trimmings, as well as any of its menu items, including some of the best steaks in town, if turkey isn't your thing. Hours: Noon-8 p.m. Prices vary according to menu selections. Reservations: 643-1240.

* You can enjoy award-winning cuisine and wines served at popular downtown eatery 212 Market, the first in the city to be certified green. Thanksgiving dinner will be your choice of menu items that include house favorites as well as items especially prepared for the feast, such as oysters Bienville, Georgia quail, fried green tomatoes, filet mignon, Muscovy duck breast, River Ridge Farm pork chop and crab-stuffed North Carolina trout. Quite a change of pace from tradition, but if you want turkey and ham, it's on the menu, too. Prices vary according to menu selections. Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Reservations: 265-1212.

* Only the Hamilton Place location of Sticky Fingers will be open Thanksgiving. From noon to 6 p.m., guests can dine on a buffet of traditional foods, including smoked ham and turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls, salad, peach cobbler, pumpkin pie cheesecake and banana pudding. The regular menu will not be available. Price: $16.99 adults, $8.99 children 5-13. Reservations: 899-7427.

There you have it ... Enjoy yourself, and my best to each of you this Thanksgiving.

Email Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.

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