Lucky. Fortunate. Grateful. A way to describe what we might feel when we are shopping on Capitol Hill, particularly when we think about preparing special holiday meals like Thanksgiving. My first time moving to DC took place over 30 years ago and I was a bit hesitant, as I loved to cook and knew I’d miss my favorite stores in New York’s East Village – the cheese monger, meat purveyor, the fish market, the boulangerie and multiple green grocers – all gone from that landscape now. How lucky I was then to land an apartment above Tunnicliff’s Tavern – across from what has become my favorite food emporium, Eastern Market, and fortunate we all are to have this longtime market here in our neighborhood.
One of the few public market buildings remaining in DC, and the only public market building still functioning as a market, you can source all your Thanksgiving dinner ingredients at Eastern Market, whether shopping the outside farmers’ line or indoor vendors. The purveyors – the farmers, producers, bakers and more – provide expert service as they all represent family businesses, sometimes running over multiple generations.
Pre-Game
Running short on time to prep meals leading up to the big day? You can pick up some easy-to-prepare pastas and ready-made sauces from Eastern Market Grocery or delicious BBQ sandwiches or quick-cooking sausages from Canales Delicatessen. Prepared soups can be found at Calomiris Fruits and Vegetables and pantry staples can be found at most stands and for Asian specialties (and some prepared food items, too) look to Paik Produce. Crab Cakes to go are a delicious option from Market Lunch.
Saturday farmers’ line.
Turkey, Sides and Desserts
As you shop for dinner ingredients, it pays to plan ahead, particularly with turkey. For sourcing your bird you have a few options with Capitol Hill Poultry, Market Poultry and on the Tuesday Farmers’ Line (outdoors) at Groffs Content Farm. So, if you’re reading this in the beginning of November, order your bird now. You will be sure to get the bird in a size that will fit your oven (I had to borrow a neighbor’s oven one year as my small, apartment-sized oven didn’t accommodate the 20-pound bird I bought), and you get to cross one big thing off your list.
You have a multitude of options for favorite sides – from vegetables at Calomiris Fruits and Vegetables and Paik Produce, to the outdoor farmers on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Whether it’s Brussels sprouts, winter squash, green beans, cranberries or salad, you’ll find it here.
Say cheese for easy and crowd-pleasing starters. Stop at Bowers Fancy Dairy Products for selection and expertise in this category. They’re happy to make suggestions, or come ready with a list of favorites, whether cheese, pates, nuts or other easy-to-serve snacks.
Stuffing or dressing comes in a variety of flavors and preferences – adding oysters? Visit Southern Maryland Seafood Co. Prefer your stuffing with bacon or a ground pork? Check out Union Meat or Canales Quality Meats.
Baking is probably the most challenging for me so I’m happy to let someone else take the task – and I’ve always had delicious pumpkin, pecan or apple pies from Fine Sweet Shop. Their breads, cakes and cookies are great, too. If you’re a subscriber to Capitol Jill Baking (capitoljillbaking.com), she’s offering up a mouthful in her Thanksgiving-themed stuffing sourdough whole wheat and rye loaf with apples, cranberries, orange peel and herbs, as well as sweet potato and honey sourdough dinner rolls. Look too at the vendors on the farmers’ line – there are many delicious pastries, baguettes, rolls and more.
Beverages
An important part of planning your meal includes beverages. You have options here Classy Corks at 801 8th St. SE to Cordial at the Wharf with craft wines, beer and spirits with a story sourced from independent and family-owned producers, to family-run Schneider’s of Capitol Hill at 300 Massachusetts Ave. NE to DMV Liquors, Wine and Beer at 643 Pennsylvania Ave. SE Liquors conveniently located near Eastern Market Metro Plaza. All places are willing to serve as your guide for pairings and quantities for crowd size.
Supplies
Need some inspiration to be in the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving meal for friends and family? Stop by Hill’s Kitchen and set your sights on items for a culinary tool refresh – from roasting pans to Staub brasier (the cook’s go-to) to potato mashers ranging from traditional stainless to innovative heat-proof plastic that fold flat for efficient storage. Consider replacing the tired wooden spoons that are used on repeat each day, and finally purchase a baster (one found here has a cleaning wand) to give that bird a beautiful patina (and ensures your poultry doesn’t dry out). Check out the beautiful acacia wood bowls (all sizes for salads, chips or dips), seasonal napkins (paper or cloth) for dinner or cocktails and candles from tapers to turkey shapes in an array of colors and sizes. You’ll also find helpful cookbooks like Michael Ruhlman’s “How to Roast” for some step-by-step instructions on cooking the main event.
Note that Hill’s Kitchen is graciously open on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28th from 8 am to 2 pm for last minute needs or to pick up a hostess gift (see the great selection of dish towels representing each state) if you’re not tasked with hosting this year.
Don’t forget the décor. Adding a little something to the table or in the guest bedroom for visiting friends is always welcoming. Visit Blue Iris Flowers for lovely and creative arrangements.
Outsourcing
If you want to avoid any real kitchen clean-up, or refrigerator and oven gridlock, consider going out or even ordering the entire meal to bring home. Be sure to note deadlines for ordering as well as days/hours for pickup. Check out the delicious menus from the Duck and the Peach (including turkey roulade with a zaatar and fennel stuffing, cranberry soda bread and a bounty of delicious desserts), and Rose’s Luxury (with delivery and vegetarian entrée options, add-ons like wine and caviar as well as a donation to DC Food Project included with your order) for order-ahead meals to-go.
Tunnicliff’s Tavern is open for in-house dining on Thanksgiving. They’ll welcome your entire family from wee ones to the grands and you’ll probably get to sneak in a little football from the bar. Additional in-house dining options are Station 4 at the Waterfront and Osteria Morini in the Navy Yard.
Annette Nielsen, a writer and food systems advisor, has recently returned to Capitol Hill from New York where she served as the executive director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center. @annettenielsen
