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By Miriam Raftery
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| Credit: Leon Thompson |
Whether your holiday spirit hearkens for a traditional feast or offbeat alternative
activities, you’ll find plenty of tempting choices in and around East
County this Thanksgiving weekend. Here are a few of my favorite discoveries
for ECM readers to savor:
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| Wild turkeys outside Pine Hills Lodge, Julian. Credit: Miriam Raftery |
Feast in the Woods: Pine Hills Lodge in Julian is famed
for its Thanksgiving feasts ($40 per adult, $24.95 for kids 10 and under). Reservations
required for holiday meals served at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 4:00 p.m. Watch
for wild turkeys on the grounds of this historic haven. This year’s gourmet
menu includes carrot and ginger soup, Kensington salad with creamy apple cider
dressing, roast Tom turkey with giblet gravy and cranberry orange relish, smoked
ham with mango glaze, corn bread sage dressing with apples, nuts and dry fruits,
candied baked yams, French and wax beans almondine, garlic mashed potatoes,
and an array of tempting deserts. (www.pinehillslodge.com)
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| Dixie Express will perform at the Dixieland Jazz Festival |
Dixieland Jazz Festival & Champagne Dinner: A
Thanksgiving feast is part of the five-day music festival at the Town and Country
Hotel November 26-30. Easily accessible from East County, this 29th annual
event features many East County musicians with bands ranging from traditional
jazz to Dixieland, swing and classic jazz style. Thanksgiving dinner
buffet ($30 for walk-ins, $28 for festival attendees) features champagne, cheese
and baguettes, fresh sliced fruits with honey-poppy seed dip, harvest salads
ranging from creamy Waldorf to three bean, carved-to-order turkey or herb-crusted
sirloin of beef, potaties, gravy, herb stuffing, candied yams, an assortment
of vegetables, old-fashioned pies or chocolate-cherry black forest cake. (www.dixielandjazzfestival.org)
Share Thanksgiving dinner with the Indians: The
Barona Resort & Casino in Lakeside offers a Thanksgiving feast prepared
by award-winning chef Dean Thomas in its fine-dining venue, the Barona Oaks
Steakhouse. Wines paired to each course are also included. This
tempting array includes roasted pumpkin soup with Vermont cheddar croutons,
stuffed turkey tenderloin with cranberry-orange relish, roasted root vegetables
and gravy, followed by pumpkin cheesecake topped with cinnamon gelato accompanied
by a maple crisp. Cost: $42 per person. Or opt for the $29.95 all-you-can
eat buffet at Barona’s Ranch House Buffet, offering a cornucopia of Thanksgiving
dishes. Reservations recommended. (barona.com/about/press-releases/101606.html)
Skate the Night Away: Southern California’s largest
outdoor ice rink at Viejas Outlet Center in Alpine is open all night on Thanksgiving,
providing an idyllic way to work off holiday pounds under the stars after your
Thanksgiving feast. Skating costs $12 for 90 minutes, including skate
rental. (www.shopviejas.com)
Midnight Madness Shopping Spree: Start holiday shopping
when the clock strikes midnight at 12:01 a.m. on November 28th at the Viejas
Outlet Mall in Alpine. Shop ‘til dawn to catch those early bird
specials, then relax over a cup of coffee – free to the first 500 shoppers
starting at 5 a.m. (www.shopviejas.com)
Editor Miriam Raftery is thankful for the surprising cornucopia of delights
East County has to offer.
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