During dinner service at Charlotte Restaurant & Lounge on the 16th floor of the Lotte Hotel Seattle, wine specialist Gene Dexter can often be heard expressing thanks in single words. “Gratitude,” he’ll say modestly after a diner compliments his wine pairing. “Blessings,” he’ll whisper with a sheepish smile like a blushing teenager after another guest nods his way for his dexterous, ballet-like service around a busy dining room.  

While many locals will have Thanksgiving off, several restaurants around the Puget Sound—including Charlotte—will remain open to serve thankful, hungry guests. On major holidays when most businesses are closed, hotel restaurants and the Chinatown-International District are often the most reliable bets. 

“Many of the front-of-house professionals mentally prepare for holiday dinners well in advance,” Dexter says. “The preparation starts a few months before the holidays. We all have family and friends—we all like to be somewhere else. It is definitely a motivation and an imperative for us that we make sure that it is a great experience for every guest.”  

Charlotte Restaurant & Lounge wine specialist Gene Dexter pours with practiced grace during dinner service at the Lotte Hotel Seattle.

Hotels, like hospitals, must remain open year-round, but at least here, the customers come for the food. Meanwhile, the Chinatown-International District has long been a Thanksgiving destination for diners seeking Chinese food. The tradition of dining out at Chinese restaurants during major holidays dates back more than 100 years, when Eastern European Jewish and Chinese immigrants lived in close proximity in New York City’s Lower East Side, according to Shiyong Lu, a doctoral researcher in Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU.  

Vivienne’s Bistro at Sheraton Grand Seattle fits the bill for both Chinese food and a hotel restaurant. It will be celebrating its first anniversary Downton this December. The original location on Mercer Island will also be open on Thanksgiving. 

“Chinese people don’t celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas. They celebrate Chinese New Year,” explains Vivienne’s Bistro chef Danna Hwang. “It is flexible for us to run the business on those days. So many restaurants are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas day, and for the people who want to celebrate and want somewhere to go, we stay open. Those days are pretty busy days for us.”  

Vivienne’s Bistro chef Danna Hwang readies for Thanksgiving dinner service.

Hwang promises a new winter menu, as well as staples such as forbidden roast duck, squid ink baked rice, crispy pork belly, and the umami bomb Mapo Tofu. Vegetarian options are also available.

At Charlotte, diners can expect a four-course Thanksgiving dinner for $130, with a view of Elliott Bay. Among the three entree options is the traditional Thanksgiving turkey given the ballotine treatment—breast rolled and stuffed with mushrooms and dark-meat fricassee—served with green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cornbread stuffing, sage gravy, and cranberry sauce. Reservations are available between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. 

Dexter offers an optional $75 wine pairing flight, featuring library wines such as the classic Burgundy (Pinot Noir) 2015 Bouchard et Fils and the 1999 Bodegas Toro Albala Pedro Ximenez, a sweet Spanish wine.  

“We are covering every corner of flavor profiles,” Dexter promises. “One thing that I can guarantee is that wine pairings will be outside of the box.” 

Cordell Lui (left) and Jerry Lee have spent 17 years serving rotisserie chickens on Thanksgiving to local families in need.

Photo by ACRS

Elsewhere in Seattle, architect and Mulvanny G2 Emeritus Chair Jerry Lee, and Yuen Lui Photography Vice President Cordell Lui have been rallying friends and volunteers for the last 17 years to distribute Costco’s $5 rotisserie chickens to families in need. Last year, they raised funds for 2,500 whole birds; this year, the team will hand them out at Asian Counseling and Referral Services in the Chinatown-International District on Nov. 21 and at the Southeast Senior Center in Rainier Valley on Nov. 26.  

Lee also recommends several Chinatown-International District restaurants for diners craving dishes other than the traditional Thanksgiving fare, including barbecue pork at Kau Kau BBQ, and dim sum at Jade Garden and Diamond Bay. 

Tai Tung is a personal favorite for Lee as well as another famous and unrelated Lee. The martial artist and actor Bruce Lee would dine regularly at Tai Tung in the early 1960s, ordering the oyster sauce beef and garlic shrimp.  

“There have been a lot of changes in Chinatown,” says Jerry, who lives on Mercer Island. “The bottom line is, a lot of them are immigrants and long-time families that have been trying to make a living. For me, it’s my heritage. It’s my Chinese heritage. We go (to the CID) a lot. We have choices closer to us but we try to support them as much as possible.”  

In First Nations communities around the country, Thanksgiving has been colloquially referred to as Thankstaking. The poignant term counters the misleading and romanticized narrative of the holiday that tells a tale of harmony between European colonizers and natives in the mythical first Thanksgiving in 1621, and instead shares a history of violence, land theft, and genocide.  

Chefs like Jason Vickers, Olivia Ford and Jeremy Thunderbird are reviving native cuisine and adding a modern touch. Thunderbird will be catering the Fall Coastal Jam at South Seattle College on Friday, Nov. 14 from 5-10 p.m.  

“I try to make things not too political,” says Thunderbird, a member of the Ohlone, Chumash, and Squamish tribes. “The history—the whole story with natives bringing visitors, they started getting the natives sick and eventually murdering them, I feel like that is part of Thanksgiving that is left out. Once I started learning more about my heritage, it was a shocker to me. The history of Thanksgiving, not to villainize white people, it should be more of an awareness day.”   

The Intentionalist recommends other Native-owned restaurants, caterers, and retailers. 

Thanksgiving Dining Around Puget Sound

Salt Harvest at The Populus Hotel in Pioneer Square is offering a four-course dinner for $125 (optional wine flight for $65). Reservations are available from 2-8 p.m.  

La Loba at 1 Hotel Seattle will serve a prix-fixe Thanksgiving dinner inspired by global traditions from 2-9 p.m. The menu features inventive dishes such as oyster “aguachile,” truffled Ibérico bites, miso-glazed salmon, and heritage turkey with salsa macha. Pricing is $175 for adults and $70 for children under 12.

The Westin Bellevue has a three-course Thanksgiving menu, in addition to the full menu at Cypress Lounge & Wine Bar. For $58 per person ($28 for children under 12), guests can dine on sweet potato bisque, sage-rubbed turkey and their choice of pumpkin pie or apple pie. Reservations are available from 4-8 p.m.  

The team of Berk Guldal and Katrina Schult at Hamdi will be celebrating three years at their Fre-Lard (between Fremont and Ballard) location this month. The veterans of Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller restaurants will be serving fare inspired by Guldal’s Turkish roots.  

Stella at The Sorrento Hotel on First Hill is serving a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings for $90 per guest.   

Zaika (Hindu for “flavor”) on Capitol Hill will be serving a complete South Asian menu with a modern take for dine-in or take out.  

All Water Seafood & Oyster Bar is taking reservations as late as 8:15 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Begin or end the evening with a cocktail at the adjacent après-ski-themed Rosebay Chalet. 

Pink Salt in Magnolia will serve a special Thanksgiving dinner. Reservations are available until 8:30 p.m.   

For vegetarians, Cafe Flora in Madison Valley will host Thanksgiving dinner for the 34th year. For $88 ($28 for children under 12) guests can feast on a four-course (plus sides) vegetarian bacchanalia. Entree options are Yorkshire pudding with roasted chanterelles and autumn vegetables, or roasted pumpkin wedge with heirloom blue corn cornbread-pecan stuffing and chimichurri.  

Tom Douglas Restaurant Lola in Belltown will be open on Thanksgiving for breakfast and early Thanksgiving “dinner,” from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The four-course dinner is $75 per person. 

Sparrow in Kirkland’s Juanita neighborhood will host a special Thanksgiving four-course menu with multiple options for $95, including entree choices such as lobster risotto, prime rib, roasted turkey plus a selection of Wagyu beef (at an add-on cost). Reservations are available as late as 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving.  

Baron’s Sino Kitchen & Bar in Bellevue’s Lincoln Square will serve Thanksgiving dinner as late as 8 p.m.  

The Lake Union, Leschi, and Bellevue locations of Daniel’s Broiler are offering a four-course Thanksgiving menu for $95. Entree options include roast turkey, prime rib, maple pork roast or King Salmon, with the option to upgrade to a Filet Mignon, Daniel’s Delmonico, Wagyu filet mignon or Wagyu ribeye. The downtown location will host a buffet dinner for $75 per person, $40 for children 6-10, $10 for children under 6.  

Top Chef alum Luke Kolpin is serving a three-course family-style Thanksgiving dinner at Cedar & Elm at The Lodge at St. Edward Park for $115 per person.  

Brown’s Stockyard Exchange at the Redmond Marriott will offer a Thanksgiving buffet for $35 per guest, $18 for children 12 and under. Reservations are available from 1-8 p.m. Selections include herb-roasted turkey with gravy and orange cranberry sauce or honey-maple-glazed ham with maple Dijon glaze, plus all the trimmings.  

The Four Seasons Seattle is offering two options for Thanksgiving dining; a buffet featuring traditional Thanksgiving dinner or a three-course meal at Goldfinch, its lobby restaurant. Both options are $165 per guest.  

Barking Frog at Willows Lodge in Woodinville is serving a three-course Thanksgiving meal from noon-9 p.m. for $95 per guest ($50 for children). It will also host a buffet dinner at the Sammamish Ballroom at Willows Lodge for $85 per guest ($40 for children 6-12, complimentary for children under 6).  

Marin at the newly renovated Hotel Monaco in Downtown Seattle will be open for regular breakfast service from 8-11 a.m.  

To-Go Options 

W Seattle is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for two for $110 that includes herb-roasted glazed turkey, dinner rolls, sweet corn soup, poached pear gem lettuce salad with smoked blue cheese, candied pecans and tarragon vinaigrette, butternut squash stuffing, turkey pan gravy, cranberry ginger compote, pumpkin cheesecake, and pecan bars. Orders will be ready for pick up between 1-5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day at Trace Market at the W Seattle.  

Brendan McGill’s Kingfisher on Bainbridge Island opens this month to much anticipation with the retail market set to open this weekend and the wine bar next week. The market is taking orders for Palouse Pastured Poultry turkeys to be picked up on Nov. 22 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.  

Dahlia Bakery is taking orders for both sweet and savory options by Nov. 24 for pick up on Nov. 26.  

Ethan Stowell Restaurants has a “Thanksgiving Feast” for up to six guests for $275. Orders will be available for pick up at the Ethan Stowell Restaurant commissary in South Seattle.  

All six Duke’s Seafood locations are offering chowders to-go as late as Nov. 26 (Duke’s is closed on Thanksgiving). The frozen traditional clam chowder ($49.90) or the lobster mobster pernod chowder ($54.90) serve up to six guests.  

Flora Bakehouse is taking orders for its famous pumpkin pies and chocolate pecan pies, plus savory options such as mushroom hand pies. Minimum four days’ notice required for all pre-orders to be picked up on Nov. 26.  

Carillon Kitchen at the Woodmark Hotel in Carillon Point has to-go dinners for $85 per person (minimum two orders). To order, call (425) 739-6363 by Nov. 20 to pick up on Nov. 27 between 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.  

All three locations of Spice Waala are taking orders for whole tandoori chicken by Nov. 24 for pick up on Nov. 26. Chickens are $28 with the option for add-ons.