Many Lakeside restaurants putting on the ritz for Thanksgiving are already totally booked, some with three seatings. At press time these include Bobby’s Escondido, Manix, Simply Joyful and Casa Linda.
Almost sold out are:
• Malaga, serving a glass of wine of choice, turkey or BBQ ribs, carrot cream or salad, pumpkin pie, coffee with Kahlua for 380 pesos, Live music. Hidalgo 17 (just off the plaza), Ajijic. Reservations: 332-941-0629
• Go Bistro, offering turkey with rice and veggie soup, turkey with sage and savory stuffing, creamy smashed potatoes, giblet gravy, green beans almandine, buttered beats and honey glazed carrots for 300 pesos. Only a few 6 p.m. seatings open at press time. Reservations: 333-502-6555.
Options still include:
• American Legion Post Seven, serving a traditional turkey dinner at 4 p.m. with live music for 350 pesos. Morelos 114, Chapala. Contact Jamie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. No pets allowed.
• Armando’s Hideaway, offering Waldorf salad, turkey with all the trimmings, pumpkin pie, a glass of red or white wine and a glass of brandy or Kahlua, for 350 pesos. Privado Ocampo 18. Reservations: 333-485-8077.
• La Bodega, offering individual dinners of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green salad and green beans to dine in or take out for 285 pesos, or whole 7-8 kilo cooked turkeys with stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes and gravy by the kilo, and shrimp fettuccini for 185 pesos per order, and holiday salad and spinach salad at 75 pesos per person to take out. 16 de Septiembre 124, Ajijic. Reservations: 376-766-1022.
• La Nueva Posada, serving up its own version of a traditional Thanksgiving menu, including a crudité plater, tomato bisque Pernod, homemade croissant, turkey, sage bread stuffing, whipped potatoes, giblet gravy, sweet potatoes with almonds, cranberry sauce, sweet and sour Danish red cabbage, peas, pumpkin pie and liquor with your coffee for 520 pesos. Seatings at 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. Donato Guerra 9, Ajijic. Reservations: 376-766-1444.
• Panino Deli Restaurant, offering turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cornbread dressing, green beans, sweet potato and cranberry sauce for 290 pesos. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or until sold out. Carretera Chapala-Jocotepec 910A, San Antonio Tlayacapan. No reservations.
• Scallions Ajijic Bistro, offering a T-Day dinner buffet from 1 to 8:30 p.m. with turkey lasagna, confit of turkey, stuffed turkey, traditional or chorizo stuffing, honey apple soy glazed ham, sweet potato puree, brown butter mashed potatoes, garlic vegetables and crispy bacon, green beans with almonds, cranberry sauce and cranberry orange sauce, apple tart, pumpkin pie, fruit salad for 360 pesos. Carretera Ote. 58, in Plaza Bugambilias, Ajijic. Reservations: 376-766-2301.
• CocinArt, offering two seatings, 3 and 6 p.m. The menu is turkey soup or Waldorf salad, turkey, baked ham, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, beets, sweet potato puree, cranberry jam, green beans with almonds and pumpkin pie for 450 pesos. 16 de Septiembre 4D, Ajijic. Reservations: 331-395-3810.
• Smoke House, offering whole smoked turkeys with a liter of gravy for 1,500 pesos. The also offer liters of cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes if you pre-order. All to go. They have a limited number of sit-down dinners, including the above mentioned items and pumpkin pie with a free soda, beer margarita or ice tea for 395 pesos. A deposit of 50 percent is required when you reserve. On the Carretera in West Ajijic, next to the Tuesday Market.
• LetraCH, offering an-all-you-can-eat turkey fest buffet 1 to 9 p.m. for 399 pesos. Carretera Chapala-Mezcal 4 (1/2 block east of intersection with Pepe Guizar). Reservations: 376-765-3004.
• Emmanuel’s Experiences, serving a gourmet Thanksgiving from 4 p.m. on, with a garlic cheese cauliflower soup, a fall season salad or butternut squash raviolis, roasted rolled turkey or cranberry glazed pork fillet. Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green veggies and bread come with the main dishes. Dessert is mini pumpkin and pecan tart with toasted marshmallow. On the Carretera in West Ajijic. Reservations: 332-041-7968.
• La Taverna de Quatto Mori, offering up a menu from guest chef Oscar Perez from Jardin de Ninnet: ranch seasoned roast turkey, butternut squash, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, candied carrots and apple pie and ice cream for 500 pesos. Carretera Chapala-Ajijic 160 in San Antonio Tlayacapan (across from SuperLake). Reservations: 376-766-2848.
• Sol y Luna, serving a three-course meal with cream of mushroom soup, turkey dinner with sides, apple pie with vanilla ice cream and a glass of wine for 420 pesos. Live music by Sweet Harmony. Rio Bravo 10-A, Ajijic. Reservations: 3766-109-1595.
• El Charro, serving special menu along with regular fare: artichoke cream, roasted turkey roulade, vegetables, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie for 500 pesos. Colon 16, Ajijic. Reservations: 332-316-3050.
Finally, for those who must have a home cooked meal, Puritan Poultry mentions that there is a limited quantity of quality turkeys that are still unspoken for. They also have imported cheeses and butter, canned candied yams, cranberry sauce, stuffing mixes and more. Av. Hildalgo 101, Riberas del Pilar (next to S&S Auto). 376-765-4399.