Wednesday November 26top

CURRENTLY TAKING RESERVATIONS: Jake’s Thanksgiving Buffet at the Governor Hotel

Yes, you can eat a full Thanksgiving dinner at Jake’s Grill at the Governor Hotel (or Jake’s Famous up the street or any other of McCormick & Schmick's Portland outposts). But if you wanna go big, reserve a seat at the local chain’s grand buffet at the hotel. From Tom Turkey, cedar plank salmon and New York strip steak to whole stations devoted to chilled seafood, salads, side dishes and desserts, this meal’s so big they have to hold it in a ballroom. It’s like a wedding where the bride is dinner and you’re the groom (or vice versa). Visit mccormickandschmicks.com for a list of the chain’s other Portland seafood restaurants, all of which are serving T-Day dinner. Governor Hotel, 614 SW 11th Ave., 224-3400. Reservations begin at 11 am and end at 3:30 pm. $29.95 adults, $7.95 children 6-12, 5 and younger free. Call 241-2125 to make your reservation. Map

CURRENTLY TAKING RESERVATIONS: Thanksgiving Dinner at Meriwether's

Chef Earl Hook prepares a family-style feast with ingredients from the restaurant’s own Skyline Farm this Thanksgiving. Meriwether's, 2601 NW Vaughn St., 228-1250. $45 per adult, $20 children. Call 228-1250 to reserve seats ASAP. Map

CURRENTLY TAKING RESERVATIONS: Thanksgiving Dinner at Salty’s on the Columbia

Nothing says “Thanksgiving” like Dungeness crab, prawns and bay shrimp pot pies. Get your seafood on with a mega holiday buffet at this riverside classic—OK, there’ll be turkey and all the trimmings as well. Salty's on the Columbia, 3839 NE Marine Drive., 288-4444. 10 am-6 pm. $48.95 per person includes bottomless champagne. Call for reservations. Map

CURRENTLY TAKING RESERVATIONS: Thanksgiving Dinner at the Heathman Restaurant

An overwhelming assortment of traditional Northwestern eats, from roasted turkey with sage stuffing and pumpkin pie to Dungeness crab and smoked salmon, for both sit-down eaters and buffet lovers. Prix fixe dining room service 11 am-9 pm. Holiday buffet 11:30 am-6 pm. The Heathman, 1001 SW Broadway., 790-7752. $46.50 per person ($18 for kids under 12). Call to reserve seats. Map

CURRENTLY TAKING THANKSGIVING ORDERS: Nuvrei Desserts

Baker Marius Pop’s pastry goods are already an under-the-radar addiction in this town. Spread the habit to your loved ones with two special order-only Thanksgiving desserts on offer from Nuvrei this year: Hazelnut Pumpkin Cake, a layered whopper of pumpkin crème brulee, chocolate sachertorte, hazelnut and chocolate mousse ($38-$60) and a pumpkin vanilla custard “Autumn” tart with pears ($26-$39). They’ll be worth every penny. Nuvrei’s taking orders through Nov. 26, but Pop says “sooner is better.” Nuvrei Fine Cakes & Pastries, 404 NW 10th Ave., 546-3032. To order, call 546-3032 or email order@nuvrei.com. Map

CURRENTLY TAKING THANKSGIVING ORDERS: Pix Desserts

Bring a little ooh la la to the table with dessert from Pix Patisserie. The traditional pumpkin pie gets a cheesecake makeover with a spiced pecan crust ($24-$32) while the pecan pie goes glam with the addition of Spanish almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and bittersweet chocolate chips (The Nutcracker, $28-$34). Most intriguing? The Macaroon Cornucopia: “Four dozen colorful French macaroons in assorted flavors overflow an edible cornucopia of caramelized almonds.” And that’d be an $85 wow. Pix on Division will be open for pickups 9 am-noon on Thanksgiving. Pix Patisserie, 3402 SE Division St., 232-4407. Map

CURRENTLY TAKING THANKSGIVING ORDERS: Roux Pies

Melissa McKinney has been a Portland sweets legend for years. Currently the pastry chef at North Portland’s Roux, she’s selling Thanksgiving pies and desserts for your table this year. Heirloom apple streusel pie ($22), browned butter pecan pie ($22) and pumpkin cheesecake with pecan butterscotch sauce ($30) are for the taking. Call Roux to order. Roux, 1700 N Killingsworth Ave., 285-1200. Map

Thursday November 27top

PROPER Thanksgiving

Giving thanks doesn’t have to cost a dime. For eight years, Portland nonprofit PROPER, which seeks to “unite community across all lines,” has been offering a free, vegetarian-friendly Thanksgiving Day feast for anybody who needs it. This year’s dinner takes place at Kenton soul food cafe Po’ Shines. Storyteller Anne-Louise Sterry livens things up with a reading. Po' Shines: Cafe de la Soul, 8139 N Denver St., 286-2590. Noon-4 pm. Free. More info at properusa.org. Map

Friday November 28top

Wine Country Thanksgiving

For some, Thanksgiving means sharing a meal with friends and family. For others, it’s just the kickoff to the biggest wine-tasting weekend of the year. More than 150 wineries in Portland’s neighboring Willamette Valley throw open their doors and pour cheap tasters of their bottles—as well as often offer artisan nibbles and live music—all weekend long. Traffic along Highway 99W during T-Day weekend is a soul-sucking hairball of death, especially through the winery-packed hills of Dundee, so bring along plenty of picnic supplies and car games. Find more info and a list of participating wineries at willamettewines.com. Order a free wine tasting booklet on the website or by calling 646-2985. , , . 11 am-5 pm. Tasting prices vary. Map

Tuesday December 2top

Bubbles & Booze

The terms “educational seminar” and “membership drive” are a snooze. But when the organization is the Oregon Bartenders Guild and the “seminar” is a champagne cocktail tasting featuring drinks from the mixologists at Roux, Mingo, Gilt Club and Bluehour, well, sign us up. The Guild hopes to clue locals in to its mission of highlighting excellent bar work, while hosts Gilt Club pairs the bubbly concoctions with nibbles from chef Pete Gadd. Gilt Club. $25 general ($15 with OLCC card, $5 for Oregon Bar Guild members). Gilt Club, 306 NW Broadway., 222-4458. 5:30-7:30 pm. More info at oregonbarguild.org. Map

Pix Gastro Trivia

As if you needed another reason to saunter over to Pix, the North Williams Avenue branch of the pâtisserie shop hosts a cutthroat game of Gastronomical Trivia on Tuesday. Expect to have your brain picked on everything from cooking methods and culinary history to beer, wine and dessert trivia. (Here’s a test question: How many Trappist beers are currently made in Belgium?) Winners earn gift certificates, tasty treats and, most importantly, sweet, sweet respect. Teams of 1-4 accepted. Pix Patisserie-North, 3901 N Williams Ave., 282-6539. 7-9 pm. $2 per person to play. More info at pixpatisserie.com. Map