Photograph: Jakob N. Layman
Photograph: Jakob N. Layman |

Thanksgiving in Los Angeles: Sweet potatoes with homemade fluff at Huckleberry

Thanksgiving in Los Angeles: LA's best T-day side dishes

The best Thanksgiving side dishes, including mac 'n cheese, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, biscuits and gravy.

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Thanksgiving in Los Angeles is an all-star cast: from the centerpiece turkey, to the save-the-best-for-last pies and copious amounts of vino. But Thanksgiving wouldn't be the once-a-year feast without the supporting cast of T-day side dishes and fixings like stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts and biscuits. Whether you're looking for a classsic version or a spin on the traditional, here are Thanksgiving's best side dishes.

RECOMMENDED: Thanksgiving in Los Angeles

Stuffing

  • Delis
  • Santa Monica
Suzanne Goin recreates mom's traditional version with the cafe/bakery's sublime bread mixed and baked with fennel, celery, herbs and chicken stock.

Price: $22 per quart, serves 4-6 people
Order by: November 23 at 5pm
Pick-up: November 26, 9am-7pm

Biscuits

  • Sandwich shops
  • Pasadena

Pastry seekers who file into Christine Moore's Pasadena cafe/bakery every morning can take out Thanksgiving day garlic parsley rolls, perhaps with some honey butter to top.

Price: $24 for a dozen
Order by: November 25
Pick-up: by November 26
  • American
  • Manhattan Beach

David LeFevre's rustic American eatery updates the biscuit with bacon, Cheddar and chives for a hearty, pre-meal bite. Top with maple butter and it's sweet and savory satisfaction.

Price: $36 for a dozen
Order by: November 23 by 5pm
Pick-up: November 26 noon-4pm

Cranberry sauce

  • Cafés
  • Westwood
As classic as it gets, Clementine's version satisfies the traditionalist with sweet and tart sauce served by the pint.

Price: $8.95, 1 pint
Order by: November 22
Pick-up: November 26

Brussels sprouts

  • Italian
  • Los Feliz
Los Feliz's Italian eatery offers brussels sprouts roasted with wild boar bacon for a rustic, old-world side.

Price: $40, serves 6-8 people
Order by: November 25
Pick-up: November 27 by noon
  • American creative
  • Brentwood
You'll have no problem polishing off these sprouts that are roasted and mixed with dried figs and walnuts.

Price: $14, 1 pound, serves 3-4 people
Order by: November 25
Pick-up: November 25-27, 8-11am

Mac and cheese

  • Contemporary American
  • Santa Monica

The classic mac 'n cheese—macaroni mixed with Cheddar (and cream cheese for extra tang) and topped with homemade breadcrumbs—is one of best we've ever tried that takes us back to childhood.

Price: $50, serves 8-10
Order by: November 22 at 5pm
Pick-up: November 27, 9-11am

  • Delis
  • Santa Monica
This gooey baked goodness is baked with eight different types of cheese and topped with breadcrumbs using the deli's coveted bread.

Price: $7/pound
Order by: November 25 or 24-hours in advance
Pick-up: November 26 by 5pm

Sweet potatoes

  • Contemporary American
  • Santa Monica
Sweet potatoes are spiced with cinnamon and ginger and topped with fluff (homemade, of course) for a baked casserole just like Mom's.

Price: $13, serves 2 people
Order by: November 22 at 5pm
Pick-up: November 27, 9-11am
  • Eclectic
  • Sherman Oaks
This classic Southern version starts with whipped sweet potatoes (sweet butter, cream) that are topped with brown sugar streusel made with housemade salty, sweet candied pecans.

Price: $20 for small, serves 4-6 people; $40 for large, serves 8-10 people
Order by: November 20 by 6pm
Pick-up: November 26 by 2-5pm
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  • Cafés
  • West Third Street

Why merely top yams with sugar and butter when they can bath in them? Chunky cuts of yams bake in liquid goodness for a non-pureed version of candied yams.

Price: $28, serves 6
Order by: November 21 at 4pm
Pick-up: November 26, 9am-9pm

Green bean casserole

  • Contemporary American
  • Culver City
Mom-made, Campbell's soup variety green bean casserole was never good, but Culver City's Akasha prepares the haricots verts with mushrooms and a crunchy, fried onion topping.

Price: $30, serves 4-6 people
Order by: November 23 at 5pm
Pick-up: November 26, 3-9pm
  • Brasseries
  • Beverly Hills
Thomas Keller's French bistro gussies up the old-school classic with bite-sized green beans comined with a mushroom velouté (fancy for thickened French sauce) and topped with fried shallots.

Price: $16, serves 2-3 people
Order by: November 21-27
Pick-up: November 27

Gravy

  • Cafés
  • Westwood
Daniel Mattern makes this traditional gravy with housemade turkey stock, giblets and pan drippings (aka the good stuff). 

Price: $22, 1 pint
Order by: November 24
Pick-up: November 26 by 6pm
  • American creative
  • Brentwood
Chicken stock starts with roasted turkey bones, then thickened with butter and flour. The secret: turkey giblets that have been sous-vided in duck fat overnight amp up this ultimate gravy.

Price: $12, 1 pint, serves 4 people
Order by: November 17
Pick-up: November 27, 8-11am
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