Top Five: Thanksgiving Dinners

1. Gray Brothers Cafeteria
555 S. Indiana St., Mooresville, 317-831-7234
Don’t be deterred by the long lines; the hungry customers queued up at Gray Brothers don’t mess around when it comes to loading up their trays with home-cooked Thanksgiving fare and slices of homemade pie.
2. Signature at the Propylaeum
1410 N. Delaware St., 317-638-7881
This Old Northside Victorian is home to the city’s oldest women’s social club and provides a perfect setting for Thanksgiving dinners steeped in history. Amid the vast buffet, roast pork, corn pudding, and other heirloom recipes comfortably share space with offerings like tilapia Florentine, a smashed-potato bar, and pumpkin-Parmesan biscuits. Reservations are a must.
3. Hollyhock Hill
8110 N. College Ave., 317-251-2294
On Thanksgiving Day, fresh turkey and ham sub in for the usual family-style fried-chicken dinners at this cozy northside fixture. A three-course holiday extravaganza features guest appearances by apple cider, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie.
4. Weber Grill
10 N. Illinois St., 317-636-7600
November food prep usually doesn’t call to mind charcoal cooking. But the grills at this lively downtown spot see plenty of action on Thanksgiving Day, turning out holiday sustenance like turkey, sausage, asparagus, and other smoky treats for brunch and a three-course meal option.
5. Strongbow Inn
2405 E. U.S. 30, Valparaiso, 219-462-5121
Strongbow serves up traditional turkey dinners year-round, but more than 2,300 folks flood in annually for the Thanksgiving feast. The one-day stats are staggering: 130 birds + 1,400 pounds of mashed potatoes + 140 gallons of gravy.
 
This article appeared in the November 2013 issue.