It’s tradition at ThanksGavin (the 4 day feasting our family engages in each November) for one of my cousins to host the Friday Night dinner, which is like thanksgiving night all over again (but with different food). This year, Matt and his wife Andrea handled BOTH nights!
Shrimp Cocktail with home-made Cocktail Sauce.
Home-made Trout Dip. Very lovely smoked trout flavor and great creamy texture.
Toasts for the trout dip.
A pile of Snake River Farms beef.
Tomohawk steaks.
New York Steaks.
Sliced steak.
Salmon.
Home-made Béarnaise sauce for both the steaks and salmon.
Cauliflower Gratin. Covered in a Béchamel sauce that was infused with cheese then baked.
Crispy sliced potatoes.
Sautéed Mushrooms. Just like a steakhouse.
Sautéed Spinach.
Caesar salad made with my “famous” classic Caesar Dressing (includes anchoives and raw egg yolks of course).
My personal plate, avoiding the carbs.
The dessert spread returns the leftovers from Thanksgiving the night before.
Satisfaction!
Archive for ThanksGavin
And so we come to the traditional ThanksGavin Feast in its 2022 incarnation.
The main and kid’s tables.
Cute decorations this year.
And cute name tags.
The turkey straight out of the Green Egg.
Two turkey’s actually.
Mozzerella and Pepperdew appetizer.
The main spread of vegetables.
Salad dressing.
Kale Salad with a nutty dressing. With a meal like this a little fiber is always welcome!
Home-made cranberry jelly.
My mom’s home-made Cranberry Chutney.
Braised Leeks with Cheese. I’m really quite fond of leeks and probably ate at least 25% of this.
Roasted Beets.
Baked Sweet Potatoes.
Mashed Potatoes.
Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts.
Breads.
The “Turkey Station.”
Turkey. This is only part of the two birds, but you can see how well cooked it is with juicy smoked meat and a nice skin.
Just a portion of the delicious Challah Stuffing.
Vegan Gravy.
Regular gravy made from browned turkey wings.
Flounder Cakes that tasted exactly like crab cakes.
My 2022 Thanksgiving Dinner Plate. This year I was on a serious diet and so avoiding the carbs. I did have to cave in and pile a little bit of stuffing in the middle, but otherwise I avoided all the potatoes, beets, bread, etc and just piled on the meat and veggies. #thanksgiving
My brother’s plate, which had a different selection.
The main dessert spread.
The hot dessert spread.
Pecan Pie. My mom bakes the best pecan pie. I use part of the recipe (minus the crust) in my pecan pie gelato.
Filo Dough and custard.
Pumpkin Pie.
Grandmom’s brownies — they live on decades after her passing.
Grandmom’s blondies. I actually like these even better than the brownies.
Whipped Cream. I made whipped cream again. Just cream, vanilla, and a bit of powdered sugar.
Sweet Milk Gelato’s amazing Butterscotch Sauce. For the third year “running” (2019, 2021, and 2022 as 2020 was canceled) I whipped this up. Overcooked it slightly this year and it was a touch chewy. Still tasted amazing though.
My dessert plate. Sadly, the wine weakened my resolve and I broke down and had a little dessert. I didn’t finish the plate though and took about 1/3 of what I’d normally take.
Buster had Pig Ear for dessert.
Restaurant: China Gourmet [1, 2]
Location: 2842 St Vincent St, Philadelphia, PA 19149. (215) 941-1898
Date: November 23, 2022
Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese
Rating: Pretty decent Cantonese
As part of the traditional ThanksGavin progression of meals we go out on Wednesday before Thanksgiving and this year we returned to China Gourmet, which we’d visited on Friday night the year before.
Cantonese banquet hall — Philly style.
Fairly typical interior that is pretty much straight out of the SGV. It sure was quiet on this wed night.
The menu. Clearly they do a lot of takeout.
Peanuts on the table.
Vegetarian Spring Rolls. Nice and crispy.
Hot and Sour Soup. Not a bad version with a good texture. A bit goopy (corn starch). Could have used slightly more white pepper and black vinegar. They had red vinegar on the table but that was too sweet.
Shrimp with lobster sauce. The goopy lobster sauce was actually pretty tasty and the shrimp texture was great. There weren’t ENOUGH shrimp, but hey.
Lobster with ginger and scallion. This was two tiny lobsters. The meat was succulent and the sauce very silky so a nice version of the wet lobster type.
Whole flounder steamed with soy and scallions. Very light moist fish with lots of meat. Quite nice.
See all that meat?
“Peking duck.” Cantonese Roast Duck with the buns but still quite nice (and quite fatty). Not that crispy but delicious.
Stir-fried snow pea leaves with garlic. Very solid garlic green.
Steamed broccoli.
Stir fried mushrooms with tofu and snap peas. The tofu was delectably soft and the veggies firm and delicious. Very nice dish.
Sliced Pork with Okra. I haven’t had this exact combo but this was a very nice pork dish with tender and flavorful meat and crunchy veggies.
Cumin lamb. This certainly wan’t the typical cumin lamb — in fact I could barely taste any cumin. The meat was very tender with some good “moutony” flavor.
Plain Lo Mein.
Veggie Fried Rice. A bit too charred for my taste.
Fruit.
Really a pretty good place, on par with a medium level SGV Cantonese. Not the best ever, but not Chinese American either (at least the way I ordered). Everyone enjoyed it too so my “something for everyone” ordering seemed to have worked out.
For more LA dining reviews click here.
To see more ThanksGavin meals check here.
Salty Saturday is the traditional family bagel and lox brunch we do on the Saturday after ThanksGavin.
For the last couple of years it’s been hosted at my cousin Matt’s house. This year (2021), it’s a touch more subdued than usual due to cooking fatigue, the pandemic, etc.
In his sunny dining room.
Across the way is the kids table.
The more restrained spread this year.
Philadelphia bagels.
Onions.
Lox.
Cheese.
Herbs.
Snacks, cucumbers etc.
Tomatoes, capers, cream cheese, whitefish salad, olives.
Freshly made goat cheese fritata.
And here is my plate — delicious but it did induce ridicule for including 4 full bagel halves!
To combat the salt, I also tried a strategy of pounding a cold press coffee, which seemed to work (a bit). Then we got in the car and drove off to New York!
See here for more ThanksGavin posts.
Made by my young cousin Audrey from my Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
This year, after a brief pandemic induced hiatus, ThanksGavin returned to Philadelphia in 2021 — at my cousin Matt and his wife Andrea’s place.
Matt is in the back starting his kitchen prep.
For whatever reasons, possibly ennui, my photos are slightly more minimalistic than usual.
The savory spread.
Bread.
Butter.
Brussels with walnuts.
Squash.
Leeks.
Doubling down on the red are the roasted beets.
Potatoes Lyonnaise.
Cranberry jelly.
My mom’s cranberry chutney with a bit of citrus and cayenne — probably my favorite.
Veggies.
Turkey #1. BBQed in the Big Green Egg. And Turkey #2 was Done in the webber over charcoal.
Turkey!
More Turkey.
Stuffing.
Stuffing without butter.
My official plate for 2021!
Whipped cream I “whipped up.”
And some super decadent butterscotch sauce I also whipped up — given that I’m not the master of anything that belongs with gelato.
Brownies etc.
A spice/fruit cake.
Pumpkin pie.
Pecan pie.
Here is my pancreas busting plate.
Overall, some of the best ThanksGavin food yet, even beating out the awesome 2017 and 2018! It usually is, as the standards keep going up and up! To see a list of all ThanksGavin meals over the here, click here.
Restaurant: Argana Tree Restaurant
Location: 620 Greenwood Ave, Jenkintown, PA 19046. (215) 887-7400
Date: November 24, 2021
Cuisine: Moroccan
Rating: Slow but good
After 2 years off for the pandemic the ThanksGavin was back on in its habitual Philadelphia. On Wed night before the holiday we always go out somewhere interesting, in this case just down the street to:
It’s really down the street from my cousins’ place. We walked.
The menu.
The dining room.
NV Henriot Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut.
Bread.
Olive oil.
Assorted Moroccan Appetizers.
Greek Salad. Feta cheese, Olives, Tomato, Cucumber, Boiled Egg and Red Wine Vinegar Dressing Over Mixed Greens.
roasted beet salad. Crispy goat cheese, grapefruit, raspberries pistachio, arugula, mustard dressing.
Falafel and yogurt.
From my cellar: 1976 Robert Ampeau & Fils Volnay 1er Cru Santenots.
From my cellar: 2012 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Anrecht.
Kefta Kabob. Ground lamb in Moroccan spices.
Spinach Briwats. filo filled savory pastry with Spinach, onion and feta.
Vegetable Briwats. filo filled savory pastry with carrots, leeks, zucchini.
From my cellar: 2000 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes. VM 93+. Bright deep red. Exotic aromas of jammy red fruits, cinnamon and smoke. Juicy, tightly wound and powerful, with brooding flavors of black fruits, minerals and mint. Quite different in style from the basic bottling, with a structural underpinning that’s rare for the vintage. Finishes very long and firm, with strong flavors of dark berries and spices and somewhat austere but ripe tannins. Should prove to be long-lived in the context of the vintage. (Eric Solomon/European Cellars, Charlotte, NC)
Seafood Pastilla. Baby Scallops, Shrimp, Calamari & White Fish. served over Rice Vermicelli with Moroccan Spices
Lamb Shank.
Paella Valencia. Saffron Rice, Shrimp, Calamari, Baby Scallops and Chicken. I guess it came south from Spain.
Lamb Tagine w/ Caramelized Onions and Almonds.
Chicken Tagine with Apricots.
Seabass. Someone likes it plain.
Halibut.
Argana Tree was pretty tasty. I can’t say that it was fast, or that the plating was modern and slick, but the food was enjoyable and we had a great time. It was certainly great to see everyone again after 2 years hiatus!
Salty Saturday is the traditional family bagel and lox brunch we do on the Saturday after ThanksGavin.
For the last couple of years it’s been hosted at my cousin Matt’s house. This year (2019), it’s a touch more subdued than usual due to cooking fatigue.
In his sunny dining room.
Across the way is the kids table.
And a look at the spread.
As usual matt whips up a couple frittatas.
Olives to start.
Gratuitous zoom.
Several kinds of cream-cheese.
Whitefish salad — my salt favorite.
Pickled herring.
Veggies and leftover muhammara.
Onions, I guess, are feeling left out.
And here is my plate — delicious but it did induce ridicule for including 4 full bagel halves!
My mom’s chocolate chip banana bread.
To combat the salt, I also tried a strategy of pounding a cold press coffee, which seemed to work (a bit). Then we got in the car and drove off to New York!
Restaurant: DJ Kitchen
Location: 4040 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131. (215) 586-8888
Date: November 29, 2019
Cuisine: Szechuan Chinese
Rating: Surprisingly good
For “Fat Friday” — the official Friday dinner after Thanksgiving, we broke with the tradition of another house meal and headed partially into center Philadelphia to:
DJ Kitchen — a surprisingly authentic Szechuan place.
Typical modern interior of the newer more casual Chinese joints.
Part of our giant 20 person table.
The kid corner.
The auspiciously colored menu.
From my cellar: 2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon. AG 94+. The 2006 Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is powerful, intense and also classically austere in its make up. Crushed flowers, mint, red berries and cranberries are all finely sketched. The 2006 finishes with striking mineral-driven precision, and while it doesn’t have the opulence or exuberance of the 2002, it is still a very pretty and appealing Champagne. The Elisabeth Salmon is 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay, with about 8% still Pinot Noir. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. (Drink between 2018-2031)
Scallion pancakes for the kids. Certain adults, even certain adults who are supposed to be avoiding carbs, felt compelled to gobble these as well.
Spicy crispy cucumber. Solid (and garlicky) version of the classic cucumber opening.
Chicken in chili oil. Classic Szechuan appetizer of cold chicken in chili sauce. Not a bad version.
More bubbly.
Cumin fries (again mostly for the kids).
Pan fried pork dumplings. Pretty generic.
Dan Dan Noodle.
Mixed up. Not bad, but lacked the complex nutty flavor I like in great dan dan.
Dumplings in chili oil. These were delicious.
Vegetarian Spring Rolls with sweet sauce.
XLB (Xiao Long Bao). Always great little steamed pockets of delicate dough filled with pork.
From my cellar: 2017 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese. 92 points. Orange, pineapple, graphite and earth. Step up in weight here on the palate but has superb acidity that cuts through and drives onward. Great length and detailed layers give this excellent palate presence.
Homemade egg with tomato for the vegetarians. We had too many people with dietary restrictions tonight — always a touch difficult at real Chinese food.
Chinese cabbage with dried pepper. I love this dish. Really nice texture. Somehow makes cabbage delicious.
Mapo Tofu. Pretty good rendition — and one of my favorites.
Kung Pao Shrimp. Okay, but not a fan of the bell peppers (too Chinese American).
Tea Smoked Duck with hoisin and buns. More like Cantonese roast duck.
Dry pepper Chicken. Always a super delicious pile of crunchy fried chicken. This particular one was very spicy. Often it isn’t.
Not bad for 20+ people!
Overall, while not as good as a place like Sichuan Impression, pretty real Szechuan Chinese. About as good as a second rate SGV place — and for a city like Philadelphia that’s excellent. I enjoyed my meal a lot. The kids and vegetarians maybe a bit less so!
This year, after a brief California hiatus in 2016, ThanksGavin returned to Philadelphia in 2017 — and continues through 2019 at my cousin Matt and his wife Andrea’s place.
Matt is in the back starting his kitchen prep. 
Then outside lighting up the big green egg! 
Buster supervises. 
But the OG crew, shown here, consisting of my mom and aunt are still on turkey duty! 
From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. AG 96. Taittinger’s 2007 Comtes de Champagne will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and soft contours give the 2007 its alluring personality. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, chamomile and green pear add brightness and freshness throughout, with a persistent, clean finish that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Today, the 2007 comes across as a slightly more open version of the 2004, with freshness that makes that wine so appealing, and a touch of textural richness that recalls the 2002. Although the 2007 does not have the explosive energy or verticality of the profound 2006, it will drink better earlier. The 2007 has been positively brilliant on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. (Drink between 2018-2047)
More sparkling. 
From my cellar: 1995 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 92 points. Opulent but balanced, dignified without slathered oak or exagerrated maloloactic fermentation. Good show. 
My mom brings out the snacks. 
Muhumarah. Homemade spicy middle eastern walnut and pepper dip. 
Crisps. 
Olives. 
From my cellar: 2002 Gros Frère et Sœur Grands-Echezeaux. RJ 95. Big, ripe, vanilla, chlorine nose; tasty, elegant fruit, lovely and sexy; long finish 95+ pts. 
From my cellar: 1999 Maison Roche de Bellene Latricières-Chambertin Collection Bellenum. 91 points. Sleek and full-bodied with dark fruits and good balancing acidity. Very minerally flavor profile with a smooth texture and a long, modestly complex finish. 
From my cellar: 2004 Château Palmer. AG 92. Deep red. Rich aromas of plum, redcurrant, chocolate and smoke. Sweet, lush and smooth, with a wonderfully fine-grained texture for the year. Highly expressive flavors of currant, cedar, chocolate and tobacco. The wine’s subtle sweetness, suave tannins and sneaky persistence convey an impression of very regular ripeness. 
More red. 
The savory spread. 
Turkey #1. BBQed in the Big Green Egg. And Turkey #2 was Done in the webber over charcoal. 
Turkey! 
Stuffing. 
Stuffing baked into a casserole. 
Gravy. 
Shallots. 
Simple Arugula salad. 
Brussels with walnuts. 
My mom’s cranberry chutney with a bit of citrus and cayenne — probably my favorite. 
Raw cranberry salsa — my least favorite but some love it. 
Cranberry jelly. 
Doubling down on the red are the roasted beets. 
Sweet potatoes. 
Bread. 
My official plate for 2019! 
From my cellar: 1965 Taylor (Fladgate) Very Old Single Harvest Port Limited Edition. 96 points. Brown and nutty in color, awesome! 
The dessert spread. 
Tower of sweets including the every popular Jagielky candy’s. 
Apple pie. 
Grandmom’s (recipe) brownies and blondies. 
Butternut squash pie (tastes just like pumpkin). 
My mom’s famous pecan pie, made totally from scratch. 
Cookies. 
Whipped cream I “whipped up.” 
And some super decadent butterscotch sauce I also whipped up — given that I’m not the master of anything that belongs with gelato. 
Here is my pancreas busting plate. 
Overall, the best ThanksGavin food yet, even beating out the awesome 2017 and 2018! It usually is, as the standards keep going up and up! To see a list of all ThanksGavin meals over the here, click here.
Restaurant: Keep
Location: 417 York Rd, Jenkintown, PA 19046. (215) 277-7947
Date: November 27, 2019
Cuisine: New American
Rating: solid New American
The first official event of ThanksGavin 2019 is Wed night, and this year my cousin (the reigning TG Poobah) chose:
Keep, a casual bistro-style New American in Jenkintown PA.
Cute little interior.
And our gang table of 20 or so.
Our special menu for the night.
From my cellar: NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuvée de Réserve. RJ 92. Light yellow color with abundant, steady, tiny bubbles; autolytic, almond cream nose; tasty, autolytic, almond cream, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points
Pickles. Really zesty and delicious.
Olives. Awesome olives actually, with great EVOO and a bit of zest. I ate about 2 containers of these.
From my cellar: 2014 Jean-Claude Ramonet Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly. BH 90. A soft trace of wood frames pretty and cool but ripe yeast, apple and pear scents that slide gracefully into the nicely detail, rich and relatively generously proportioned middle weight flavors that possess a lovely salinity that surfaces on the focused and persistent finale where a touch of bitter lemon appears. This is already sufficiently forward that it could be enjoyed now but I would be inclined to allow it at least 2 to 3 years of cellar time and 5 will probably prove to be ideal. (Drink starting 2019)
Brussels Sprouts with hummus and Parmesan.
Cassoulet. Gusty!
Lentil Fritters. Third appetizer filled with gas inducing carbohydrates!
From my cellar: 1999 Dominique Laurent Mazis-Chambertin. RJ 93+. Medium red violet color; smoky, earthy, mushroom, barbecue sauce nose; lovely, complex, sous bois, shitake mushroom, mineral, raspberry, baked cherry palate; medium-plus finish 93+ pts.
Pelmeni. Shrimp dumpling, dill beurre blanc, creme fraiche, vmochanka. Sweet, and very Russian tasting.
Chickpea Tofu. Roasted eggplant, broccoli rabe, caponata, crispy garlic.
Salmon. Jail island Salmon, potato tart, bacon-celery escabeche, horseradish cream.
Big red for those who can’t handle the good stuff.
The burger. Beef patty, caramelized onions, egg yolk jam, fried fingerlings.
Shortrib Steak. 6oz shortrib steak, potato soubise, pearl onion, charred red onion, beef salt, jus.
More big red for the white haters.
Pastel Melodia. Orange scented cake, poached pear, membrillo, chantilly.
Chocolate tart, dark chocolate, cherry, creme fraiche.
Lemon sorbet.
Overall, not a bad dinner at all — particularly given our party size. They are very nice and have a good — if not particularly groundbreaking — kitchen.
Restaurant: White Elephant
Location: 759 Huntingdon Pike, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006. (215) 663-1495
Date: November 26, 2019
Cuisine: Thai
Rating: Fine, but “Americanized” Thai
This year for ThanksGavin 2019 we arrived a day early in Philadelphia and so went out locally with my parents and Aunt & Uncle to:
White Elephant, a nearby strip mall Thai.
They have nicely decorated the fairly boring space. No Thai (language) on the menu!
Some kind of lobster roll.
Crispy Roll. Filled with pork, bean thread, and julienne vegetables, then fried until crispy golden brown, and served with sweet and sour sauce.
Coconut Soup. Seafood combination in coconut milk , with galanga, lime juice, mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery and red bell peppers.
Mushroom Soup. Thai style fresh mushroom soup with herb and Marsala wine.
Chicken tenders and fries for the boy.
Thai Eggplant. Thai sweet eggplant sautéed until brown and stir fried with chicken, onion, carrot, broccoli, red bell pepper, basil and aromatic herbs.
Seafood Lover. Sautéed seafood medley of salmon, calamari, shrimp, scallop, and green shell mussels, with, Thai basil, onion, broccoli, carrot and red bell pepper in delicious and spicy sauce.
Sweet Surrender. Fillet of salmon crusted with pecan and baked to perfection, served with mellow apricot brandy sauce.
Chicken Panang Curry. Chicken cooked in a traditional delicious Panang curry sauce with coconut milk, broccoli, red bell pepper and green beans….Chicken/Beef.
Chu Chee Duck. Crispy roasted semi-boneless duck, served in a special red curry sauce flavored with pineapple.
Overall, this was tasty because Thai is always tasty — but it was pretty “whitebread” as you would expect from a Philly suburb strip mall. No Thai on the menu, spice and flavors toned down a bit.
Restaurant: Elephant Jumps
Location: 8110 Arlington Blvd, Entrance is on Gallows Rd., Falls Church, VA 22042. (703) 942-6600
Date: November 24, 2018
Cuisine: Thai
Rating: Very nice modern Northern Thai
On our last night of the ThanksGavin 2018 trip, back in the Washington DC area, we decided to check out a new Thai place my parents have been frequenting.
This is a newer place and has a cute name.
And a newish large mall as its location.
The interior is small but cute.
THAI SPICY SHRIMP SOUP. Tom Yum Goong shrimp, mushroom in thai herbs spicy soup.
FRIED WATERCRESS SALAD. Yum Puk Num Todd Grob fried watercress. served with minced chicken, fresh lime juice, onion, chili sauce.
EGGPLANT BASIL. One of those traditional Thai preps, a light slightly sweet, slightly spicy basil sauce, with sliced eggplant being the “main” ingredient.
GREEN CURRY with CHICKEN. green curry paste, coconut milk, eggplant, mushroom, basil. Had a bit of heat, although nothing like Jitlada.
CRISPY COCONUT SHRIMP. Fried shrimp with lots of coconut in the batter. Like an excellent Thai version of the American appetizer classic!
Overall, Elephant Jumps was quite nice. Stylistically it’s a bit like a Northern Thai place like Renu Nakorn — including the big mall — but Elephant Jumps is a bit more modern and stylish, with a smaller menu and slightly less intense flavors. Still, you could smell the fish sauce in the air, this is real Thai, with a lot of flavor.
Salty Saturday is the traditional family bagel and lox brunch we do on the Saturday after ThanksGavin.
For the last couple of years it’s been hosted at my cousin Matt’s house.
In his sunny dining room.
Across the way is the kids table.
And a look at the spread.
Olives.
Cucumbers and tomatoes as condiments.
Cucumbers and onions — looking pretty.
Capers and chives.
I like my cream-cheese with chives in it.
Muenster and Swiss. Always makes me think of the Muenster Rebellion but I love it still.
Two kinds of whitefish salad. Chunky smoked.
And creamy whitefish salad (lots of mayo). I actually like this one better.
Two kinds of lox, regular and pastrami lox — which I now love. Low salt too considering.
Pickled herring.
Roasted beets.
Matt made a frittata too.
And here is my plate — delicious but it did induce ridicule for including 4 full bagel halves!
To combat the salt, I also tried a strategy of pounding a cold press coffee, which seemed to work.
It’s tradition at ThanksGavin (the 4 day feasting our family engages in each November) for one of my cousins to host the Friday Night dinner, which is like thanksgiving night all over again (but with different food). This year, Matt and his wife Andrea handled BOTH nights!
2015 Jacques Perritaz Cidrerie du Vulcain Apple Transparente.
Colorful peppers being prepped.
Appetizers of muhamara, tapenade, olives.
Cousin Matt ordered these incredible tomahawk steaks over the internet!
Check them out in scale.
Matt is on the left seasoning them.
And close up of before going on the grill.
Matt somehow got these tomahawk steaks perfectly cooked first try.
Because it was a steak, he made an awesome wedge to go with it — and with the romaine scare it was actually hard to find even iceberg lettuce.
The ice berg lettuce.
A fully prepped (minus tomato) wedge salad. Amazing rich blu cheese dressing.
Salmon for those who don’t eat meat.
Bread, peppers.
Greens.
Potatoes.
Cauliflower.
Amarone goes great with meat.
Here are the steaks being sliced.
And what was left about 10 minutes later.
Bone it!
For dessert, we begin with my mom’s rustic cranberry tart. Looks perfect doesn’t it?
Pumpkin — oops butternut squash — pie.
Grandma’s brownies and blondies.
Cut up.
Apple pie from the previous night.
Candies.
Ice cream for ala mode.
This year, after a brief California hiatus in 2016, ThanksGavin returned to Philadelphia last year — and continues in 2018 at my cousin Matt and his wife Andrea’s place.
Matt is in the back starting his kitchen prep.
But the OG crew, shown here, consisting of my mom and aunt are still on turkey duty!
From my cellar: 2006 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes. BH 93. This is quite a bit riper though there is no overt exoticism present with aromas of peach, spiced pear and apricot that merge into exceptionally rich and relatively big flavors blessed with ample amounts of palate coating dry extract that completely buffer the firm spine of ripe acidity and intense finishing minerality. This is balanced and driving with a linear finish that slowly fans out as it lingers. Superb.
Crudités.
Potato chips cacio e pepe (baked with cacio cheese and pepper).
The infamous caponata.
On the stove.
Gravy simmering.
From my cellar: NV Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Grand Rosé. BH 90. Oeil de perdrix color introduces a fresh and mildly fruity nose of strawberry and raspberry scents where additional breadth is present in the form of yeast and citrus nuances. The cool and relatively crisp middle weight flavors possess good if not better depth before culminating in a relatively dry finish that is shaped by moderately firm effervescence. This is certainly very pretty but not particularly deep.
Turkey #1. BBQed in the Big Green Egg.
And Turkey #2. Done in the webber over charcoal.
From my cellar: 2003 Gros Frère et Sœur Grands-Echezeaux. BH 89-92. This too is very toasty but the spicy black fruit nose manages to transcend the wood and complements powerful, dense, borderline massive flavors of superb depth, all wrapped in dusty, firm and ripe tannins. This is a big wine and while it’s no model of elegance, one has to admire the muscle and sheer concentration. This will take its time coming around.
We have three kinds of homemade cranberry sauce!
Cranberry jelly.
Raw cranberry salsa — my least favorite but some love it.
My mom’s cranberry chutney with a bit of citrus and cayenne — probably my favorite.
Carrot salad.
Doubling down on the red are the roasted beets.
Bread and butter — Buster, the ever enthusiastic Retriever, even ate some of the excellent cranberry bread (much to everyone’s chagrin).
Brussels sprouts with walnuts.
Sweet potato with harissa and pistachios. Fabulous, but spicy.
Shallots.
From my cellar: 1999 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Vecchie Vigne Sorì Paitin. AG 92. The 1999 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin Vecchie Vigne is dark, powerful and opulent, with more than enough stuffing to age well for the better part of the next decade. Smoke, menthol, tar, black fruit and French oak blossom in the glass as this resonant, exuberant Barbaresco show off its unique, totally compelling personality. The French oak is present, but well balanced at the same time.
The turkey and stuffing plate!
Gravy.
And the whole spread.
My official plate for 2018!
From my cellar: 1975 Dow Porto Vintage. 93 points. Very nicely developed and it is drinking perfectly now.
Tower of sweets including Grandmom’s (recipe) brownies and blondies. Plus the every popular Jagielky candy’s. 
Butternut squash pie (tastes just like pecan).
Apple tort.
My mom’s famous pecan pie, made totally from scratch.
Some various ice creams.
Overall, the best ThanksGavin food yet, even beating out the awesome 2017! It usually is, as the standards keep going up and up!
To see a list of all ThanksGavin meals over the here, click here.
Restaurant: Georgian Bakery and Cafe
Location: 11749 Bustleton Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19116. (215) 969-9900
Date: November 21, 2018
Cuisine: Georgian
Rating: Like bland Afghan
It’s tradition on the day before ThanksGavin, for us Gavins to go somewhere ethnic.
For the last 2-3 years we’ve been going to an Uzbek place but this year it was slightly shifted to a nearby Georgian place — oddly located next to the home depot.
Here’s the restaurant itself in what was clearly intended as a big box store space.
Inside is oddly sterile too. But we have a huge table to ourselves. There was one other large party but otherwise empty.
Some Prosecco to start.
Salad. Like a Greek salad.
Slightly different salad — with more garlic.
Eggplant paste toast — excellent.
Eggplant salad. Roasted.
Bread.
Boring “spicy” sauce. Wasn’t really spicy.
From my cellar: 1995 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Great bottle, fully mature.
Weird sweet pomegranate juice or something. Very sweet and bland.
Fried chicken. Pressed flat.
Egg bread. Fried egg inside what is pretty much a pizza bread. Pretty good, if very mild.
Cheese bread. Sort of like a cheese pizza with no sauce. Bland but tasty.
2014 Domaine Dujac Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Chaffots. 92 points. Bit of reduction. Pure, clean red fruit.
Georgian dumplings. Giant with thick skins. The meat inside was pretty good and these are clearly related to Chinese boiled dumplings. So heavy though! And badly badly need soy sauce, vinegar, and chili paste.
From my cellar: 1977 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva. Mature, earthy, a touch sour.
Kabobs of the pork, veal, beef, and chicken variety.
Sturgeon. Ick. Reeked and tasted like seared heavy fish oil. I needed tongue therapy after this.
Peanut crunchy cake. This was dry but pretty good.
We had a fun night and service was diligent — although there was an odd very long (45 min?) gap between the dumplings and kabobs.
But the food, while well prepared, was quite bland. The Uzbek place we have gone to several times was tastier and a bit more varied — and Afghan food, which is very similar, has about 10X the flavor. Georgian seems to be like carbs, cheese, and fairly bland meat and mixed up with no seasonings.
Salty Saturday is the traditional family bagel and lox brunch we do on the Saturday after ThanksGavin.
For the last couple of years it’s been hosted at my cousin Matt’s house.
In his sunny dining room.
Across the way is the kids table.
And a look at the spread.
Some leftover cheeses from the night before.
Bagel cheeses, like the all important Muenster – let’s hope it’s not feeling rebellious.
Cream cheeses, red onion, and capers.
Condiments.
sliced hard boiled egg.
Philadelphia lox is way better on average than LA lox — except Wexler’s.
Whitefish salad, my particular favorite salt bomb.
Whitefish without the mayo.
Heartburn central: pickled herring.
And a bit of fruit to finish.
I also tried a strategy of combatting the salt buzz with a triple shot of espresso, seemed to work.
It’s tradition at ThanksGavin (the 4 day feasting our family engages in each November) for one of my cousins to host the Friday Night dinner, which is like thanksgiving night all over again (but with different food). This year, Matt and his wife Andrea handled BOTH nights!
From my cellar: NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée. VM 94. The NV Grande Cuvée is absolutely stellar. This is one of the very best Grande Cuvées I can remember tasting. The flavors are bright, focused and beautifully delineated throughout, all of which make me think the wine will age well for many, many years. Lemon peel, white flowers, crisp pears, smoke and crushed rocks race across the palate in a vibrant, tense Champagne that epitomizes finesse. This release is based on the 2005 vintage and was disgorged in winter 2012/2013.
Fatty Friday usually has a big cheese spread, and tonight’s was dragged back a few days beforehand from Paris by my father. It included the cultured butter-like Mont D’Or.
And another view.
From my cellar: 2007 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère. BH 94. Though very little time has passed since I reviewed this gorgeous effort in Issue 35, particularly in this larger format, nothing makes me question my initial review as the ’07 Mouchère is a knock-out: An almost invisible touch of wood influence allows the elegant, ripe and ultra pure aromas of citrus blossom, spice and orchard fruit to have center stage while the focused, textured and almost painfully intense flavors culminate in a bone dry, silky and seriously long finish. In sum, this is a stunning wine of real class and grace where the balance is so good that it could be drunk now with pleasure, even from magnum though it will certainly repay longer-term aging if desired.
Tonight’s spread.
Turnip, I think.
Salad from the previous night.
Beets from the previous night.
Leftover stuffing.
Cranberry relish.
Cranberry sauce.
Stuffed squash.
And the inside view.
From my cellar: 1996 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley. VM 94. Deep ruby color. Multidimensional aromas of violet, coffee, dried rose, clove, rare steak and seductive oak. Huge and tactile; really implodes in the mouth today. Extremely deep and lush, with the sheer sweetness to buffer its considerable acids and tannins. Oaky. Finishes extremely long, with very fine, tooth-coating tannins. With aeration, some of the baby fat melted away, and the wine’s powerful structure was manifest. Headspinning, old-style Burgundy, and very impressive. One to buy and cellar.
Matt poses with his slow cooked pork shoulder.
Slow cooked pork shoulder.
Crispy skin, tender juicy meat inside.
The plate.
The desserts were mostly repeated from Thanksgiving itself, but there were Kosher rice crispy treats (have to use kosher marshmallows).
This year, after a brief California hiatus, ThanksGavin returned to Philadelphia — but to a new house (about a mile away). My cousin Matt and his wife Andrea picked up the baton from the elder generation.
From my cellar: NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this <em>cuvée</em>, but with no lack of vivacity.
Andrea melted cheese on these potato chips in the oven — awesome.
More rose champagne.
Rush Creek Reserve. I just had this Vaucheron-like cheese a couple nights before at the brand new Hearth & Hound.
The first turkey, done on a charcoal webber was a bit “crispy” on the outside, although perfect inside.
The second, cooked in a big green egg, was more even toned.
The spread.
Some of my dad’s white burg.
From my cellar: 1995 Domaine Anne Gros Clos Vougeot Le Grand Maupertui. VM 92. Deep red-ruby. Extravagantly rich aromas of blackcurrant, pepper, smoke and tar. Large-scaled, deep and very sweet; explosively fruity and impressively tactile. Chewy tannins are buried under a wave of finishing fruit. A knockout Clos Vougeot truly worthy of its grand cru status.
From my cellar: 1995 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Sorì Paitin. VM 91. Medium red, some amber at the rim. Plum, cherry and enticing smoky, toasty oak on the nose. Smoky, sweet and velvety, with insinuating flavor. Has firm backbone and finishes with some oak tannins but avoids dryness. Rather Pommard-like in its solidity.
From my cellar: 1996 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. VM 94+. Bright medium ruby. Deep, superripe aromas of dark berries, black cherry and bitter chocolate; slightly exotic crystallized fruit aspect. Dense, sweet and wonderfully rich; a lovely combination of palate-caressing chocolatey fruit and firm underlying structure. Finishes with excellent grip and great palate-saturating sweetness. Another outstanding 1996 Medoc wine in the making. Drink 2010 through 2030.
Fresh bread.
Toppings.
The endive and radish and beet salad.
Beets.
Roasted slightly bitter veggies, including turnips.
Scalloped mashed potatoes. Pretty awesome with lots of butter and cream.
Sweet potatoes. More starch!
Green bean casserole with béchamel and crispy onions. Who says veggies can’t be delicious (if you smother them in fat)?
Cranberry sauce mould.
Cranberry chutney with cayenne. My favorite, as it’s zesty.
Cranberry relish.
The turkey, which looks a bit like a Chinese Roast Goose.
Delicious stuffing.
Rich gravy.
Another view.
My plate this year.
From my cellar: 2015 Jacques Perritaz Cidrerie du Vulcain Apple Transparente
The homemade dessert spread.
Matt’s homemade nut and marshmallow fudge.
Mom’s vegan pecan pie — amazing.
Bob’s custard pie. Almost savory, perfect texture, a bit like a giant Macau tart.
Matt’s pumpkin pie.
Matt’s pecan pie. A richer butter crust and very sweet.
Grandmom’s (recipe) brownies.
Grandmom’s (recipe) blondies.
I tried to be moderate.
Overall, the best ThanksGavin food yet! It usually is, as the standards keep going up and up!
Thanksgiving in my family is always an opportunity for epic gluttony — home cooked gluttony at that — hence the ThanksGavin nomenclature. This year we were back in Los Angeles for only the second time in decades, blending cooking and recipes from both my side and my wife’s side in an all around cooperative cooking fest.
Let’s review some of the prep like this rathere hacked Kosher turkey.
And Challah stuffing.
The open neck was “surgically sealed” before it went on the BBQ.
We had enough people we needed 2!
The finbished product pre-carving.
And drippings to be transformed into gravy.
NV Demière-Ansiot Champagne Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs. VC 90+. The new release of the consistently excellent non-vintage Blanc de Blancs bottling from Demière-Ansiot was disgorged in December of 2014 and is base year 2011, with a finishing dosage of six grams per liter. The thirty percent reserve wines used here hail from 2010 and 2008. The youthful bouquet wafts from the glass in a classic blend of pear, apple, a touch of fresh almond, incipient notes of crème patissière, chalky minerality, brioche and a topnote of apple blossoms. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still youthfully snappy, with a lovely core, excellent mousse, crisp acids and a long, pure and beautifully balanced finish. This is certainly approachable today, but I will keep my bottles tucked away for a couple of years to allow this wine to come forward a bit from behind its fine structure.
2005 Gramona Cava III Lustros Gran Reserva. 90 points. Light brioche on the nose with dried lemons and limes, and ripe pear. Nice dry finish and some minerality but overall palate lacks depth and complexity.
The appetizer hour in the drawing room.
Chopped Beef liver.
Crackers and crudites.
Toasts.
Olives, dates, tomatos.
People then move into the dining room.
2006 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières. VC 92. The 2006 Leflaive Folatières shows even more ripeness than any wine that has come before it in the cellar, with an extravagant and exotic profile on both the nose and palate. The bouquet is a mix of very ripe apples and peaches, honeysuckle, honeycomb and some chalky soil tones. On the palate the wine is a bit fresher on the attack than the nose promises, with good mid-palate stuffing, fine focus and complexity, but some heat penetrating through the fruit on the long finish that closes nicely with a note of lemon oil.
Butternut squash soup. For a long time during “development” this soup tasted too much like boxed chicken stock — but after adding some Remi Martin XO, a bunch of black pepper, ginger, and cinnanom and cooking it down it was redeemed. It came out delicious.
1983 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. 94 points. An awesome mature red Burg.
2004 Cantine del Castello di Conti Boca Il Rosso delle Donne. AG 92. The 2004 Boca Il Rosso delle Donne shimmers on the palate with layers of fruit, mineral, and herbs. Stylistically the 2004 is a much more expansive, generous wine than the 2005, with layers of fruit that radiate with notable energy through to the mineral-laced finish. This fresh, vibrant and impeccably pure wine is a jewel.
Seb brought: 2014 Melville Syrah Estate Donna’s. parker 97. Even better, with more depth, density and ripeness, the 2014 Syrah Donna’s offers overflowing notes of olive tapenade, salted beef, licorice, black olive, peppery herbs and cured meats, with tons of ripe currants, fresh plum and smoked black cherry fruit. Full-bodied, elegant and seamless, with fabulous purity and persistence, I wouldn’t push the aging curve, but it’s a killer wine that will provide tons of pleasure over the coming 7-8 years.
The main buffet spread.
Kale salad with citrus.
Savory slaw.
Mashed potatoes.
Sweet potato “pie” with walnuts.
Turkey. sorted white to dark.
Stuffing. Awesome!
Gravy. reduced from the drippings and neck meat.
Balsamic glazed beets.
Other beets.
Brussels sprouts.
Brussels sprouts version 2.
Sweet cranberry sauce.
Spicy cranberry chutney – my favorite.
Apple sauce.
Spiced green beans and carrots. Great color and a nice crunch.
Spicy beet greens my brother cooked.
Cauliflower with walnuts and raisins.
The annual plate.
Seb brought: 2014 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha Campo de Borja. 92 points. big rounded Spainish Grenache.
NV Gonzalez-Byass Pedro Ximénez Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Viejo Noé (30 Years/Años). WD 17.5. A 100% PX wine. Caramel, molasses, Christmas pudding on the nose. Rich, oily, toffee sauce style of wine, with nuts and raisins. Really over the top; impressive, but I don’t know if I would actually want more than a mouthful. I suspect it would be really good with ice cream though.
Parve Nonpareils.
Chocolate chip bundt cake.
Fruit.
Bananna blondies.
Pumpkin pie.
My mom’s apple cobbler.
Chocolate cake.
And all handmade my me, artisanal sorbetti. Left to right: espresso, strawberry, and cherry-cassis. The texture came out textbook perfect in all 3 cases. The espresso would be better with milk, but the two fruit ones have amazing flavor.
All in all and extremely successful feast. Cooking was a shared affair between my the whole family on both sides and oodles of excellent dishes abounded. So much good home cooked food! So little room in the stomach.
