Many skipped the kitchen and prep work and headed straight for a restaurant to enjoy their Thanksgiving meal. Abigail’s Grille & Wine Bar in Simsbury had 700 reservations for the evening.
“It’s mostly large families, 10, 12. You do get some smaller diners, but it’s mostly large groups,” said manager Lauren Pecevich.
The selection of food, of course, included turkey and all the trimmings, but that was not everybody’s first choice.
Many opted for pork loin and seafood.
Those who came to the restaurant had their own reasons. For some they didn’t want to carry the stress of making a large meal. For others, plans fell through. But they all agreed that not cleaning up after the meal was a big plus.
“No dishes, “ said Phil Waldeck. “You don’t have to do the dishes.”
“No cleanup is a huge, huge perk,” said Beri Williams.
All in all, eating out made Thanksgiving more interesting for these folks because it was celebrated in the company of strangers.