On November 28th, people will gather with family and friends to enjoy meals prepared, sometimes, days in advance. Meals that are thoughtfully curated through the careful review of recipes passed down from generation to generation. This time naturally brings loved ones together after months and sometimes years of not seeing each other. Food, laughter and stories reverberating on accumulated holiday memories will leave some saying, “A time was had.” Do you ever wonder how the chefs of your favorite local restaurants or artisan bakeries celebrate Thanksgiving and what dishes or desserts have a reserved spot on their dining table?
We were able to catch up with some of them to ask about their family traditions celebrated at this time of year.
Chef Troy Guard
Restaurant(s): TAG Restaurant Group; TAG, HashTAG, Bubu, Guard and Grace, TAG Burger Bar, Done Deal Cocktail Bar, Los Chingones; various locations
The Lowdown: “I grew up in Hawaii, and many of my fondest holiday memories are from my childhood on the island. Every other year, myself, my wife Nikki and the kids go back to Hawaii and spend time with my family there. Our turkey preparation is a little bit different. We bury them in the ground wrapped in banana leaves and cook them just like a Kalua pig. It’s seriously the best turkey you’ve ever had in your life and turns out incredibly tender and flavorful. These traditions have always inspired my cooking, and I’m always looking for ways to incorporate the flavors and ingredients of Hawaii into classic dishes, giving them my own personal twist.”
Chef Troy recently celebrated a milestone that marked the tenth anniversary of the Los Chingones RiNo location. If you are not too stuffed or planning to be up early to check out all the holiday shopping deals, check out Los Chingones for a late-night naughty cocktail or two at their 21+ Pop-Up Holiday Bar that will run every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. until December 28th. Walk-ins are welcome but reservations are encouraged for this event.
Chef Dominique Washington
Restaurant(s): MS Nikki’s DeeLights; Denver
The Lowdown: “I don’t know if it is a tradition or how we were raised, but we love to be around one another, laugh and eat. And that is every time we get around each other whether it is for a holiday gathering or not. We love to laugh and eat good food and desserts. Our favorite desserts for Thanksgiving are sweet potato and pecan pies.”
Chef Washington (aka “MS Nikki”) is a culinary and pastry chef. Her experience includes working as a pastry chef at Stoic & Genuine and the Brown Palace. Chef Washington decided to transition into entrepreneurship in 2016. She mixed her culinary and pastry skills to create the Cornbread Cupcake, which is a mix of comfort foods that can be enjoyed at Thanksgiving or any time you desire. The Cornbread Cupcake is stuffed with macaroni and cheese and topped with mashed potatoes and hand-breaded chicken breasts.
Chef Ni Nguyen
Restaurant(s): Sap Sua; 2550 E Colfax Ave., Denver
The Lowdown: “Growing up, my family tried to have that classic American Thanksgiving, but with a Vietnamese flare. Our table would have the classics like turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, but we would also include other things like fried rice, and egg rolls. We liked to incorporate some favorites from both cultures and get the whole family together.“
Sap Sua serves non-traditional Vietnamese food. Owners, Ni and Anna Nguyen bring a modern concept to East Colfax with dishes like the Fried Catfish Sandwich with kosho aioli and cabbage slaw and their Warm Ginger Cake. Visit its website to get details on how to book your holiday reservations.
Chef Miles Odell
Restaurant(s): Odell’s Bagels
The Lowdown: “As a chef, I typically work on Thanksgiving, however, that has often come in the form of cooking extravagant holiday meals for clients. One thing I’ve enjoyed doing in the past is smoking a turkey or a duck for Thanksgiving. I’ve always loved smoking my own pastrami and lox, and I find that this method plays just as nicely with those Thanksgiving birds.”
If you did not make a to-go plate or, multiple days of Thanksgiving leftovers are not your thing, head on over to Odell’s Bagel to try the Pastrami Lox Sandwich.
A BIG thank you to Chef Guard, Chef Washington, Chef Nguyen, and Chef Odell for taking time out of their busy schedules to provide us a peek inside their Thanksgiving traditions.
The featured image is courtesy of The Family Jones: Colorado Distillery and Spirit House. Check out the reopened Spirit House located at 3245 Osage Street, Denver. From now until January 2nd, you can enjoy a very jolly holiday menu that includes the Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (Automatic Jones Rock & Rye, creamy egg nog, fresh cinnamon, sugar flocked rosemary tree, vanilla bean snow) and Baby it’s Cold Outside (Atticus jones Rye, Bootleg Betty’s warm Apple smash, candied orange).