Somehow in the past 10 days, Halloween slipped by us, we stepped into November, stores starting putting up Thanksgiving decorations (and even some Christmas!), daylight savings ended, and it’s officially Thanksgiving time. Thanksgiving countdown: 15 days.

That means it’s time to start thinking turkey (unless you’re a V.–then tofurkey). Maybe you already have Grandma’s turkey recipe up your sleeve. Or maybe you’re one of those dreading the fateful last Thursday of the month when you’re ultimately going to, somehow, be messing up the holiday centerpiece.

Have no fear—I’m here to present you with some foolproof Thanksgiving feast options:

Locally-sourced butchery Red Apron is offering free-range Virginian turkeys, available for pick-up in Arlington and Alexandria. The turkeys have been pasture-raised on a diet of fresh grass and local grain, and will be brined for 24 hours in Chef Nathan Anda’s herb and citrus mix, so you won’t need to worry about having a dry or tasteless bird. The turkeys weigh between 14 and 18 pounds and are $79.99. There are only a limited supply, so reserve your turkey and order at least 48 hours in advance by emailing eben@redapronbutchery.com. Pick up for the turkeys will be at Tallula restaurant on Nov. 19 and Planet Wine on Nov. 23.

For dessert, you can order from a selection of delicious homemade pies from Buzz Bakery. Pastry Chef Tiffany MacIsaac’s creations include: Double Crust Gala Apple Pie with a perfectly flaky crust stuffed to the brim with spiced apples, caramel sauce, cinnamon whipped cream; Classic Pumpkin and Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pies with candied cranberries, walnuts, and rum raisin ice cream; The American Pie Bar with two pies and toppings; and the Easy Start & Sweet Finish package with sweet and savory scones for a quick breakfast fix and pie display for dessert. Orders must be placed 72 hours in advance by phone and can be picked up at noth of Buzz Bakery’s locations in Arlington or Alexandria, Nov. 21-23.

For more information, call Red Apron at 703-746-9972 and Buzz at 703-600-2899 (Alexandria) or 703-650-9676 (Arlington).

-Julia Harbo

(Image: Accent/Shutterstock)

At the corner of Gallows Road and Lee Highway, there is a lot of construction going on where the Multiplex Cinemas used to be. There are a lot of signs in the area welcoming the “Mosaic District,” and while many of you may not appreciate the traffic that the construction causes, some of you may be curious as to what it is and when it will be completed. Well I have good news and bad news.

Let’s start with the bad news. Phase one of the Mosaic District isn’t set to debut until the fall of 2012. Ugh, that’s over another year of dealing with construction, dealing with traffic, and waiting.

The good news? The wait may be well worth it. Eden & Avant, the developer of Mosaic District, has decided to ditch the world of chain restaurants and lease to more locally based businesses. So far, leases have been signed by culinary establishments such as Black Restaurant Group, Matchbox, Taylor Gourmet, and Mom’s Organic Market. According to the Washingtonian (here and here), Sweetgreen and Red Apron Butchery are also planning to open up a store front there. Other companies who have signed a lease include Target, Angelika Film Center, and Hotel Sierra. There may not be many restaurants now, but I’m sure the number of retailers will increase by the next year.

More information can be found on their website, Twitter, or Facebook.

- Mai Nguyen

Participants include Victor Albisu of BLT Steak; Nathan Anda of Red Apron Butchery; Danny Bortnick of Firefly; John Critchley of Urbana; Scott Drewno of The Source by Wolfgang Puck; Liam LaCivita of Liberty Tavern/Lyon Hall; Dennis Marron of Jackson 20/The Grille at Morrison House; Peter Smith of PS 7′s; Chris Watson of BRABO; and Ed Witt of 701 Restaurant.

The panel of judges are comprised of Graffiato’s owner Mike Isabella, Robert Rollins of Ben’s Chili Bowl fame, The Washington Post’s Tim Carman, and Nycci Nellis from The List Are You On It.

For a $20 fee, attendees can sample all of the same food and vote for their favorite as well. Admission includes one cocktail featuring Skyy Vodka. Additional beverages like Flying Dog Beer and Whitehaven Wine can be purchased.

All of the proceeds benefit a non-profit organization called Brainfood, which uses food to develop life skills in a fun and creative setting. They teach active learning, self reliance, and healthy living in order to empower youth as resources in their own community.

Online tickets are available now. Visit the website, or call (703)-351-1211 for more information.

The Hotel Palomar is located just two short blocks away from the Rosslyn Metro Station. Street and valet parking are also available.

Hope to see you there!

-Ryan Robertson

(image: Domaso)

(Photo: Laurent Jung)

Because this area boasts a slew of custom meat purveyors par excellence.

Tallula/EatBar ex-toque Nathan Anda left the Arlington gastrohub last summer to develop his own charcuterie concept, which has since evolved into the Red Apron Butchery. Though he’s still scouting final locations for the shop–something Anda hopes is “weeks, not months away”–Anda already envisions a full-service facility replete with homemade sauces, gourmet foodstuffs and exotic proteins.

“It’ll be an experience, going in there,” Anda insists. He plans to specialize in “stuff that isn’t available everywhere,” tossing out pig ear terrines, cured lamb bellies, handmade lardo and trotters as potential impulse buys.

In the meantime, Anda’s current catalog (cured meats, homemade hot dogs) will be available for retail purchase at Planet Wine and officially debuts in Buzz‘s panini line. Anda is also firming up his relationships with various local farmers markets, estimating that he’ll make the rounds to the weekly Ballston, Penn Quarter and possibly one other open-air showplace beginning early next month.

Anda is also talking with fellow Neighborhood Restaurant Group chefs Anthony Chittum (Vermilion) and Frank Morales (Rustico) about weaving some of his wares into their menus.

“Hopefully, in the coming months, he’ll be using my pepperoni,” Anda said of the spicy sausage he’s developed for Morales’ gourmet pies. He also plans to make his products readily available to incoming Tallula chef Barry Koslow–though he suspects the charcuterie-savvy Koslow will not want for jaw-dropping snackables.

“With Barry coming in, it’s [Tallula] going to be awesome,” Anda predicts.

Meanwhile, Robert Wiedmaier’s new gourmet shop, The Butcher’s Block should be up and running shortly. Chef Chris Watson will oversee a gourmet retailer (along with the fledgling BRABO/BRABO Tasting Room) poised to offer fresh breads, wild game and a bevy of Belgian beers.

Down the road in Del Ray, Aussie butcher Stephen Gatward has developed a loyal following at Let’s Meat on the Avenue by serving up hard-to-find items (kangaroo meat, anyone?) as well as neighborhood necessities (smoked dog bones).

For those who enjoy a a dash of intrigue with their entrails, the mercurial Jamie Stachowski continues to peddle his cured goodies in the darnedest places (next delivery: tomorrow at noon).

And I would be terribly remiss if I didn’t give a nod to the gourmet links that spring from the mind of improbable sausage baron, Stanley Feder.

We’ve never had it so good.

–Warren Rojas