Photo by Kate Thompson courtesy Brittanny Anderson
The chef-owner of Brenner Pass and Metzger Bar & Butchery, Brittanny Anderson grew up near the Northern Neck in a family of oystermen and crabbers, and their Thanksgiving is reflective of the water. “We always do an oyster stuffing,” says Anderson, who has taken the family recipe up a notch by adding homemade bread crumbs, fresh sage and occasionally bacon or sausage.
Photo by Becky Crump courtesy Soul N' Vinegar
Thanksgiving is the ultimate holiday for chef-owner Michelle Parrish of Church Hill's Soul N’ Vinegar, and gravy, “the cure-all for everything,” is a can’t-miss at her household. “The gravy is always the same,” says Parrish, whose family fully embraces the holiday, despite typically enjoying Korean fare the rest of the year. Parrish uses giblets, the turkey neck and the essential cast-iron pan drippings to create her family’s ritualistic, savory, thick gravy.
Photo by Eileen Mellon
Yvette Daniel’s Barcelona roots remain strong, even when Thanksgiving arrives. The chef-owner of The Wooden Spoon Cafe ditches the customary bird for a seafood paella that, according to Daniel, is the most creative and her mother’s favorite (don’t tell her five sisters). “It is a family special occasion must-have,” explains Daniel, whose secret touch is the addition of lavish king crab legs.
