With all the planning, prepping, cooking, and cleaning that goes into creating a memorable Thanksgiving feast, it can turn into a Herculean endeavor. This year you can nix all of that hard work and make a reservation instead. Dining out on the big day can save you time, sanity and an eternity in the kitchen.

701 Restaurant
Relish the flavors of fall with executive chef Ed Witt’s three-course feast. Openers include pumpkin soup with apple and rosemary beignets, and sage leaves stuffed with venison and accompanied by quince puree. For your main dish, go nontraditional with a suckling pig with sausage stuffing, or stick to the classic roasted turkey with stuffing and mashed potatoes. $45 per adult, $20 for children 10 and under.
» 701 Restaurant, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; 202-393-0701.

1789 Restaurant
Traditionally prepared turkey with all the trimmings is on the menu at 1789, because says executive chef Daniel Giusti, “people don’t want dolled-up food on Thanksgiving; they want great turkey with great fixings.” Sides include an oyster and applewood smoked bacon gratin that is made with oodles of aged Gruyere. As for the ham, the pigs are brined for a month with bay leaves, brown sugar and curing salt before being boiled and roasted. The outcome is pink, tender, a little salty and a little sweet. The three-course menu is $50 per person, or diners can order a la carte.
» 1789 Restaurant, 1226 36th St. NW; 202-965-1789.

2941 Restaurant
Executive chef Bertrand Chemel may have been born in France, but he enjoys the Thanksgiving tradition. “It’s a long day,” he admits. “But you can feel the spirit of the holiday all the way back in the kitchen.” Choose among four entrees: turkey breast with chestnut stuffing, a braised short rib paired with a rib-eye, chestnut ravioli, and a bouillabaisse of halibut, garlic sausage, and New Zealand mussels. Desserts include a pumpkin Baked Alaska. “It’s our way of bringing together my American and French influences,” Chemel says. The three-course dinner is $65 per person.
» 2941 Restaurant, 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, Va.; 703-270-1500.

Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca
Why do turkey only one way, when it can be done twice as nice? Executive chef Nicholas Stefanelli roasts the juniper-lard encrusted breast, then braises the leg with shallots, wild mushrooms and celery root. If you’re not in the mood for all that sleep-inducing tryptophan, he offers a blade steak with foie gras, mushrooms, and a black truffle sauce, and whole roasted sea bass accompanied by citrus emulsion and stewed eggplant. $45 per person.
» Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca, 1100 New York Ave. NW; 202-216-9550.

Rasika
Mix it up by substituting Indian fusion delicacies for the usual continental classics. Chef Vikram Sunderam meets your taste buds halfway with his special Cranberry Turkey Tikka ($16), which comes with pumpkin chutney and spiced Brussels sprouts. If you want to eschew the norm completely, the crispy spinach palak chaat ($9) and the black cod with honey, star anise and dill ($24) are standouts any day of the year.
» Rasika, 633 D St. NW; 202-637-1222.

Bourbon Steak
“Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year,” says executive chef David Varley. “Hands down. No competition.” He goes all out for the festivities, starting diners off with appetizers like crisped sweetbreads, warm Rappahannock River oysters, and roasted chestnut soup with spiced marshmallows and foie gras. Entrees include a brown butter basted Maine lobster, Virginia striped bass with toasted hazelnut crunch and a heritage chocolate turkey with chestnut stuffing. For dessert, stray from the ordinary with a Kabocha squash sticky toffee pudding that’s paired with butter pecan ice cream and pecan nougatine. $90 per person. 
» Bourbon Steak, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; 202-944-2026.

Blue Duck Tavern
Take casual to the next level with this bigger-than-a-Macy’s-parade-float buffet brunch. Appetizers — including seasonal salads, cheeses and breads — are set out in the open kitchen, while desserts are on display in the pastry pantry. The star entrees here are the free-range organic turkeys. $90 per person for adults. $45 for children between 6 and 12. Children under 6 are free.
» Blue Duck Tavern, 1201 24th St. NW; 202-419-6755.

Sou’Wester
Get ready to loosen your belt a few notches. Start off with soup or salad before moving on to the buffet, which includes local oysters, North Carolina shrimp and charcuterie, and sides such as butternut squash gratin and two types of stuffing. Turkey and ham are carved by the chefs in the dining room. Choose from pumpkin, apple or chocolate-pecan pie as a sweet finale, if you can fit it in. $65 per adult. $30 per child 6-12 years old. Children 5 and under are free.
» Sou’Wester, 1330 Maryland Ave. SW; 202-787-6868.

Serves Up
» Want to stay home? Have your meal catered by a local restaurant. Whether you tell your guests or not is up to you. Ritz-Carlton (D.C.) executive chef David Serus’ “Turkey to Go” includes the bird, trimmings such as country bread stuffing, butternut squash soup, and honey-roasted root vegetables, and either pumpkin or apple pie. The whole shebang costs $269 and feeds six. Pick-up is on Thanksgiving Day between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. To order: 202-974-5566.

Written by Express contributor Nevin Martell
Photo courtesy Ritz-Carlton