Most of the people I know with dietary restrictions hate being that dinner guest, the one who needs a special plate during the frenzy of holiday hosting. Unenviable is the cook who elects to produce a separate version of each Thanksgiving dish or the vegan who surveys the table and realizes they’ll be feasting on cranberry sauce.
Whether you’re the gracious host or a vegan who wants to ensure you have enough to eat this year, here are five Baltimore restaurants to make it easy with to-go food for Thanksgiving:
Dodah’s Kitchen
The vegan soul food concept at Dodah’s Kitchen in Mid-Town Belvedere — plus locations in Waldorf; District Heights; Mount Rainier; and Newark, Delaware — naturally lends itself to Thanksgiving, with favorites such as candied yams, collard greens, garlicky string beans, pumpkin cheesecake and mac and “cheese” with or without “seafood.”
“It’s almost like you can’t even tell it’s vegan,” co-owner Jilma Brown said of the latter dish.
The eatery is also offering “turkey” and stuffing for the occasion, in addition to pans of the sides and full sizes of the desserts instead of the usual slices. Brown said the food can be warmed up easily in the oven, except the mac and cheese, which is best microwaved to prevent further baking. Pickups run through Wednesday.
1210 N. Charles St.; 152 Smallwood Village Center, Waldorf; 6027 Marlboro Pike, District Heights; 3801 34th St., Mount Rainier; 230 E. Main St., Newark, Delaware; 202-883-6324, dodahskitchen.com
Harmony Bakery
The cornucopia of sweet and savory baked goods at Hampden’s Harmony Bakery are both vegan and gluten-free, perfect for breakfast while watching a parade or to amplify dinner and dessert later. The pumpkin-spice cornbread is studded with cranberries, and the shortbread cookies with a thumbprint of jam maintain a crumbly texture that wouldn’t give away that it’s egg- and gluten-free. The bakers at Harmony seemed to realize that their galette crusts would be thicker without gluten, so they took advantage of the extra support and loaded it up with potatoes, artichokes and sun-dried tomato cashew cream.
This mac and cheeze was thick with pumpkin sauce and had a slight spicy kick, and the mini apple pie balanced a sugar-dusted crumble with still-crisp fruit. The mini pumpkin pie in particular, though, was a clever spin on the original with filling that had notes of caramel, topped with a quenelle of dreamy coconut cream and candied ginger. 3446 Chestnut Ave., 410-235-3870, harmonybakery.net
Oleum
When Alisha Adkins-Adibe was cooking vegan while living in Japan, she didn’t have access to many replacement items like nondairy cream cheese. Soy was the main substitute, so she got very good at manipulating it. Thus, the tofu-based creations at Oleum in the Inner Harbor area are fairly indistinguishable from their dairy counterparts. Pasta sauces are unctuous, and the tiramisu made my lactose-intolerant dining companion giddy.
For Thanksgiving this year, owner and Executive Chef Adkins-Adibe is offering holiday takeaways that can be picked up as late as Thanksgiving Eve. Plant-based roast “turkey” with stuffing and gravy is available in half (feeds three to four people) or whole (feeds eight to 10 people) sizes. Pies include pumpkin, pecan and the gluten-free apple crumble.
But plenty of Oleum’s current menu will suit a Thanksgiving table, too. Pumpkin soup is protein-heavy with the backing of red lentils and coconut milk, accented with pepitas and a fatty swirl of Aleppo oil. “It really creates that cozy, warm, fall flavor. It’s a unique flavor that I’ve never had in a creamy fall soup,” Adkins-Adibe said. She also sells a catering tray of the hearty butternut squash risotto, along with vegetable broth and instructions for reheating.
301 Light St., 410-231-3102, oleumkitchen.com
The Land of Kush
Gregory Brown, chef-owner of The Land of Kush in Seton Hill, pushed back against the word “compensate” for the lack of meat in his vegan dishes. Rather than compensating, he and his team create new recipes, mainly by relying on herbs and spices more than vegan substitutes. It seems to pay off; he’s been serving Thanksgiving to-go orders for 13 years, and the Wednesday before the holiday is consistently his busiest day of the year.
The roasted seitan “turkey” is smothered in homemade gravy with onion, potato and garlic, and has options to serve 10, 15 or 30. The stuffing has a base of The Land of Kush’s cornbread, another worthy addition to the table. String beans are stir-fried with garlic and onion, and the mashed potatoes are finished with vegan butter and “a little love and attention,” Brown said.
On the usual menu, fat chunks of candied yams have just the right level of sweetness and density, and the macaroni, rich with house-made “cheese,” is a top seller, Brown said. Orders can be collected until 9 p.m. Wednesday.
840 N. Eutaw St., 410-225-5874, landofkush.com
Pie Time
It’s too late to preorder Thanksgiving pies from this corner pie shop in the Patterson Park neighborhood, but the bakers are making as many as they can to sell starting Wednesday at 8 a.m. Pie Time’s menu is ever-changing, but a handful of vegan items are usually on the menu. For example, in the Italian chickpea and kale pie, the title ingredients are bathed in stewed tomatoes with roasted red bell peppers and candied carrots, or the black bean chili pie has roasted tomatillo and poblano purée. For dessert, the fluffy peanut butter s’mores pie is naturally vegan. “Think a Reese’s stumbled into a campfire,” according to the menu.
3101 E. Baltimore St., 443-835-1960, pietime.com