Downtown Appetite: 10 Great Holiday Tastes in DTLA Open Thanksgiving Day

Downtown LA is a cornucopia of gratitude this Holiday Season. Here are 10 Great Holiday Tastes from Downtown Open on Thanksgiving Day.

One…Feed the Family at Tulsi Indian Eatery

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the eons, it’s that you can’t give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it.” – Rick Riodan

Photo Courtesy: Tulsi Indian Eatery

Open from 11 am to 9 pm, pre-order or bring the family to Tulsi Eatery in the Old Bank District for a Plant-Based Holiday Feast. Plant-based Tikki Masala, Samosas, Chana Masala, Vegetable Korma, Dal Todka, Jeera Rice, Garlic Naan and Malai Kufi for only $39 is more than enough to feed a family of four and make sure you are healthy enough to put up with any Thanksgiving Shenanigans. www.tulsieatery.com

Two…Express Your Joy at Ootoro Japanese Sushi Restaurant

“Thankfulness is measured by the number of words. Gratitude is measured by the nature of our actions.” – DAVID O. MCKAY

Photo Courtesy: Ootoro Japanese Sushi Restaurant

If actions speak louder than words all you have to do is look around the dining room to see how grateful guests are at Ootoro Japanese Sushi on 2nd and San Pedro in Little Tokyo. Plenty of wide eyes and nodding heads of approval as diners indulge inside one of the freshest seafood restaurants in town. Open the entire Thanksgiving weekend for dine-in or pick-up, doors open 11:30 am to 2 pm, 5 pm to 9:30-10 pm. www.ootoro.com

Three…Spice It Up at Civil Coffee

“Be thankful for everything that happens in your life; it’s all an experience…” – ROY T. BENNETT

Photo Courtesy: Civil Coffee

DTLA is thankful for Civil Coffee! Brothers Alex and Alan Morales keep the festivities brewing at their second location on 8th and Los Angeles in the Fashion District. These two caffeinated siblings have just added Civil Crumbly Graham Cracker Pie with Strauss Vanilla Whip and a list of seasonal coffees made with Oaxacan Expresso, Organic Blue Agave, and Organic Oat Milk jolly. Served hot and cold, the season only gets merrier towards Christmas when they’ll introduce DTLA to their festive cups of Peppermint Mochas and Pumpkin Spice Lattes. www.civilcoffee.com

Four…Last Minute Shopping at Whole Foods and Ralph’s

Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.” – RUMI

If you’re looking to get some last-minute ingredients, libations, extra pans, plates or cups downtown LA has a local market on the corner of 9th and Flower and another on the corner of 8th and Grand that stays open just long enough to make sure your guests are happy, and leftover plates are full days after the night’s Thanksgiving feast. Whole Foods will open until 3 pm, while Ralphs will burn out of the midnight cooking oil just before the lock strikes 10 pm. www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Five…Home But Not Alone at The Lonely Oyster

“We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.” – NEAL A. MAXWELL

Photo Courtesy: The Lonely Oyster

They say you should be grateful if you can count your oysters on one hand. Well, it’s all hands on deck with family and friends welcomed to enjoy new menu items, Salt Brined Seared King Salmon and Charred Onion Miso Butter Oysters brought into the limelight by Executive Chef Dominique Crisp this Thanksgiving. With cocktails, select wines, and plenty of good ole’ times, our oyster friend in Echo Park proves once again why it’s numero uno, from 12 am – 12 pm. www.lonelyoyster.com

Six…Long Lasting Memories at Hearts and Flame

Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not the mind.” – Lionel Hampton

Photo Courtesy: Hearts and Flame

Homemade pasta and flamed grilled dishes make for long-lasting memories at the newly opened Hearts and Flame Italian restaurant on 2nd and Garey in the Arts District. Chef Michele Brogi has pathed the way to our hearts with mouth-watering starter Brazino a Carpaccio made with Pomegranate, Herbs, and Lemon Dressing and kept up the beat with one of the greatest tasting Octopus dishes the town has to offer, Polpo Tocco Toscano accompanied by Black Cabbage and Smoked Orange. Plenty of perfected menu items to be thankful for and one big Italian way to impress any family member or guest. Hearts and Flame will open from 5 pm to 10 pm with reservations. www.heartsandflame.com

Seven…Honor and Tradition at Engine Co 28

Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.” – SENECA

Photo Courtesy: Engine Co 28

DTLA can feast on tradition with honor this Thanksgiving within the historic Engine Company 28 Fire House building once home to our honorable fireman of yesteryear. Sound the alarm and ring in the Holidays with wine, cocktails and the first course of Butter Squash Soup served with House Rolls and Almond Butter. Doesn’t get any more traditional than a second-course meal served family style of sweet Kruse Roasted Glazed Ham and Organic Mary’s Turkey Breast riding alongside Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Roasted Yams, Traditional Stuffing, House Gravy, and Cranberry Sauce. Opened from 11 am to 8 pm, this orthodox banquet concludes with a most delicious reason to be thankful for; a slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake. www.engineco.com

Eight…Sacrificial Lambs at The Veil

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.” – MAYA ANGELOU

Photo by: Keri Freeman

If your nightly prayer begins with “Oh Darkest One” and ends with anything besides “Amen” you’re going to want to show your gratitude this Thanksgiving at Downtown’s only Goth Bar, aka The Veil. Located on the corners of 6th and Spring, the restaurant bar shrouded behind black chained fences and glowing blood-red signage surprisingly comes complete with some truly good tastes. Thanksgiving dinner will host a nightly sacrifice a $40 meal consisting of a glass of wine, Boar’s Head Carve and Serve Boneless Turkey, Home Chef Green Bean Casserole, Old Fashioned Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Turkey Gravy, King’s Hawaiian Rolls and a Slice… a Slice of Sweet pumpkin Pie. Opened from 9 pm to 2 am, this is Thanksgiving meets S&M, red wines, and a room full of satisfied appetites. www.theveil.com

Nine…All the Joy You Can Eat at HH Brazilian

Give thanks for a little, and you will find a lot” – HAUSA PROVERB

Photo Courtesy: HH Brazilian

If you’re looking for a little or a lot of food (and we mean a lot of food), look no further than HH Brazilian on Olive and 7th in the Finance District of Downtown Los Angeles. Headed by the owner, Sommelier Henrique Huyer, HH Brazilian is the only organic Halal Brazilian Steak House in America, making it as wholesome as it is filling. Open all day Thanksgiving, Downtown can enjoy an all-you-can-eat menu of Chicken, Beef, Pork Lamb plus Turkey cooked to perfection, sliced elegantly by rotating servers right before your very eyes. HH diners may also partake in an all-you-can-eat salad bar loaded with hot and cold items, A La Carts menu of items for struck pescas and vegetarians, and elegant glasses of wine glistening by the fire. www.hhbrazilian.com

Ten…Go Vegan at Wild Vegan Foods

Be grateful for what you have. Your life is someone else’s fairy tale.” – WALE AYENI

Photo Courtesy: Wild Living Foods

Lastly, if all-you-can-eat meat doesn’t float your boat because you’re a vegan you can go wild vegan foods on the corner of 8th and Main in the Fashion District of DTLA. Since 2016, Wild living foods has served unprocessed, non-GMO, non-refined dried never fried fruits, legumes, nuts, and veggies with everything on the menu from vegan desserts to full vegan plates. They are all about enzymes. They’re all about Nutrition, and all about unlocking the secrets to extend your life. what better way to express gratitude for your body than by treating it to the best foods possible? www.wildlivingfoods.com

Author: Keri Freeman

Military mom and proud parent, artist, writer, musician and film maker. Cocktail connoisseur. Publisher of DTLA Weekly.

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