One of the harder parts of traveling around the world is spending the holidays without your family and home friends. We had spent Halloween in Napier, New Zealand which was an easy adjustment, but Thanks Giving was the first major holiday that we started to get a little homesick and missed our big turkey dinner, fall themed cocktails and friends and family sitting around a grand dining room table. Much to our pleasant surprise, some of Melbourne's finest restaurants hosted Thanks Giving dinners due to the influx of American tourists that came to Australia each year.
Apparently, having the whole "Thanks Giving Experience" in Melbourne is a lot more common than we expected. The few restaurants that hosted turkey dinners had been booked up since a month prior to the holiday, so if you know that you're spending Thanks Giving in another country..be sure to make a reservation well in advance! We've decided to create a list of all of the places you can go to celebrate Thanks Giving along with our interesting experience of a holiday feast we're likely never to forget.
MISTYS DINER
After calling 6 different establishments and getting absolutely no luck with reservations we finally found a place on the outskirts of the city. The place was called 'Misty's Diner' and we had to take a two hour train ride and an Uber to get there.
Although we had walked in with little to no expectations as we had done very little research, nothing prepared us for a pink 60s themed diner. There was a jukebox in the corner playing Grease Lightening, the waitresses were wearing pink aprons and rollerblades and tables were decorated with the iconic faces of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis!
The owner of the diner was of course, Misty, and she had made it a point to come to our table and introduce herself. She too was from the US and grew up in Arizona as one could have guessed by her accent and the fact that she was wearing a pink cowboy hat. Quite eccentric, she welcomed us to her diner with open arms and made an effort to make us feel at home during the holiday.
The dinner was all you can eat buffet style (as it should be during Thanks Giving) and offered large selection of turkey; both dark and light meat, and different varieties of stuffing, mixed vegetables, potatoes and much more. The food was incredible and just when we finished through our second helping, the desserts came out. The tables were filled with pies, cakes, cookies, cupcakes and pudding cups! We had eaten so much that we had knocked ourselves into a food coma and were nervous we wouldn't be able to simply walk outside to hail a cab!
We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and although it was not exactly a Thanks Giving dinner we were used to, Misty's Diner helped us forget that we were in a foreign country during a special holiday. The food was excellent, the people were kind and the atmosphere was unexpected. If we ever find ourselves back in Melbourne during the holidays, there's no doubt that we would go back!
TRUNK BAR AND RESTAURANT
Although Trunk has only recently adopted the American Thanks Giving tradition for a few years now, Trunk is anything but inexperienced. Changing their menu every year, Trunk delivers a fancy twist on American comfort foods at this fantastic three course dinner. Partnering in the past with Budweiser and Erath Winery, Trunk prepares a lovely meal for a set price and just for only $30 more, you can get unlimited cocktails off the menu. Reservations for this amazing restaurant can be made by buying a ticket online for the meal.
DUTCHESS
Located in the third floor of the Duke of Wellington pub, you will find the extravagant Dutchess dining room where head chef Justin Wise will be preparing a three course feast fit for royalty. As the main course is reserved for the traditional roasted turkey with apricot stuffing and the desserts replicate the American classics, Justin Wise amazes his customers by serving his infamous seafood hors d'oeuvres.
LE BON TON
Specializing in southern food, Le Bon Ton offers a hearty Thanks Giving meal thats served on a silver platter at this warm restaurant. Their infamous pit-smoked turkey breasts, sage mashed potatoes and honey glazed vegetables topped with house cured bacon keeps customers coming back.
MISS PEACHES
For only $60, Miss Peaches offers a wide selection of Thanks Giving inspired meals off their bar menu. Perfect for vegetarians alike, their menu offers a variety of yam burgers and vegetable dishes suitable for all parties.
Being able to travel the world is truly an amazing experience. You have the ability to explore different cultures and celebrate new traditions. One of the harder parts of traveling is accepting that you may be missing large events back home including holidays, however, with the right environment and the perfect company, countries thousands of miles away can feel just like home.