Tradition reigns at Thanksgiving -- the turkey, the stuffing, the pumpkin pie. For many, that tradition has to be carried out at grandma's house or the family equivalent of grandma's.
But many celebrants find it more festive, or at least a change of pace, to let restaurant chefs do the cooking. And more and more restaurants are getting into the Thanksgiving spirit.
Eric Brennan, chef of the Harvest in Harvard Square, can trace his roots right back to Plimoth Plantation. His mother's ancestor, ByGod Eggleston, was in the second wave of colonists, he says. That connection adds to his interest in New England cuisine. "Last year was the first time the Harvest was open on Thanksgiving," Brennan says, "and it went pretty well." So this year, he's planning the classics -- roast turkey with chestnut-cornbread stuffing, maple-sugar baked acorn squash, buttermilk mashed potatoes, and smoked giblet gravy.
