Nov. 25, 2025

Pizza Cheeks has several new seasonal items: Italian Wedding Soup, Cheeks Beef Sandwich,  Mushroom Bolognese Pasta and two pizzas. Local Legend features house red sauce, fresh and dry mozzarella, local fennel sausage from Dakota Craft Links, mushrooms from Dakota Mushrooms, basil gremolata and pecorino. Potato Leek starts with a potato leek soup base, topped with fresh and dry mozzarella, shaved Yukon Gold potatoes, chives and pecorino. Add bacon for an extra charge. Pizza Cheeks also let customers know that it has dropped prices on a few items. “As we’ve settled into our new kitchen, we’ve gotten faster, cleaner and more efficient. A few of our costs dropped, so we dropped the prices with them,” the restaurant noted in an email. “Nothing huge – a buck here, a buck there – but it felt right to pass the savings along instead of pretending nothing changed.”

Crawford’s Bar & Grill has several new menu items, many of which are elevated comfort foods for heading into winter. A few highlights include Harvest Chicken with roasted root veggies, pecan yam butter and cranberry sauce; Autumn Scallops with roasted acorn squash, wilted spinach, kale and a puree of root veggies and herbs; and Meatball Stroganoff. The winning dish of October’s Downtown Pork Showdown – Bavarian Echoes — is still on the menu, along with the 2024 winning dish, Bourbon Apple Pork.

Maribella Ristorante has added three seafood dishes and a lamb entree to the menu. Capesante di Mare features pan-seared diver scallops with a chef’s choice rotating side. Salmone al Pesto is a pan-seared Atlantic salmon filet served with pesto gnocchi and topped with bruschetta. The traditional seafood soup Cioppino includes tiger prawns, scallop and mussels in a tomato fennel broth. Angello is a braised lamb shank with a cherry red wine reduction and mint gremolata, served with a choice of risotto.

Granite City Food & Brewery has a new Holiday Comfort Classics menu. Options include Barbacoa Nachos, Mustard Cream Pork Tenderloin, Bolognese, French Onion Cheesesteak and Roasted Turkey Dinner. For something sweet, the Dessert Duo offers two treats: a warm pumpkin-spiced streusel cake with maple glaze and a chocolate brownie topped with chocolate mousse. Seasonal sips include the Mistletoe Martini, Snow on the Beach, Ho Ho-Jito, Yule Be Buzzin’ and Santa’s Little Helper. The brewery’s seasonal beer is Falling Leaf Harvest Ale with flavors of caramel, cinnamon and pumpkin. See the menu descriptions here.

Here’s a curious one-day-only offering on Wednesday. The Breaks Coffee Roasting Co. is bringing back a 2024 “holiday classic.” Awful-Gato is instant mashed potatoes topped with espresso gravy and a cranberry reduction.

To celebrate the release of “Wicked: For Good,” Crave American Kitchen & Sushi Bar is featuring the Wicked Menu with desserts, cocktails and mocktails through Dec. 15. Choose between the Good Witch’s Favorite Blueberry Mousse and Emerald Envy Pistachio Mousse, or get both to share with a friend.

Dairy Queen in Hartford is celebrating the end of roadwork with $3 double cheeseburgers and $3 mini Blizzards through Sunday. “Limit 6 because we know some of you get carried away,” the restaurant joked on social media.

The Only One Bar & Grill in Lennox is hosting its traditional Shoot the Minnow, starting at noon Wednesday. Get a live minnow in your choice of a shot and a T-shirt to commemorate your “bravery” for $20. The Main Street bar started the event in 2007.

Blarney Stone Pub is opening early on Friday for its traditional Black Friday Brunch. Drink specials with an entree purchase include $5 build-your-own bloody mary or mimosa bars and $15 bottomless mimosas. The downtown pub will open at 10 a.m.

During Friday’s Parade of Lights, the Phillips Avenue Diner will be serving hot cocoa or coffee with a cookie for $6.

A Homestead Brew is having one of its signature beer branding events Saturday. Stop out from 2 to 9 p.m., and have a beer by the fire. Sticking a hot stainless steel rod into a beer caramelizes it and changes the flavor into “something new and spectacular.” Big Dan’s Smokin Meats will serve food from 5 to 8 p.m.

Gateway Bar & Grill is offering a free drink to those who drop off a toy for the Children’s Home Society from 4 to 9 p.m. tonight and Dec. 2. The toys will be delivered Dec. 8.

The Alibi Bar & Grill announced this afternoon that it’s giving away turkeys while supplies last because “no family should go without a warm, festive meal.”

From Friendsgiving meals to Thanksgiving Day buffets and free meals to special turkey dinners, here’s a recap with some additions for what’s ahead:

Friendsgiving

• Swamp Daddy’s Cajun Kitchen:  The restaurant and Kubik’s Carpentery are serving their free third annual Friendsgiving dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the restaurant in the Jones421 Building.
• Chipotle: Get a BOGO entree from 4 p.m. to close Wednesday on orders placed in participating restaurants. Limit of five free menu items per check.
• Club Monick: The event venue Monick Yards at 605 E. Eighth St. is turning into Club Monick on Friday, Nov. 28, for a Friendsgiving party from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tickets are $15, and DJ Mr. Wobbles will be spinning dance tunes, starting at 10 p.m. The Carpenter Bar Group will be selling drinks.

Buffets

Cascata will serve its buffet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pricing is $46 for adults and teens, $27 for age 5-12. The restaurant in the Canopy by Hilton also is open for breakfast and dinner. Reservations are recommended.

Granite City Food & Brewery:

Holiday Inn City Centre recommends making a reservation.

Fryn’ Pan isn’t taking reservations.

 Free or freewill donation meals on Thanksgiving

• Alibi Bar & Grill is serving a traditional roast turkey dinner with classic sides and pie from 11 a.m. until the food is gone.
• Boss’ Pizza & Chicken at 2111 S. Minnesota Ave. will serve 125 free meals starting at 10 a.m. Guests will be served inside the restaurant this year. The meal will be three chicken tenders, corn, mashed potatoes with gravy and a bun. After those are gone, 175 meals will be available at a discounted price of $7.50. In addition, the restaurant will be open with its usual hours and menu that day.
• Lucky’s on Louise, with the help of sponsors, is serving a free meal from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All ages are welcome.
• The Rush is serving a turkey dinner with all the fixings from 11 a.m. until all the food is gone. Freewill donations will be accepted and will go to The Rush for the Causes to help local families in need.

Other restaurants and bars we noticed that are open Thursday, most with special meals

• BB’s Pub: Offering a Thanksgiving dinner option from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Carnival Brazilian Grill: Open from noon to 8 p.m.
• Cracker Barrel: Will serve a limited menu, but there will be a turkey meal.
• The Dive: Open from noon to 8 p.m.
• Red Rock Bar & Grill in Rowena: Turkey dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. while supplies last. The regular menu will be available all day.
• Tailgators Grill & Bar in Brandon: Opens at 4 p.m., featuring a turkey dinner in addition to the regular menu. The kitchen will close at 9 p.m., but the bar will stay open until the final football game is over.
• Valley Corner Bar in Valley Springs: Opens at 2 p.m. and serves a turkey dinner at 4 p.m.
• WoodGrain Brewing Co.: The downtown location is hosting a potluck at 3 p.m.
• Woodys Pub and Gill: Will serve Thanksgiving lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and pizza until close at 2 a.m.