Thanksgiving tables are filling up early this year.
Three weeks before the turkey is done, one hotel buffet is nearly booked. And more restaurants are adding holiday dinners in response to demand.
Chef Point Cafe, the "gourmet gas station" in Watauga, will open Thanksgiving and serve a choice of the roast duck dinner featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, seafood, lamb or turkey and dressing for $20-$30.
Desserts will include bread pudding in cognac sauce or apple pie.
If you've never ventured to Chef Point, it's open daily for lunch and dinner and also Saturdays for breakfast at 5901 Watauga Road; 817-656-0080, chefpointcafe.org.
The tucked-away Six10 Grille at the Ashton Hotel, always a small and quiet hideaway on holidays, will serve a choice of turkey with cider gravy and sage brioche dressing, Niman Ranch ham with pineapple-clove glaze or a salmon Florentine ($38).
Six10 Grille's holiday lunch is served at 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3 p.m., or just go for breakfast or dinner; 610 Main St., 817-332-0100, theashtonhotel.com.
Cast Iron at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel is already heavily booked for its holiday brunch, but try for an early or late table -- or book now for Christmas.
But the Gaylord Texan has room at its annual ballroom buffet. A $68 ticket includes champagne; $79 includes the annual ICE! exhibit.
If that sounds pricey, take a look at the 40-plus-item menu, which includes endless turkey with giblet gravy, raisin-pineapple-rum-glazed ham, prime rib, flatiron steak and the Gaylord's special dried-fruit stuffing.
The rest of the layout includes pastas, sushi, shrimp, cheeses, breakfasts and a kids' buffet with chicken fingers, corny dogs and creamed corn.
The dessert list includes cranberries flambé with Grand Marnier, pumpkin-walnut cake and apple, pecan, pumpkin or the seldom-seen mince pies; 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, 817-722-9024 or buy online at gaylordtexan.com.
Other restaurants offering specials include Ruth's Chris Steak House ($36.95) in Fort Worth, Silver Fox Steakhouse ($44.95) in Fort Worth or Grapevine, Olenjack's in Arlington and three Southlake restaurants: Buca di Beppo, Copeland's of New Orleans and Truluck's Seafood, Steak and Crab House.
In downtown Fort Worth, Ferré, Mercury Chophouse and Simply Fondue also will open along with the Renaissance Worthington Hotel.
In western Tarrant County, ever-reliable Vance Godbey's Restaurant will open both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's a traditional Sunday dinner house open just that one day a week, serving everything from filet mignon to barbecue and fried chicken, plus salad and dessert bars.
For Thanksgiving, Vance Godbey's will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ($18.95). It's usually open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays; 817-237-2218, vancegodbeys.com.
Bud Kennedy's Eats Beat appears Wednesdays in Life & Arts and Fridays in DFW.com Weekend. 817-390-7538
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