Narrowing the offers down and not wanting to miss a good green bean casserole, we decided to accept a Wednesday dinner invitation with longtime friend Val Rowe and daughter Genevieve; and yes, the green bean casserole was exquisite, as was the Yoder’s pumpkin pie and Dean’s moist and tender turkey. There’s nothing like a pre-game show of eating to kick off the holiday season.

We awoke Thursday morning to enjoy warm Dutch apple pie by Debbie Appleseed before lying on the couch watching James Taylor DVDs and munching on assorted boutique cheeses with truffle honey. Thursday night was our ultimate choice, spending Thanksgiving with Jerry and Nancy Kaplan, our “adopted parents” as we call them, who had flown in their entire family and added a few friends to enjoy a scrumptious dinner in the wine cellar of Michael’s On East. The meal was incredible, right down to the field green salad with mission figs and the to-die-for sweet potatoes with pecans and caramel sauce (I begged for the secret ingredient). The turkey was beyond moist, and each plate was served as generously as if you had my husband’s heavy serving hand. Made especially sweet by the pumpkin crème brǔlée and dear friends, I would recommend Michael’s On East if you want to ensure a fabulous holiday meal from start to finish.