If there's one meal I dread, it's Thanksgiving dinner. It's not that I don’t love the turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and stuffing—it's that I love them all a little too much. I can never resist seconds (or thirds), and by the time I've had my last pieces of pumpkin and pecan pie, I can hardly move. The worst part? Once the tryptophan has finally knocked me out, I always have dreams (nightmares, actually) that I'm pregnant. The next day, when I’m back on the treadmill, all I have are regrets and an angry trainer. (What? It's hard to run when you’re full.)
This year I'm thinking of skipping the whole ordeal—I hope my grandma will still love me—and indulging in all those yummy fall flavors via martini. Luckily, I have plenty of options.
Over at S Bar, there's the Celery Superstar, an intoxicating concoction of ginger and celery juice. (I do always love the touch of celery in my grandma’s stuffing.) And for a dessert-y treat, the Woods has a pumpkin pie shot topped with whipped cream.
Lola's also offers Thanksgiving-themed libations, including a strong cranberry-vodka cocktail, of course, and a mashed-potato drink made from real potatoes. It's not creamy, unfortunately, but the garlic gives it a nice kick, and that big glass holds plenty of vodka. There's also a tangy caramel apple martini garnished with a rather large piece of apple—hey, I never said I wasn’t going to eat anything—as well as a rich pumpkin pie martini that actually tastes better than the real thing. It's sweet, creamy, spicy and, best of all, comforting. (Note: Lola's will be closed on Thanksgiving, but you can celebrate the evening before, otherwise known as the second-biggest party night of the year.)
I know what you're thinking: I'm a drunk. Or perhaps you're thinking that all these calorie-laden drinks won't do much in the way of combating the holiday I've renamed Fat Fest. You're right. When all is said and done, I might skip the cocktails and head straight to Bar Lubitsch for a shot of pumpkin vodka.
Alexandra Le Tellier is Bars & Clubs editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
