Located in what some might call “South Slope” (we call it a godless stretch between proper Park Slope and Sunset Park), KitchenBar opened quietly in March 2006.  The restaurant is styled after a London gastro pub and looks to be integral part of the area’s cultural revival.

Exposed beams, hand-painted murals and a rotating collection of local art fuel the sense of warmth and welcome that is apparent after pushing through KitchenBar’s worn double doors.  On a recent evening, a pair of guests talked Dostoevsky late into the evening while shilling through the locally inspired cocktails—among them KB’s Brooklyn Manhattan, made with Jim Beam and blood orange syrup—and wine list, complete with tasting notes and pairing suggestions.

The menu is largely Mediterranean with a few notable outliers (pot stickers and ceviche to name a few).  In shirking excessive layering and heavy sauces, it seems to emphasize the integrity and flavor of quality ingredients.  A garlicky mushroom bruschetta is tossed through with a pat of truffle butter and served on grilled flatbread, a simple roasted chicken finds its foil in a lemon-basil marmalade that hints at the season’s coming citrus and a perfectly executed skirt steak stretches end-to-end on a bed of hand-cut fries or arugula.

But all good meals must come to an end.  Ours closed with a grilled banana split and steamed chocolate milk—a dizzying preamble to the arrival of our check.  And at a trifling $50 for two, we happily lingered on, sipping Lillet and tapping our toes to the absurd, but strangely comforting, soundtrack of old school Wacko Jacko.

Next stop Barren Island.  We hear they have a fabulous brasserie…

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared that Thanksgiving would be celebrated as a national holiday and appointed the turkey as its central culinary icon.  The choice of a turkey had less to do with the famous Pilgrim/Native American shakedown than it did with simple economics—the bird was more cost-effective to send to the U.S. troops.

Today, the Butterball behemoth has much of the American turkey market cornered.  The ‘large whites’ fly out of the freezer section each November, cooking up to a thrilling (dare we say, erotic) golden brown that commands attention at dinner tables nationwide.  But there’s something sinister lurking beneath that seasoned skin.  Treated with a cocktail of growth hormones, antibiotics and water or stock injections to plump and flavor the bird, factory-farmed turkeys are more jacked than Courtney Love in ’94.  They are raised and slaughtered quickly, divesting them of the natural flavors that can develop in a free-range bird.  They’re cheap, easy and, too often, are the yardstick against which most Americans measure the familiar flavors of the holiday.

But we are not most Americans.  And for our snooty discerning palettes, only the freshest birds will do.  Granted, quality has its price.  In this case, often up to twice, sometimes three times the amount per pound of a standard supermarket gobbler—and given pastured birds’ tendency to be smaller than their factory-farmed brethren, giving thanks can really add up.  Still, the knowledge that our turkeys’ relatively long lives (up to seven months) were spent pecking about the barnyard and not, say, tangled in a labyrinth of wire cages, makes us that much more willing to empty our wallets.

So, straight from the coop yo, here’s where we head to secure the showpiece of our holiday feasts.  

Quattro’s Game Farm

Based in Pleasant Valley, NY, Quattro’s has been a Union Square Greenmarket fixture for almost 20 years.  This is the place to head for the freshest bird in New York but get there soon—the larger birds have already been reserved.   

Whole Foods

If the Greenmarket bustle is too much for your tender constitution, pop into Whole Foods to order off of their impressive Thanksgiving menu.  Free-range, organic, all-natural and local options abound, but the stand-out is an Heirloom Bronze Heritage turkey—a Sonora, CA-raised breed that boasts darker, more robust meat.  

Hunter Crossing Farm

These pastured turkeys are ‘raised the old-fashioned way.’  Fed a diet of certified organic grains, the birds are free of growth hormones, antibiotics and animal byproducts. Heritage Red Bourbons or Broad-Breasted Whites are available for shipping only in New York.  Call 315.823.2663

No seriously, we want to know.

In one of our all-time favorite ironies, Vegas (we feel that we are intimate enough to shirk the “Las”) was once populated by a colony of Mormons.  According to our friend Wikipedia, prior to the whole divination thing Mormonism’s founder Joseph Smith “worked at various farm-related jobs while using folk magic to search for buried treasure.”  Perhaps it’s that early quest for riches that has inspired high rollers the world over come to Sin City to wile away their dollars, euros, kroner or pesos in absurdly profligate ways. 

But hey, we love excess as much as any one else.  What kind of hardworking, well-fed, sharp-witted restaurant mavens would we be if we clucked our tongues in the face of a meal that creeps quietly into the thousands?  When we roll into Vegas, we want it all—pounds of truffles when we’re flush, $2 tacos when we’ve played a lousy hand.  So here it is, hotter than a $70 potato: Vegas High and Low.

High:

Haute Potato at Fiamma: $70

Available through December, the Yukon Gold White Truffle Baked Potato is filled with bacon, mascarpone, imported Parmigiano-Reggiano and, wait for it, seven grams of Alba white truffles.

Kobe Beef at StripSteak: $195

Michael Mina traveled to Japan to source the finest ingredients for his first foray into steak.  The Filet Mignon cut of Japanese Kobe Beef may cost nearly as much as your airfare but it’s worth every superlative bite.

The 16-Course Tasting Menu at Joël Robuchon: $360

A Bullfrog Boyfriend once joked that Joël Robuchon’s culinary prowess was so stunning that “he can cook a piece of tuna just by looking at it!”  From the bread cart to the desserts, this is the consummate Las Vegas experience for those with bank to burn. 

Chivas Royal Salute 50-Year-Old (50YO) at Prime Steakhouse: $1,050 per shot

Royal Salute was bottled and launched in 1953 in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.  In 2003, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Queen's coronation and of the Scotch, Chivas produced 255 bottles of Royal 50YO, a blend of robust and powerful single malts, each matured in oak casks for a minimum of 50 years.  There are only 10 bottles in the United States and only one available in a restaurant—Prime Steakhouse.  If there is a sting to be had in spending more than a grand on a single shot, it certainly will be assuaged, if only for a moment, by the spirit’s incomparable character.  That and the keepsake glass.  Score!

Kobe Beef FleurBurger 5000 at Fleur de Lys: $5,000

Low: 

Shrimp Cocktail at The Golden Gate: 99¢

A staple at The Golden Gate since 1959, the 99¢ shrimp cocktail is perhaps the city’s best bet for the luckless.  The tiny shrimp are served in a tulip sundae glass with lemon and “secret cocktail sauce.”  Depressing and awesome in equal measure. 

Chorizo Buche Taco at La Torta Loca: $1.99

A good option for the truly down and out, these tacos are piled high with guacamole, cilantro, onion and beans.  So cheap you can save a nickel for the slots.  

1/2 lb. Burger at Gambler’s Grill at Wild Wild West: $2.69

It’s a sorry lot at Wild Wild West—their website advertises not luxe amenities or world-class service, but a 15-acre “Truck Plaza” offering convenient paved and lighted parking.  Quell your hunger, if not your dwindling sense of self worth, with this hefty burger, complete with a stack of standard issue fries at their onsite restaurant.  

The Killer BBQ Sandwich at Big Mama’s Ribs: $2.99

Bargains, if not charms, abound at Big Mama’s.  The Killer can be ordered “Spicy Hot” or “Wimp Out Mild,” or opt for the seductively titled “Fish Bag” for $2.95

Humus Platter at King Kabob: $4.45

Dig in honey, but pace yourself.  Additional pitas will run you 50¢ a pop.  My, how far you’ve fallen.

Steeped in mythology, the quince tree and its fruits have long been a symbol of love and commitment.  In ancient Greece, it was used as a ritual offering at weddings and to sweeten a bride’s breath before entering the bridal chamber.  When settling a divine contest between dueling goddesses, it was a quince (a ‘golden apple’) that Paris presented to Aphrodite to mark her supreme beauty. 

Quince may have been de rigeur in the ancient culinary circuit but, like chariots and beheading, it is somewhat more obscure in the modern arena.  Its astringent flavor and dry flesh make it an excellent candidate for jams or jellies rather than raw consumption; when cooked, quince's tangy bite and vibrant orange flesh make it a welcome addition to the menus of many of the country’s more progressive chefs.

Here’s where to find it:

• Dona’s Michael Psilakis, the king of Greek Cuisine, serves a Yellowtail appetizer with quince, fennel and caper.

• Also at dona, Pastry Chef Bill Corbett serves a Mascarpone Cheesecake Semifreddo with quince, spiced caramel, and a graham sable.

• At Picholine, Terrance Brennan offers a prelude of Warm Maine Lobster with chanterelles, quince, and vanilla brown butter.

• At Sapa, Patricia Yeo features a special of Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks with quince and a red wine reduction served on risotto with a poached egg and shaved black truffles.