HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Nov. 17, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Let's face it: Cooking an elaborate dinner for 20 hard-to-please family members is best left to the Bree Van de Kamps of the world. So why stress over Thanksgiving dinner? Hop into your car and head to Huntington Beach, where the leisure activity of chilling out beachside over a good meal has been perfected over time. Huntington Beach restaurants are hosting traditional-and not so traditional-turkey dinners, so you can enjoy great food and excellent service with little to no effort on your part. When you're finished, you can beat the post-dinner food coma with a stroll on the beach, and you won't even have to go near the kitchen sink.
Where to Eat
Duke's Huntington Beach (317 Pacific Coast Hwy., 714-374-6446) will be offering a Thanksgiving dinner beginning at $19.95 a person, in addition to many of its regular menu choices. The Longboard Pub and Restaurant (217 Main St., 714-960-1896) is offering a traditional turkey dinner for $10.95, an open-faced turkey sandwich (why not just go straight to the leftovers?) for $8.95 and fresh Maine lobster for $14.95, in honor of what the pilgrims most likely ate that first Thanksgiving. If you just can't miss the big game, enjoy a turkey dinner for $7.95 a person at Centerfield's Sports Bar and Grill (17296 Beach Blvd., 714-848-0113) while surrounded by 45 big screens.
Huntington Beach's premier luxury resorts take a traditional dinner and put a California cuisine spin on it. The Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa's AAA four-diamond Californian restaurant (21500 Pacific Coast Hwy., 714-845-4885) offers a traditional turkey entree, in addition to an a la carte menu, starting at $27.95 a person. The Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort (21100 Pacific Coast Hwy., 714-845-8000) will host its annual Thanksgiving Buffet in the Cielo Mare Ballroom for $79.95 for adults and $29.95 for children.
Other Thanksgiving buffets are offered at the Hotel Huntington Beach's Pasta's restaurant (7667 Center Ave., 714-891-0123) at $22.95 for adults, $19.95 for seniors, $14.95 for children 12 and under; kids aged four and under eat free. At Old World German Restaurant (7561 Center Ave.,714-895-8020), the buffet is $18.95 for adults, 16.95 for seniors and $9.95 for children 12 and under.
Order heat-and-serve meals from Erika's Catering (714-596-3797, www.erikascatering.com) for $30 a person. Orders must be placed by November 20th. Should you stealthily take credit for the meal, Erika's won't tell a soul. Or, supplement your home-cooked holiday meal with fresh bread, muffins, croissants and more baked by the Java City Cafe (18685 Suite G, Main St. 714-842-5020) between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Locals Night
The Huntington Beach Restaurant Association is also proud to offer Locals Night every Tuesday from now through May 2007. Huntington Beach residents can visit www.hbrestaurants.com to learn which of their favorite restaurants offer up to 20 percent off of food and beverages.
About the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau
The Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau is the official designated marketing organization representing Huntington Beach, California. As one of the top Southern California vacation destinations featuring premier California beach resorts, Huntington Beach is the ideal location for a California family vacation, California weekend getaway or surfing trip. With eight and half miles of pristine California beaches, Huntington Beach is fast becoming a destination of choice for vacationers and business travelers alike. To plan your Surf City USA vacation or to learn more about Huntington Beach, visit the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau Web site at www.surfcityusa.com or call 800-729-6232 for a free visitors guide.
Surf City USA is a registered mark of the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau.