A Pacific Beach Holiday With All The Trimmings

Come Nov. 26 at Pacific Beach Hotel, the irresistible aroma of crispy, golden turkey and honey-glazed ham fresh from the oven will magically float through the air. The hotel will be bustling with holiday merriment, as its hard-working team hands out pre-ordered turkey packages to customers, while the culinary gurus at Oceanarium Restaurant, located just inside, fill buffet lines with a bounty of seasonal classics.

These are just a few of the ways the establishment embraces the spirit of the season, and before long, you too can immerse yourself in all of the Thanksgiving splendor it has to offer.

“It’s very simple,” says director of food and beverage Patrick Faas. “You call in advance to make the order and on the day of, anywhere between 9 in the morning and 2 p.m., you just drive into our driveway … and we load up your car with a box that has everything in it, and you’re off to the races! So you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with the family.”

This special offering allows diners to go the traditional route with a Turkey Dinner ($150; six to eight servings) consisting of 12 to 14 pounds of hot, slow-roasted turkey pre-marinated with herbs and accented with turkey giblet gravy and cranberry sauce. But unlike many pre-ordered Thanksgiving menus, it also gives customers the choice of selecting a Ham Dinner ($170; eight to 10 servings) featuring 16 pounds of slowly baked honey-glazed, bone-in ham presented with honey bourbon mustard sauce.

Whether you want to gobble up turkey or fall head over heels for ham, all Gourmet Holiday Feast on the Run packages come with maple-covered yams and Okinawan sweet potatoes, country stuffing, red skinned mashed potatoes, Punaluu sweet bread rolls, a sweet ending of pumpkin pie, and a bright succotash (corn and bean salad) enlivened with corn, sweet peppers and edamame.

And for customers who want a taste of it all, an additional whole turkey ($85) or ham ($105) may be requested on the side.

The festive eats continue at Oceanarium Restaurant, where an enchanting three-story live aquarium serves as a tropical backdrop for nightly themed buffets and wonderfully fresh seafood. Reserve a spot for the Thanksgiving Brunch Buffet ($60 adults, $21.95 keiki 5-11 years old) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., which will delight with Eggs Florentine, Crispy Bacon and Sausage Medley, omelets, waffles and much more. Or, go for the Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet ($60 adults, $21.95 keiki 5-11 years old) from 4 to 10 p.m., which will highlight Cedar Planked Salmon with Balsamic Glaze and Braised Baby Greens, Steamed Snow Crab Legs with Drawn Butter and Lemon and Pumpkin Mashed potatoes, among other must-haves.

Under the culinary expertise of executive chef Mariano Lalica, both buffets will provide great sushi and local-inspired dishes, not to mention a full Thanksgiving spread with turkey and all the trimmings, as well as holiday desserts — Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Tart, anyone?

It’s time to say Happy Thanksgiving with Pacific Beach Hotel.

Celebrate All Weekend Long

If you are working on Thanksgiving Day or unable to join in the celebration, don’t sweat it! Oceanarium Restaurant has you covered, as its Thanksgiving buffets also will be offered Friday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Nov. 29. And it gets better: Prices will be discounted ($55 adults, $19.95 keiki 5-11 years old). On these days only, kamaaina also receive a 15 percent discount (4:30-5:30 p.m. and after 8:30 p.m.). As an added plus, the buffets feature local, organic produce from Lei Farms, the hotel’s farm on the Big Island.

In The Spirit Of Giving ..

Pacific Beach Hotel is spreading aloha this Turkey Day to Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, where it will donate 50 turkey dinners for patients, staff and their families to enjoy.

Pacific Beach Hotel
2490 Kalakaua Ave., Waikiki
To order your Gourmet Holiday Feast On the Run, call 441-4880 or email DHashiro@pacificbeachhotel.com.
Drive-through pickup Thursday, Nov. 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pacific Beach Hotel via Liliuokalani Ave.

Oceanarium Restaurant
921-6111
Thanksgiving Day,
Brunch buffet: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner buffet: 4-10 p.m.
For more information, visitPacificbeachhotel.com/thanksgivingtogo