U/D has you covered this Thanksgiving

Take a tour throughout University District and see how our local retailers can make your holiday plans easy this Thanksgiving season!

Save-on-Foods:

For all of your Thanksgiving fixings, head to Save-on-Foods U/D, conveniently located on University Avenue.

Does preparing a turkey with all the sides leave you feeling overwhelmed? Save-on-Foods offers prepared Thanksgiving meals to make hosting simple and easy. These ready-to-heat-and-serve meals include items such as sous vide turkey, brussels sprouts, roasted carrots, mashed potatoes and gravy. Small gathering? Their Everyday Chicken Meal Combo will feed four people and comes with a whole roast chicken, two salads and buns. Go ahead and take the credit for cooking it all…we won’t tell.  

Market Wines:

Just a simple stroll down the avenue is Market Wines, an independent wine shop featuring artisan winemakers. They can provide customized recommendations to please the wine connoisseur in your family and pair perfectly with your meal. 

Market Wines specializes in quality wines from small, family producers, which means you can try hard-to-find treasures and unique varieties. If you’re not hosting a meal, a bottle of wine makes a perfect gift to your host or hostess. Market Wines also offers a selection of craft beer and spirits to suit every taste and preference. 

YYC Cycle and Orangetheory Fitness: 

Want to build up an appetite ahead of your Thanksgiving meal? YYC Cycle and Orangetheory Fitness can help you work up a sweat and feel great. With all the time you’ve saved getting a pre-cooked, ready to heat meal, you’ve got time to get in a workout in before guests arrive. At Orangetheory fitness, they customize your workout to your experience level, helping to accommodate everyone on their fitness journey.  

Prefer the bike? YYC Cycle offers spin classes for beginners through to experienced riders. Their studio classes can get you set to cycle and might encourage you to head out on the pathways from U/D to the river valley where you can see all the fall colours right in the heart of the city. 

COBS Bread:

We all know that the best part of any meal is dessert! COBS Bread has abundant choices of bread and buns to add to your Thanksgiving feast, and they also make some amazing desserts. For something traditional, try their pumpkin tarts or pumpkin scones, or get festive with their gingerbread scones.

Want to wow your family and friends, or even yourself, with your cooking skills? COBS Bread has some great recipes on their website, including their Herby Sourdough Stuffing. This could be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients

• 1/2 COBS Bread Sourdough Loaf, unsliced
• 1 Shallot
• 1 Celery Stick
• 1 tbsp Thyme
• 1 tbsp Chives
• 1 tbsp Parsley
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
• Parmesan, to garnish

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F & grease your casserole dish. 
2. Finely dice your shallot & celery sticks.  
3. Roughly tear your Sourdough Loaf into chunks of varying sizes. 
4. In a small frying pan, melt 1 tbsp butter then add the celery and shallots. 
5. Once both are soft and starting to brown, add in the thyme, stirring for 1 more minute.  
6. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg and veggie broth together until combined. Add in your remaining fresh herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the cooked shallot & celery mixture.  
7. Add the Sourdough and stir until the liquid has been soaked up. 
8. Pour into your prepared casserole dish and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.  
9. Grate some parmesan on top once the stuffing has cooled a little & serve warm. 

Village Ice Cream:

Looking for some ice cream to go with a traditional apple pie? Or, how about seasonal or vegan flavours for something a bit different? Village Ice Cream has all the flavours you know and love, as well as some great seasonal flavours that would go well with a pie or COBS scone. 

Fun fact: Village Ice Cream has monthly limited edition flavours along with their official menu! Check out their Instagram page each month to see what they’re serving.

Friendsgiving at Central Commons Park:

If you’re looking for something more casual for a Friendsgiving, U/D has some great outdoor spaces with amenities that will make your friends gathering one to remember. Central Commons Park in the heart of the U/D has picnic areas, BBQs and is dog-friendly. Share food with your friends and neighbours and enjoy the spectacular views of the city and neighbourhood.

Even better, order your Friendsgiving meal from Borough Bar + Grill which overlooks the park! With great menu items like fried brussel sprouts, mixed green and caesar salad, roasted beets, pizzas and a half rotisserie chicken, Borough Bar has your Thanksgiving plans covered. 

No matter how you celebrate this Thanksgiving, we’re here to help you prepare.