I usually love the time of Thanksgiving and cooking different dishes for my friends and family. Over the past few years, I’ve loved participating in different Friendsgivings, where I get together with my buddies for a yummy potluck-style dinner. But being a student, it’s hard to find the time to study, keep up with my coursework, and cook up some Pinterest-worthy dishes for a Friendsgiving meal.
This is where utilizing some of the local restaurants and bakeries around me has been incredibly helpful. It’s a win-win: I’m supporting local businesses as well as bringing appetizers, entrees, or desserts to Friendsgiving that may have different twists than what I could have come up with while cooking.
So, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite local Tallahassee restaurants that have the perfect dishes you can order to-go to bring to your next Friendsgiving!
Appetizers: Madison Social
Madison Social is a beloved Tallahassee favorite. Located in the heart of College Town, the restaurant hosts a variety of events like Tuesday Night Trivia and Game Day Brunch. They also have some phenomenal “social plates” you can order to-go to bring to your Friendsgiving. One of my favorites is the Korean Cauliflower. It’s breaded, delicious, and has a slight kick of spice.
Another popular social plate you could bring for Friendsgiving is the BLT Dip. This appetizer is exactly what you think it would be: a deconstructed BLT in the form of a dip with warm bread you can dunk in it. I think anything with cheese and bread will be an automatic hit at a dinner party.
Entrees: The Edison
The Edison is a place you take your parents to when they visit Tallahassee. Its stunning location overlooking the beautiful Cascades Park as well as its twist on many classic American dishes make it beloved among students and Tallahassee locals alike.
If you want to bring an impressive entree to Friendsgiving, I’d recommend stopping here. They have a list of entrees such as chicken, fish, steak, ribs, and pasta. A bite that looked good to me that would be the perfect dish for Friendsgiving was the Gulf Coast Shrimp Skewers. This is perfect since it’s a shareable plate and has a Florida flare to it, which makes it stand out among many other turkey and ham entrees.
Desserts: Au Péché Mignon
Arguably one of the best parts about Friendsgiving is the dessert. This is my favorite category. Au Péché Mignon is a fantastic French bakery located close to FSU’s campus. I first enjoyed trying some of their pastries when my French professor brought them in for my class.
Anything you buy here will change your life for the better, but if you want to stay in the traditional realm of Thanksgiving foods, I’d say go with their pies. I’d recommend the Frangipane pie. It has tons of different fruit in it as well as the notable almond base which has people coming back for second plates.
I think the great thing about ordering from local restaurants is you can bring a dish that’s a bit more out of the ordinary than traditional Thanksgiving foods. Friendsgiving is such an important tradition to participate in with your friends. So this year while you’re planning out what to make, maybe think about ordering from your favorite local restaurant. Not only will you save yourself some time, but you’ll also be supporting a local business as well as bringing a dish that’s super unique to the table!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!