Cooked on cooking? Go out to eat this Thanksgiving

FINDLAY — Some local restaurants and businesses will be open for Thanksgiving, for those who don't want to stress in the kitchen or forgot about the big day. Restaurants all around Findlay are serving their regular menu items, a special Thanksgiving dinner or are providing take-home meals to help families Thursday. The Hancock Hotel in downtown Findlay is hosting its annual Thanksgiving at Hancock Hotel from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. "It's an opportunity with the size of our Blanchard Ballroom, where large families that have outgrown their home have the opportunity to gather and enjoy a home-cooked meal," said Lori Vance, director of sales for the hotel. Reservations can still be made today for seats in the ballroom. Adult meals are $65, children 12 and under meals are $15 and children three and under eat free. The cost includes the price of the meal, tax, gratuity and valet. The meal includes a carving station, hot buffet, cold buffet and salad bar and desserts. "The carving station this year will consist of a steamship round, turkey breast and turkey thigh. And then there'll be some sauces available that accompany that as well," Vance said. The desserts include "pumpkin pie, pecan pie, blueberry pie and hot apple crisp and they are all homemade." Local Cracker Barrels and Bob Evans restaurants also provide special Thanksgiving meals in-store and take-home meals that families can heat up and serve. Cracker Barrel will feature a traditional Thanksgiving meal starting at 11 a.m. Thursday. People can also go online and order either the Thanksgiving Heat & Serve Feast, which feeds between eight and 10 people, or the Family Dinner, which serves between four and six people. Both can be picked up between Nov. 22 and 30. A 24-hour notice is required before pick-up and both should be served within 72 hours of pick-up, the site states. The feast is $184.99 and the family dinner is $114.99. Bob Evans will be open on Thanksgiving and will serve a special menu, along with its regular menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Along with people open on Thanksgiving, they also serve a Farmhouse Feast that families can heat up at home. The Premium Farmhouse Feast serves eight to 10 people and is $164.99; the regular Farmhouse Feast has two options, serving eight and four people and costing $132.99 and $99.99, respectively, for the turkey feast option. Another local restaurant will be open but is shortening its hours to give employees time to spend with family. Fricker's, at 1410 W. Main Cross St., will be open from 5 p.m. until midnight, serving its regular menu. "Since I've worked here, we've always been open. We're on for football; some people don't have families to go to, so it's somewhere for them to go," said Russell Frederick, the general manager. This list of restaurants open on Thanksgiving Day is not exhaustive — it's a good idea to call ahead to check if places are open before heading out.