Private Chef Experiences · Mendocino County

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26 this year. If the family’s coming together in a big house on the coast, someone usually ends up spending the whole day in an unfamiliar kitchen. It doesn’t have to be you.

We come and cook the whole meal in your kitchen, so the people you came to see get the day off too. We take very few Thanksgiving bookings, so if you’re thinking about it, ask early.

How it works

We cook at the house. We arrive in the morning, take over the kitchen, and serve the meal when you want it, family-style down the table. Then we clear, wash up and leave the kitchen cleaner than we found it. The full day off, for everyone.

Order the bird early

Thanksgiving turkeys from local ranches sell out ahead of the holiday, and the coast’s grocery stores aren’t stocked for every full rental at once. We order early so you don’t have to think about it. If your family would rather skip turkey, a whole roast fish or a slow-cooked shoulder works beautifully at this table.

The sides are the point

Everyone has the one dish Thanksgiving isn’t Thanksgiving without. Tell us yours: your grandmother’s stuffing, the sweet potatoes with or without the marshmallows, the cranberry sauce from a can that somebody insists on. We’ll cook the family classics properly and fill in the rest from what’s in season: winter squash, Brussels sprouts, chanterelles if the rain’s been kind, and Anderson Valley apples for the pie.

One local note: commercial Dungeness season on this stretch of coast can’t open before December 1, so crab is a Christmas tradition here more than a Thanksgiving one. If it’s open by the time you’re cooking with us, we’ll put it on the table.

Leftovers, on purpose

Half the point of Thanksgiving is Friday. We cook enough to leave you leftovers for the rest of the weekend, packed and labeled in your fridge, so nobody’s driving to the store on the busiest shopping day of the year.

What’s on Thanksgiving weekend

• Turkey Trot, Fort Bragg. Thanksgiving morning at 9am on the South Coastal Trail, in its thirteenth year. Listed for 2026 on Visit Fort Bragg; check the time before you go.
• Festival of Trees, Gualala Arts. Friday and Saturday, November 27–28, 10am to 4pm, free: a tree lighting at noon on Friday, Santa both days, a bake shop and holiday crafts. (Gualala Arts)
• Festival of Lights, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, Fort Bragg. The gardens lit up after dark, opening the day after Thanksgiving, then every Friday to Sunday from November 27 to December 20, 5 to 8pm. Buy timed tickets ahead: $16 online, more at the door, free for 16 and under. (Botanical Gardens)
• Skunk Train Christmas train, Willits. Running from November 21 and all through Thanksgiving weekend: a two-hour round trip into the redwoods to a giant living Christmas tree, with carols and treats on board. From $59.95, and it sells out. It leaves from Willits, about an hour inland. (Skunk Train)

One thing to know: the Botanical Gardens are closed on Thanksgiving Day itself, and most of the coast is quiet that day. Which is the best argument there is for a long dinner at the house.

Compiled from organizers’ own listings. Checked October 15, 2026; dates and prices change, so check with the organizer before you go.

Good to know

What does Thanksgiving cost?

Holiday dates are priced for the holiday: dinner from $275 a person, with most tables landing between $275 and $350, and a $2,500 minimum. It’s a lot of food and a long day in the kitchen, and these are the dates everyone wants. The pricing guide has the full rate card.

How many people can you cook for?

From a table for two to a big family gathering. Tell us the house and we’ll tell you honestly what its kitchen can handle; what to expect shows how a booking comes together.

What about the drive up?

Late November can bring the first big storms, and Highway 128 floods. Our El Niño winter guide has the detours. Arrive Wednesday in daylight if you can.

More holiday dinners: all holiday dinners · Halloween · Holiday parties · Christmas · New Year’s Eve · Sample menus

Check your date

Tell us the house, how many are coming. We’ll get back to you with a few questions and a time to talk.