It’s that time of year, folks, when visions of giblets and gravy boats dance in our heads. If you happen to be hosting Thanksgiving this year, or acting as MVP by bringing the turkey to a potluck bash, you may be hot on the hunt for the perfect bird. And for gourmands that want to opt for something organic, heritage-bred, or just more flavorful, local Bay Area butchers and markets have you covered. Not sure how big a bird you should get? Estimate one to one-and-a-half pounds of turkey for everyone who will be at the table.
The Birds: Fresh broad-breasted (more traditional flavor with more white meat) and heritage (a cross between the White Holland, Narragansett, Standard Bronze, Spanish Black and Bourbon Red with darker, flavorful meat) turkeys from BN Ranch, which are born and raised in Bolinas, and free-range, non-GMO, and steroid and antibiotic-free.
The Prices: $50 deposit to reserve; broad-breasted turkeys are $6.25 per pound, ranging from 18 to 22 pounds (feeds up to 22 people); heritage turkeys are $8 per pound, ranging from 14 to 18 pounds (feeds up to 18).
Special Options: For hefty eaters, opt for a Grand Turducken: roughly 20 pounds, it’s enough to feed 25 to 30 people. Made with BN Ranch seasonal broad-breasted turkeys, tit comes resting on a melange of root vegetables in a doubled aluminum roasting pan, complete with an oven-proof probe thermometer, side of herbs, gravy, and detailed directions for roasting to juicy perfection at home. You’ll need 7 to 10 hours of cook time for this bad boy, so best to plan ahead and start early.
Extras: The butcher shop also offers turkey gravy, turducken sausage, and if you’re particularly lazy, sides en croute (stuffing, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and marshmallow, all layered in a handmade pastry crust) to go along with your bird. Stuffing and brining kits that are all available for pre-order through the website.
Get It: Available for pickup at the 4505 Meats Butcher Shop, from Saturday, November 22 to Weds., November 26, from 10:30 am to 7 pm.
1909 Mission St. (Mission)
The Birds: Heritage and broad-breasted turkeys from BN Ranch.
The Prices: Broad-breasted turkeys are $5.50 per pound; heritage turkeys are $7.50 per pound.
Special Options: Avedano’s will de-bone your bird in preparation for a Turducken (they don’t actually put them together, but they’ll get the duck, chicken, and turkey prepped for you for $45). They also offer a creation they call the Turchetta—a deboned turkey rubbed down with garlic, herbs (rosemary, sage, and parsley), salt and pepper, and duck fat, rolled and tied into a roast for the cost of a turkey plus $90.
Extras: Not into turkey? Try liberty ducks for $5.50 per pound, Guinea fowl for $12.50 per pound, and LLano Seco boneless ham for $13.50 per pound. Or grab housemade accoutrements like turkey stock, gravy, and brine mix.
Get It: Order until Sunday, November 23.
235 Cortland Ave. (Bernal Heights)
The Birds: Belcampo’s three Bay Area locations are offering three types of turkeys this holiday: heritage and broad-breasted options from BN Ranch; and their own Belcampo smoked turkeys sourced from Belcampo’s free-range farm of over 20,000 acres of organic land in Mt. Shasta. They’re organic, non-GMO, and steroid-/antibiotic-free.
The Prices: BN Ranch white broad-breasted turkeys are $5.99 per pound; BN Ranch heritage turkeys are $7.99 per pound; and Belcampo smoked turkeys are $9.99 per pound.
Extras: Add stuffing, gravy, and other fowl (quail, squab, duck) and meats (artisan smoked ham, lamb roast, or holiday sausage) sourced from their Shasta Valley farms to your order.
Get It: Pick up dates are Monday, Nov 24 to Weds., Nov. 26 in-stores. There is no cut off for ordering before Wednesday the 26th.
1998 Polk (Nob Hill); 2405 Larkspur Landing Circle, Bldg 4, Larkspur; 855 El Camino Real, #161, Palo Alto
The Birds: Heritage and broad-breasted turkeys from BN Ranch, plus
Mary’s Certified Organic Free-Range and Mary’s Free Range turkeys.
The Prices: BN Ranch heritage turkeys are $7.50 per pound; BN Ranch broad-breasted turkeys are $4.50 per pound; and Mary's organic free-range and free-range turkeys are $4.50 and $3.50 per pound, respectively.
Extras: A plethora of sides, soups, desserts, and wines make Thanksgiving dinner a breeze.
Get It: Available for pre-order online from Bi-Rite’s special Holiday Market on Instacart.com.
3639 18th St. (Mission); 550 Divisadero St. (NoPa)
The Birds: Heritage turkeys from Good Shepherd Ranch in Lindsborg, Kansas from farmer Frank Reese, who began raising birds in the 1950s (of note: has the oldest continuous strain of standard bred turkeys in North America). The rare Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red, White Holland, Black, Narragansett and Slate are renowned for their flavor and fed a vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and growth hormones. The turkeys are pasture-raised outdoors on the prairie. where no pesticides or herbicides are ever used.
The Prices: $8 per pound, with a $25 deposit for each turkey.
Extras: Turkey broth, brine kits, and a plethora of other meats are available.
Get It: To place an order for pickup at the SF location, email sfshop@fattedcalf.com or call (415) 400-5614. To place an order for pickup at the Napa location, email napashop@fattedcalf.com or call (707) 256-3684.
320 Fell St. (Hayes Valley); The Oxbow Public Market, 644 C First St., Napa
The Birds: Broad-breasted turkeys from BN Ranch.
The Prices: $5.99 per pound; 10 to 14 pound and 14 to 18 pound birds.
Special Options: Local specializes in making delicious meals a touch easier, and they’re brine-by-request option (for free!) fits the bill. “We want people to have great turkeys,” says owner Yaron Milgrom. (They’ll also cook it for $10.99 per pound.)
Get It: Pickup begins on Sunday, November 23. They’ll take order until they’re sold out.
2670 Harrison St. (Mission)
The Birds: Broad-breasted and heritage turkeys from BN Ranch. Free range and GMO-free certified.
The Prices: Broad-breasted for $4.99 per pound in two size ranges (12-14 pounds and 16-18 pounds); heritage for $8.50 per pound (14-16 pounds)
Special Options: Get them already smoked or brined, plus a half turkey option.
Extras: Order the brining kit for $10.
Get It: They’re accepting orders now through Monday, November 24 at midnight on their website here or by calling (415) 643-4510. Delivery is 2 to 5 pm and 5 to 8pm, Wednesday, November 26, in San Francisco, East Bay, South Bay, all the way to San Jose. Pickup is available 10 am to 8 pm, Wednesday, November 26, or 8 am to 11 am, Thursday, November 27, at their facility.
1750 Cesar Chavez St. Unit E (Potrero Hill)
The Birds: This Dogpatch spot is offering Branigan's Turkeys, which come from a family-owned operation in Woodland, CA that’s been free-range farming the birds since 1942. They raise their turkeys to 25 to 27 weeks (most turkeys are raised until 16 weeks), allowing the animals to develop a thin film of fat under the skin. Mother Nature's way of self-basting, if you will.
The Prices: $5.50 per pound
Extras: They’ll also carry a turkey roti: half of a de-boned turkey filled with their house stuffing (made with pork sausage and chestnut). Also available are chicken and duck rotis for those going turkey-free this holiday.
Get It: Place your order by Friday, November 21.
1074 Illinois St. (Dogpatch)
The Birds: Heritage and broad-breasted turkeys from BN Ranch that are never frozen.
The Prices: $9 per pound for heritage, $5.50 per pound for broad-breasted, with 10- to 26-pound birds available.
Extras: Brining kits are available for purchase.
Get It: Limited supply, so ordering in advance is highly recommended. Contact Shed at (707) 431-7433 to place your order. Pickup only at the Larder from 8 am to 7 pm starting on Monday, November 24.
25 North Street, Healdsburg
The Birds: OK, they’re a national chain, yes. But they’re based in the Bay Area and offer prized birds from just north, namely Willie Bird Turkeys from Sonoma. They’re raised on a tasty natural diet and allowed to roam freely in the golden, oak-shaded hills. Birds come in 6 weight ranges and two options—free-range, free-range organic (raised on organic grains and are certified to be free of artificial pesticides and chemicals)
The Prices: Free-range are $79.95 to $169.95, free-range organic are $99.95 to $199.95.
Special Options: Smoked whole turkeys for $90, which are rubbed with a brown-sugar cure and spiked with garlic, then slow-smoked to succulent perfection. Approximately 12 to 13 pounds (serves 10–12).
Get It: Fresh birds are shipped directly to you from the farm. For Thanksgiving delivery, order by 2 pm PST on Fri., November 21st. Quantities are limited. Standard shipping charges plus $15 delivery fee apply.
Can’t be bothered to cook? Get Thanksgiving delivered instead.