Oddly, The Sun-Times, with its everyman ethos, reprinted the entire invitation list and menu, featuring roast loin of veal and "autumn vegetables" washed down with fine wines.

The stewed ox cheek with autumn vegetables had a kind of creamy tenderness, and comes in the richest, most flavorful red wine sauce you've ever tasted.

Some of the recipes, like Le Madeleine's 28-ingredient garbure of rabbit with white runner beans, autumn vegetables and duck confit, are not the kinds of projects one would easily handle at dinner time.

Catered holiday parties might begin with a bisque of butternut squash and wild mushrooms and continue with grilled breast of turkey with sage butter and glazed autumn vegetables.

Fricassee of baby lamb with autumn vegetables.

Choices include turkey with giblet gravy, cranberry, kumquat relish, herbed mushroom and chestnut stuffing, autumn vegetables and baked lady apple.

The main course: buffalo tenderloin with chanterelles, autumn vegetables and wild-rice cake, followed by a salad of Romaine, blood oranges, Vermont camembert and spiced walnuts.

And yet their meal feels like a proper Thanksgiving, replete with autumn vegetables, family recipes and specialties gathered from local markets.

Charred lamb chops with grilled autumn vegetables and gratineed potatoes are another wholesome and satisfying choice ($25), as is the grilled tuna with bok choy, sake and ginger ($19.95).

In October, dinner began with a terrine of autumn vegetables set in a clear gel of agar, atop a turnip purée sprinkled with chestnut crumbs and sudachi zest.