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AREA ABUZZ WITH THANKSGIVING PREPARATIONS
FROM SHOPPING TO BAKING TO EATING, HOLIDAYS ARE HECTIC
By Keith Hagarty
 | | --Photo by Keith Hagarty With their shopping carts filling up quickly, shoppers from across the region have been busy making their final Thanksgiving Day preparations. |
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As shoppers poured out of the ShopRite supermarket on Route 70, Manchester, with a harvest of items for their Thanksgiving tables, one thing was certain: it's never enough.
"I thought I had enough last year, but there's always something I forget," said Janet Hoon, of Whiting, as she had help putting a frozen turkey and other holiday goodies into the trunk of her car.
"It wasn't until I was lying in bed the night before that it just hit me that I had no pumpkin pie filling," she said. "So there I was first thing the next morning, running back here. But that's Thanksgiving ... I gave thanks they were still open."
With a shopping cart overflowing with yellow plastic bags full of all the makings for a Thanksgiving bounty, you'd think James and Marie Emmino, of Leisure Village West, would be all done with their food shopping. That's not he case.
"It's never done," Marie said smiling. "Never."
After visiting her mother in Lakehurst, Maureen Kochel, of Jackson, hurried to get as much food shopping in while she had the time.
"It's been a madhouse," she said. "This is always the time of year where I'm running all over to get my kids here and there, and visit my mom and make sure she has everything she needs, but I was lucky today. I think I got everything I need."
After making that proclamation, Kochel soon realized
something was missing.
"I completely forgot to get soda," she said. "It's always something ... but that's the holidays, I guess."
Some Folks
Look For A Getaway
Spanning more than 50 years, the Old-Time Tavern on Route 166 south in Toms River has had a tradition of providing a special Thanksgiving feast for all of those who are looking to eat out.
With complete Turkey dinner specials and about 14 other complete dinners available on the first floor in the restaurant dining rooms, and a massive Thanksgiving buffet on the second floor throughout all of their banquet rooms, removing the hassle from the holiday has become a tradition. The only catch is that it's by reservation only, according to manager Ron Mueller.
"We pretty much sell out every year with 1,200 to 1,500 people coming in," he said.
What kind of customers does the restaurant generally see come through their doors with an appetite after the Thanksgiving Macy's Day Parade ends?
"With the quantity of senior communities around, it's a lot of families who take mom and dad out, and we're glad to see they choose our restaurant for their holiday meal," said Mueller. "It's usually mom and dad's favorite restaurant."
With Thanksgiving often meaning a hectic kitchen, Mueller is glad the Old Time Tavern can offer some help to escape the craziness.
"We cook for them, and we clean up after them," Mueller laughed. "It's been a great place for families who don't know who's going to cook and they can all just get together some place and go out to eat. They don't have to worry about who's cooking or who's house is it at, and they don't have to worry about who has to clean up after who this year." Although he can't be with his own family during most of the day, Mueller thanks those patrons who will be joining him and his staff, who help make the restaurant feel like home on Thanksgiving.
"When you have to work on a holiday, it's nice to know that they feel like they're part of your family," he said. "You take care of them all year long, and it's nice to know that they choose you."
The Ovens Never Stop Cooking
Despite being closed on Thanksgiving Day, the Twin Pond Farms and Country Market on Route 9 north in Howell has been plenty busy with their ovens working overtime.
"Thanksgiving is our biggest pie season of the year," said Gary DiGregorio, one of the owners of the family-business.
The list of 20 available pies ranges from such standards as apple and sweet potato, to the unusual, like caramel apple nut, blueberry crunch, strawberry rhubarb, chocolate cream, fruits of the forest, pecan, and more
"We do several thousand pies for Thanksgiving, baking them basically 24 hours a day to make sure they're extra fresh for our customers," he said.
The day before Thanksgiving is always the busiest day of the year by far for the Market, with hundreds of pie orders being picked up by hungry customers. Despite the varied assortment of pies offered, DiGregorio said the classic apple and pumpkin pie are still the most popular.
Being a family-owned business gives the holiday a little extra meaning, which DiGregorio believes finds its way into the way they treat every one of their customers.
"We serve the customer like nobody else, and we're known for that," he said. "Everybody gets the one-on-one treatment, which is nice. A little 'hello' means a lot to our customers and they appreciate it."
With such a mad dash to the finish line, DiGregorio is looking forward to sharing the Thanksgiving Day with his family.
"We enjoy the holidays together definitely," he said. "We have the day off, so it's nice to spend time together, relax and unwind."
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