Sweets and Meals for the Holidays

It's not too early to think about ordering sweets and meals for the holidays. Area bakeries, restaurants, and market bakers are gearing up to create delicious sweets to grace the holiday table, and plenty of grocery stores, restaurants, and caterers are gearing up to provide complete meals or components for folks who aren't going to cook. Everyone we contacted stressed the importance of ordering well in advance to ensure the availability of your family's favorite goodies this Thanksgiving.

Sweets Around Austin:

Ate. Cafe (2127 Lohmans Crossing, Lakeway, 512/263-4933, www.atecafe.com) Preorder pies, tarts, bread pudding, and tea cakes for pick up at the store.

Quack's 43rd Street Bakery (411 E. 43rd, 453-3399, www.quackquacks.com) Pies, cakes, cupcakes, and seasonal decorated cookies.

Texas French Bread (2900 Rio Grande, 499-0544, www.texasfrenchbread.com) Pies, cakes, tortes, tarts, pastries, breads, and rolls.

Sweetish Hill Bakery & Cafe (1120 W. Sixth, 472-1347, www.sweetishhill.com) Pies, cakes, tortes, tarts, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, breads, rolls, and homemade fruitcakes.

Upper Crust Bakery (4508 Burnet Rd., 476-0102, www.theuppercrustbakery.com) Pies, cakes, pastries, breads, and rolls.

Moonlight Bakery (2300 S. Lamar, 462-1302, www.moonlightbakery.com) Holiday flavors of pies, tarts, and cheesecakes in addition to breads and dinner rolls.

Chez Zee (5406 Balcones, 454-2666, www.chezzee.com) Pies, cakes, tortes, cheesecakes, and savory side dishes.

Cake & Spoon (426-7697, www.cakeandspoon.com) Order small or regular tarts online to be picked up the Saturday (Downtown, Sunset Valley) or Wednesday (the Triangle) before Thanksgiving.

CinnaMan Cheesecakes (673-0565, www.cinnamandessertcatering.com) Michael Hurd will whip up the cheesecake of your dreams. Preorder for pickup.

Cutie Pies (7329 Burnet Rd., www.cutiepiewagon.com) Preorder pies and pick up by the Wednesday before Thanksgiving in the shop.

Pie Fixes Everything (www.piefixeseverything.com) Preorder and pay online and get location for pre-Thanksgiving pickup.

Texas Pie Kitchen (814-7743, www.texaspiekitchen.org) Preorder online by Nov. 20 and get times and location for pre-Thanksgiving pickup.

Tiny Pies (916-0184, www.tinypies.com) Preorder tiny or not-so-tiny pies to be picked up at the Tiny Pies stall at the Barton Creek Farmers' Market on Saturday before Thanksgiving or by appointment at the kitchen.

Sugar Mama's Bakeshop (1905-A S. First, 448-3727, www.sugarmamasbakeshop.com) Pumpkin cheesecake bars, great pumpkin cakes, and pumpkin bread loaves for November.

SugaPlump Pastries (www.sugaplumppastries.com) Check out chef Jocelyn Harris-Leffall's menu of cakeballs infused with local spirits, cakes, cookies, muffins, and pies online, and place orders for pre-Thanksgiving pickup.

Pies Around Central Texas

Monument Cafe (500 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown, 512/930-9586, www.themonumentcafe.com) Check pie list on the Web, and order online for pickup at the new Monument Market (1953 S. Austin Ave.).

Deli Depot (1006 Main, Bastrop, 512/321-0808) Preorder pies for pickup in the store.

Texas Pie Company (212 W. Center, Kyle, 512/268-5885, www.texaspiecompany.com) Preorder pies for pickup in the store.

Wimberley Pie Company (13619 RR 12, Wimberley, 512/847-9462, www.wimberleypie.com) Preorder pies for pickup in the store.

Royer's Round Top Cafe (105 Main St., Round Top, 979/249-3611, www.royersroundtopcafe.com) Preorder pies online for shipping all over the world.

Blue Bonnet Cafe (211 Hwy. 281, Marble Falls, 830/693-2344, www.bluebonnetcafe.net) Preorder pies for pickup in the cafe.

Meals & Sweets, Poultry, too!

Annies Cafe & Bar (319 Congress, 472-1884, www.anniescafebar.com) Pies, signature rum cakes, and full meals to take out.

Threadgill's (both locations, www.threadgills.com) Take the family to eat in or order turkey and dressing with all the fixins (including pie) to take out.

Hoover's Cooking (both locations, www.hooverscooking.com) Take the family to eat in or order complete holiday feasts to take home.

Central Market (both locations, www.centralmarket.com) Order everything from the bird to the cranberries and the dinner rolls to take home.

Whole Foods Market (both locations, www.wholefoodsmarket.com) Order anything and everything you'll need for your holiday meal.

Wheatsville Food Co-op (3101 Guadalupe, 478-2667, www.wheatsville.coop) The deli here offers a banquet of vegetarian and vegan options for your holiday meal, including a Holiday Helper bag ($49.99) with seven side dish items that will feed four to six people; preroasted or frozen natural and/or organic turkeys; plus five different kinds of pie. Order by Nov. 20.

Mr. Natural (1901 E. Cesar Chavez, 477-5228, www.mrnatural-austin.com) Enjoy a vegan holiday feast to eat in or take out, plus pies and holiday tamales.

BC Tavern (11715 Bee Caves Rd., 477-6535, www.bc-tavern.com) Preorder Thanksgiving meals with all the fixins for $18 per person and whole pies for $20; secure with credit card and pick up the week of Nov. 21.

Spirited Food Co. (1208 W. Fourth, 844-1833, www.spiritedfood.com) Executive Chef Andrew Brooks is preparing everything from holiday brunch dishes to meats and side to desserts. Preorder online or by phone by midnight Nov. 19 for either delivery (for a small fee) or pickup at the kitchen by Nov. 23.

Romeo's (1500 Barton Springs Rd., 476-1090, www.romeosrestaurants.com) The restaurant will be serving Thanksgiving dinner and its regular menu all day and also offers the option of preordering an entire Thanksgiving feast complete with deep-fried turkey for $119.99 plus tax or individual turkey entrées for $13.95 per person.

Lee's Meat Market (1601 W. 38th #12, 467-6700, www.leesmeatmarket.com) Offers cooked holiday meats, raw meats, and holiday meat gift boxes, plus a full menu of appetizers, holiday dinners, platters, side dishes, and desserts.

Good 2 Go (6317 Bee Caves Rd. #200, 327-4246, www.good2goaustin.com) The chef here is preparing a limited number of whole roasted Richardson Farms turkeys, whole Vital Farms chickens, plus turkey breasts, beef tenderloins, and an array of traditional side dishes, dinner rolls, cakes, pies, puddings, and holiday cookies. Preorder by Nov. 21 for pickup in the shop the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Stuffed (12226 RR 620 N., 918-1600, www.stuffedfoodstores.com) Preorder turkeys frozen, fresh, or smoked, plus turduckens and side dishes for pickup in this Cajun meat market.

PoK-e-Jo's Smokehouse (catering department 388-7578, www.pokejos.com) Preorder complete holiday meals for families or groups of any size.

Dewberry Hills Farm (308-7706, www.dhfarms.com) Every year, this farm raises 6-10 pound antibiotic-free, pastured, jumbo roasting chickens as an alternative to Thanksgiving turkeys. Preorder for pickup at SFC farmers' markets Downtown or in Sunset Valley.

Richardson Farms (www.richardsonfarms.com, jrdvm72@aol.com) The Richardsons have their wonderful turkeys again this year (Standard Bronze heritage breed for $8 a pound, and Broad Breasted White for $4 a pound) as well as a few special country cured hams. Order at their farmers' market stall, online, or via email; orders require a $20 deposit. Arrange to pick up birds or hams at their market stalls at Barton Creek Mall, 6701 Burnet Rd., Sunset Valley, on Saturday, Nov. 19, or at the Triangle market on Wednesday, Nov. 23.