While duck, goose and ham are making a comeback at holiday feasts, turkey still reigns supreme at Thanksgiving with 88 percent of Americans eating turkey over the holidays – weighing in at a mind-blowing 736 million pounds of turkey, according to the National Turkey Federation. All too often, turkeys come out too dry and too full of family bitterness to be tasty. Check out these creative local renditions of the holiday staple and get your turkey fix without fear of your mother’s cooking or your grandma’s judgments.

Embrace the habit

Columbus loves its turkey sandwiches. The turkey sandwich at Brown Bag Deli in German Village is so beloved that it’s simply known as the Village Addiction. The corner food stop is undeniably precious, with colorful orange walls, wood floors and a chalk menu. The old brick building has been a site for slingin’ sandwiches since 1974. On dreary autumn days, the Brown Bag Deli is a bright haven for satiating hunger pangs.

The Village Addiction ($7.25) is the perfect preview of Thanksgiving goodness, featuring a stack of smoked turkey complete with cranberry mayo. Add the creaminess of Havarti, with its buttery, slightly sweet flavor, and grill-marked sourdough bread, and you’ll know why the Addiction lives up to its name. It’s not so big that you have to unhinge your jaws to take a bite, but filling enough to go the distance. Round out the meal with a bag of flavorful chips – go for heat with Mama Zuma’s Revenge Habenero or stick to the local with Ballreich’s brand out of Tiffin (both just 99¢).

Brown Bag Deli
898 Mohawk St.
www.thebrownbaggv.com

Where’s the beef?

Okay – so, I get that people want to eat healthier; unfortunately, this can lead to some embarrassing food encounters. Substitutions such as mashed cauliflower in place of taters or plain yogurt masquerading as sour cream belong in the ‘Really?’ Hall of Fame. And then there’s the trend of serving poultry dressed up as real meat; I mean, who came up with chicken sausage? Really?

Few eateries can effectively pull off such a switcheroo, but Bernard’s Tavern in the Short North is on that short list. The Gobbler Turkey Burger ($9.95) might not be full of fatty red-meat flavor, but this burger will have your mouth watering just the same. Ground turkey is tarted up with shallots, apples and enough seasoning to give the bird-as-burger a deep flavor, redolent of autumn. The patty is topped with Brie, providing a pleasingly mellow accent, along with slices of tomato, pickles, onions and crisp apple slices. The burger is served with your choice of fries – Ranch, Cajun, House Seasoned, Regular or Sweet Potato. The Cajun version offers a slow burn that pairs perfectly with one of Bernard’s cold draft beers. If you’re dining with a buddy, make sure one of you orders the Baked Macaroni and Cheese ($11.95). This diva version of the American classic is glammed up with a combo of Parmesan, bleu and cheddar cheeses smothering cavatappi pasta and a panko breadcrumb topping that adds a sexy crunch. By going healthy with the Gobbler, you’ll feel much less guilty being meltingly bad with this sinfully delicious mac ’n’ cheese.

Bernard’s Tavern
630 N High St.
www.bernardstavern.com

Not your lunch-lady’s Johnny Marzetti

Cleveland has pierogies, Cincinnati has its chili and Columbus . . . well, Columbus has Johnny Marzetti. You might be unaware that the ubiquitous school cafeteria mix of noodles, ground beef and tomato sauce got its start right here in the 614. In the early 20th century, Italian immigrant Teresa Marzetti opened a restaurant on Broad Street and served a pasta dish named after her brother-in-law. Famed local humorist James Thurber was said to be a regular at the eatery. While the restaurant has since closed, the Marzetti tradition lives on in the T. Marzetti line of salad dressings, as well as each time someone whips up a new version of this Midwestern dish.

Knead Urban Diner’s chef Rick Lopez tweaks the standard recipe with his Turkey Marzetti ($14). Combining Ohio-raised turkey and all the classic Marzetti ingredients – peppers, tomatoes, onions – Lopez goes off the reservation with the addition of red wine, house-made noodles and made-in-Defiance Canal Junction white cheddar cheese. This grown-up version of the childhood staple is rich and comforting. The wine imparts a bright tang, while the white cheddar complements the spice of the tomato base.

In lieu of mashed potatoes, order up a small plate of Fries & Gravy ($6). The savory pork gravy smothering this dish makes me question the whole ketchup-and-fries enterprise. Imagine squirt bottles of gravy on every table . . . glutton heaven. If I had my druthers, there’d be no risk of dry meat and lumpy tubers at my Thanksgiving table – Turkey Marzetti with Fries & Gravy all around.

Knead Urban Diner
505 N High St.
www.kneadonhigh.com