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For a complete menu makeover of the Vanderbilt family’s 1904 Thanksgiving meal, we asked Estate Executive Chef Mark DeMarco to update the dishes recorded in Biltmore’s Menu Book for today’s tastes.
“Thanksgiving is a food-focused holiday,” said Lauren Henry, Curator of Interpretation, “and that tradition is as true today as it was in 1904 when George and Edith Vanderbilt celebrated the holiday with a multi-course dinner for family and guests.”
According to Lauren, Biltmore’s archives include a handwritten menu for the 1904 Thanksgiving dinner that features time-honored favorites like turkey, ham, and sweet potatoes, plus more unusual offerings such as braised calves’ brains.
“While some of those dishes don’t sound as appealing today, they were the height of elegant dining during the Gilded Age,” Lauren said.
In addition, the original holiday menu topped out at eight courses. That seems like a lot of food to modern diners, but Lauren noted that the portions were fairly small, and it was also common for a formal dinner of the era to last two hours or more.
The Vanderbilts’ 1904 celebration began with oysters on the half shell, followed by “Consomme Royal” and broiled Spanish mackerel. For a more modern adaptation, Chef DeMarco kept the seafood theme with an appetizer of Salmon Rillettes.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Wine pairing suggestion: Savor your salmon rillettes with our Biltmore® Reserve North Carolina Chardonnay—it’s a perfect complement for this rich, savory appetizer and a wonderful way to welcome family and friends to the table!
We know from archival information that George Vanderbilt loved roast turkey and it was frequently served at Biltmore. For our modern menu makeover, Chef DeMarco recommends our Simple Brined and Roasted Turkey to ensure you bring the most tender, flavorful main dish to the table.
Brining
Roasting
Wine pairing suggestion: Enjoy the classic varietal character of our smooth Biltmore Reserve® North Carolina Chardonnay, handcrafted from estate-grown grapes, with your Thanksgiving turkey, on its own, or as part of our Thanksgiving Wine Trio, which is carefully curated to complement your celebration.
A variety of vegetables appears on the 1904 menu, and Chef Demarco elevated traditional green beans into something sublime with Green Beans with Pancetta and Hazelnut Brown Butter.
Ingredients
Instructions
Cake was one of Edith Vanderbilt’s favorite desserts, so the inclusion of pineapple cake (along with mince pie) on the 1904 menu is not surprising. For our updated interpretation of classic holiday flavors, try our Pumpkin-Pecan Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting—it’s a flavorful combination to round out your holiday meal in style!
Cake
Caramel Pecan Filling
Cream Cheese Frosting
Wine pairing suggestion: Uncork the festive bubbles of Biltmore Estate® Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine with a decadent dessert like this and offer a toast to celebrate the occasion.
While decadent holiday meals may be a bit tricky to pair with wines, our Thanksgiving Wine Trio features Biltmore Estate® Dry Rosé, Biltmore Reserve® North Carolina Chardonnay, and Vanderbilt Reserve® Sonoma County Pinot Noir to cover most options.
Whether your Thanksgiving table is laden with tried-and-true classics or new favorites, we hope your holiday is filled with fellowship, good memories, and delicious food-and-wine pairings!
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