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Menu Makeover: Updating a 1904 Thanksgiving Meal

Written By Jean Sexton

Posted 10/18/22

Updated 10/17/24

Holiday Traditions

We caught up with Estate Executive Chef Mark DeMarco to do a complete menu makeover of the Vanderbilt family’s 1905 Thanksgiving menu. Knowing how much tastes have changed in the last century, we’ve put together a real feast for you!

Archival Biltmore House menu book
Biltmore’s archival menu book dated Saturday, November 12, 1904

A food-focused holiday

“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 Thanksgiving Dinner 1904 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.

Salmon Rillette
Elegant and easy, make these salmon rillettes a day in advance and chill them until you’re ready to serve.

Menu makeover: easy appetizers

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.


Salmon Rillettes

Ingredients:


Instructions:


Wine pairing suggestion: Savor your salmon rillettes with our Biltmore Estate® Reserve Chardonnay—it’s a perfect complement for this rich, savory appetizer and a wonderful way to welcome family and friends to the table!


Biltmore Charcuterie Board
There’s no right or wrong way to put a charcutier board together—just have fun with it!

“There was a real emphasis on meat on the Vanderbilts’ menu—both roast turkey and Virginia ham were served, plus those previously noted calves’ brains,” said Chef DeMarco. “While turkey is still the main feature at most Thanksgiving dinners, today’s cooks also give just as much attention to the accompanying dishes.”

Mix and match an array of meats (George’s favorite!), cheeses, crackers, fruits, nuts, preserves, and spreads. For a special touch, check out your local artisan shops for some amazing goodies, and consider adding our favorites: Marcona almonds, crunchy crostinis, and seasonal preserves. It’s all about what you love and what looks delicious!

Wine pairing suggestion: Light-bodied reds, like the Vanderbilt Reserve® Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2020, have fresh berry flavors that counterbalance salty, nutty cheeses.

Roast turkey paired with glasses of Biltmore white wine
Pair traditional roast turkey with Biltmore Estate® Reserve Chardonnay.

Menu makeover: updating George Vanderbilt’s favorite dish

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. 


Simple Brined and Roasted Turkey

Ingredients:

Brine

Roasting


Instructions:

Brine Method

You will need a heavy-duty plastic brining bag and an ice chest large enough to hold a 20-pound turkey.

Roasting Method

You will need butcher’s twine and a roasting rack.


Wine pairing suggestion: Enjoy the classic varietal character of our smooth Biltmore Reserve® Chardonnay—handcrafted from estate-grown grapes—with your Thanksgiving turkey, on its own, or as part of our Thanksgiving Wine Trio, carefully curated to complement your celebration.


Thanksgiving menu makeover with green beans
Dress up your green beans with brown butter, pancetta, and hazel nuts.

Menu makeover: sensational sides

Cranberry jelly and a medley of vegetables appear on the 1904 menu. Our modernized dinner brings brighter flavors to the meal with two different styles of cranberry sauce—elegant and easy Red Wine Cranberry Sauce and the sophisticated flavors of Bittersweet Cranberry Sauce—alongside Green Beans with Pancetta and Hazelnut Brown Butter, a dish that elevates green beans to something sublime!


Green Beans with Pancetta and Hazelnut Brown Butter

Ingredients:


Instructions:


Wine pairing suggestion: While it’s normally considered a bit difficult to pair certain sides with wines, our Thanksgiving Wine Trio brings together Biltmore Reserve® Chardonnay, The Hunt Red Blend Sonoma County, and Biltmore Estate® Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine covers most options.


Thankgiving menu makeover with Pumpkin-Pecan Layer Cake
We think Edith Vanderbilt would have enjoyed this delicious Pumpkin-Pecan Layer Cake.

Menu makeover: dessert decadence

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 and Pecan Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting—it’s a flavorful combination to round out your holiday meal in style!


Pumpkin and Pecan Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

Cake

Caramel pecan filling

Frosting


Instructions:

Cake

Filling

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.


Bring our Thanksgiving Wine Trio to the table

Biltmore Wines Thanksgiving Wine Trio
Our Thanksgiving Wine Trio offers perfect pairings for your holiday menu!

Whether your Thanksgiving table is laden with tried-and-true classics or modern new dishes, we hope your holiday is filled with fellowship, good memories, and delicious wine-and-food pairings like our menu makeover options and our favorite picks for Thanksgiving wine pairings:

White V
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