Thanksgiving Spread in Variety of Settings

The chef at Casa Garcia Mexican Restaurant likes his Thanksgiving dinner with a dash of Afro-Caribbean rhythms of cumbia and surrounded by hundreds of people, many of whom he’s never met before.

Jenelle McKee, a fifth-grade student, prefers to serve Thanksgiving dinner to others less fortunate.

And Mai Nguyen, a vegetarian who gave up meat four years ago after she went through surgery, fancies a mock turkey, carved out of tofu.

The traditional turkey and dressing came in different flavors throughout Orange County on Thursday as people from all walks of life gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving at various shelters, restaurants, churches and parks.

“We get the lonely, the homeless, but also people in the military, the police and the Fire Department--people of all races--all working together and eating together,” said Frank Garcia, owner of Casa Garcia.

“This is the beauty of the holiday,” he said.

Under sunny skies in a parking lot in front of his restaurant, about 13,500 people stood in line for a traditional dinner with a twist--the stuffing was made of tortillas, corn chips, rice, bread and chopped vegetables cooked in spices that include garlic and cilantro.

“All the countries are together in that stuffing,” said Garcia, the ruddy-faced cook who labored until 7 a.m. Thursday preparing the feast.

Guests took their plates and sat together in a grassy area or on tables set up in the parking lot to eat and listened to a band playing cumbias and ballads.

On a makeshift dance floor, people moved and swayed to the rhythms. Among them were a father and his two sons.

“We have food at home, but I wanted to bring them here,” the 35-year-old father said. “Here, they can see Thanksgiving come to life.”

At Huntington Beach Central Park, almost 300 people celebrated Thanksgiving turkey-less.

The all-vegetarian fare was spread over six tables, with pot-luck dishes that included organic pumpkin casserole, chocolate tofu pie and a Vietnamese salad made of julienne cucumbers, carrots and celery.

A goose “that was saved from the broiler” was designated a mascot of the event, a first of its kind in Orange County, organizers said. Participants took picnic blankets, fold-out beach chairs and Frisbees. Some brought their dogs to catch the Frisbees.

“This is a support group for vegetarians who don’t want to go to their parents’ house and eat turkey,” said Tom Drake, who helped coordinate what the group called the Alternative Thanksgiving Feast.

The event was sponsored by EarthSave, Orange County People for Animals and the Vegetarian Society.

Most of the dishes had cards that included ingredients of the dish. Others had names such as “Legume Madness,” a concoction of black beans, tomatoes, lentils and carrots. Some people brought recipes along with their dishes.

The celebration was from noon until 4 p.m., but by about 2:30 p.m. most of the food was gone.

“Vegetarians are, like, really quick to eat,” said James Chudzinski, chairman of EarthSave.

In Santa Ana, more than 100 volunteers for the Orange County Rescue Mission took home 200 turkeys to cook for Thanksgiving. Thousands of people poured into the shelter, where they were served a holiday meal topped off with a cupcake.

Jenelle, the elementary school student who volunteered to serve the dinners at the shelter, said this year’s Thanksgiving is one of the best that she can remember.

“I like helping,” she said as she walked around holding a tray of food. “I like to see people happy.”

Preparation for the day had taken two months, coordinator Jim Womack said. The turkeys and fixings were distributed among volunteers, who cooked the food and returned it to the shelter Wednesday night.

“It’s in the preparation stage when you’re pulling hair,” Womack said. “Then it’s all over with on Thanksgiving Day. Tonight will be the first time that I’ll be getting some good sleep because I won’t be thinking about this.

“That is--until next year,” he said.