The manager of Mu Du Noodles (1494 Cerrillos Road, 983-1411), Murphy O'Brien, called to say that the Cerrillos Road eatery has opened a third dining room to help with overflow. The comfortable room will also be available for private parties and group bookings and adds 30 seats to the existing restaurant. The arrival of cold weather certainly has me craving a filling bowl of one of Mu's delicious noodle dishes.


If you find yourself caught without everything you need for tomorrow's dinner, the Eldorado Hotel's "backdoor" catering department can save the day. Call executive chef Charles Kassels (995-4571) and he'll arrange a complete turkey dinner with all the trimmings — and I do mean all the trimmings. For $275, you get a 15-pound organic turkey, sour cream-mashed potatoes, sage gravy, maple-glazed sweet potatoes, cornbread stuffing with apples and walnuts, roasted root vegetables, cranberry-orange chutney, Waldorf salad, green bean salad with Marcona almonds, rolls and butter, and bourbon pecan and pumpkin pies — enough to serve six to 8 with plenty of leftovers. Best part of the deal is the chef will meet you at the curb, behind the hotel on Johnson Street, and pop everything in the car, ready to reheat at home. I have a feeling chef Kassels will be a busy man that day!

Of course, the hotel will be serving its famous Thanksgiving buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Eldorado Court ($48 adults, $40 seniors, $24 for children 4-12 years old) as well as a more up-market meal in The Old House Restaurant that will include entrée choices of turkey (of course) as well as Harris Ranch beef tenderloin, Georges Bank monkfish or Colorado lamb loin in the four-course meal priced at $70 per person. It's served from 3 to 9:30 p.m. Reservations to dine-in can be made at 995-4530.


If you are feeling the stress of high-altitude holiday cooking and aren't exactly sure what adjustments you should be making, there's an informative cheat sheet on my Web site: www.chefjohnnyvee.com. Click on the "High Altitude Cooking" tab on the left and many of your questions may be answered.

Most importantly, enjoy the day, the food, family and friends — and laugh at any culinary bloopers you make. Despite the economy, we all have so much to be thankful for. So, regardless of how big or small your turkey, don't forget to cook everything with the most important ingredient — love.

Happy Thanksgiving.