Seasonal treats from Red Bank include pumpkin-filled cannolis from Sempre Cannoli, above, and pumpkin truffles from Chocolate Works, below.  (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
By SUSAN ERICSON
Whether you’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner or you’ve been invited to a feast, making everyone happy can be tricky.
Were you asked to bring a side dish or dessert? Do you need a hostess gift? PieHole has you covered with a cornucopia of sweet treats and savory sides available in the pumpkin-tinged town of Red Bank.
Vegan pies may be ordered whole or by the slice from Good Karma Cafe on East Front Street. Below, a selection of Thanksgiving treats at Sugarush. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
We start at a new shop on the Broad Street. If cannolis are all you sell, then they’d better be pretty special, and at Sempre Cannoli, the crispy tubes are made fresh daily.
For Thanksgiving you can have yours filled with a sweet ricotta-pumpkin cream. Owners Jill Pecoraro and Philip Bivolo suggest a platter of cannoli chips with a container of cream for $28.88. The large pumpkin-filled cannolis are $4.10 each, and the mini cannolis $2.60 a pop. Of course you can always go with cannolis filled with the original cream, too.
Another new confectioner on Broad Street, Chocolate Works, offers a seasonal truffle variation in the form of pumpkin cream. In addition to truffles, owner Randi Garfinkel has milk chocolate and dark chocolate cornucopias in sizes small ($25), medium ($68) and large ($100) overflowing with with pretty decorated chocolate covered pretzels, graham crackers, oreos, marshmallows, and nut clusters. The cornupcopias and chocolate turkeys are cellophane wrapped and gift-ready.
On East Front Street, Sugarush not only has the expected cupcakes,($2.50 each) but teeny-tiny apple and pecan tartlets ($2.50) and chocolate-covered Rice Krispie Treat drum sticks ($2) for those with a sweet tooth.
A few doors west of Sugarush, Good Karma Cafe offers traditional Thanksgiving pies with a twist, such as vegan pumpkin cheesecake decorated with pecans and a vegan lemon poppy seed cake. Co-owner Gail Doherty tells PieHole orders need to be in by Monday and may be picked up on Wednesday. A whole pie or cake will set you back $45 but can also be ordered by the slice for $6.
Good Karma is also offering a complete vegan and organic Thanksgiving menu of side dishes and entrees to order in advance of the big day.
From soup to toasted-nut-and-fruit stuffing Kitch Organic on Leighton Avenue is another option for fresh organic and gluten-free sides. Its menu of healthy options that offers “everything but the bird,” making Thanksgiving preparation less complicated.
