The Source's chef Scott Drewno.

Thinking about skipping the turkey and going rogue this Thanksgiving? Scott Drewno, executive chef at Wolfgang Puck’s The Source (575 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 202-637-6100) advises against it. Instead of tempting your taste buds with a completely different main come Thursday, he suggests that you mix things up another way. “Consider altering your cooking method rather than skipping the bird. Try brining, frying, or confiting your turkey for a new riff on a classic,” he advises. Drewno follows his own advice, calling his own recipes “traditional all the way.” As he explains: “This feast is all about tradition and sharing a time-tested meal with loved ones. I especially look forward to my grandmother’s giblet gravy, which she makes every year.”

But if varying what you usually serve is still on your mind, alter a side dish or two. Drewno recommends pork products to reinvigorate common sides like green bean casserole, stuffing, or mashed potatoes. To take his recommendation with pork products a step further, we suggest kicking off your family holiday with a hearty Bloody Mary cocktail made with Bakon Vodka—an award-winning bacon-flavored vodka made from Northwest potatoes. And while you’re sipping your smoky Bloody Mary and adding braised spare ribs to your mashed potatoes, keep Drewno’s other words of Thanksgiving wisdom in mind: “Don’t take shortcuts. And make extra gravy.”