Whether planning on dining out, staying in or getting away for Thanksgiving, restaurants, lodgings and wineries around the Northwest are offering up their own traditions and expert guidance to help make the holidays memorable.

Here’s a sample of what’s available, along with that last, sweet bite of pumpkin pie.

Dining Out

0/8 Seafood Grill: From 3-8 p.m. a traditional dinner, featuring holiday favorites like roasted turkey and mashed potatoes, will be offered. For those looking to enjoy a Thanksgiving breakfast, lunch or the regular 0/8 dinner menu, the restaurant will be serving its breakfast menu from 6:30-11 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 3-8 p.m. Reservations are required. For more information, call 425-637-0808. www.08seafoodgrill.com. At the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.

Wilde Rover Irish Pub and Restaurant: Ninth Annual Hopelink Turkey Trot Walk. 5K fun walk in downtown Kirkland on Nov. 15 from 1-2 p.m. The walk begins at Lakeshore Plaza and continues on past the front doors of Wilde Rover Irish Pub and Restaurant, a supporting sponsor of the event.

Participant registration is $20 and includes a T-shirt to be picked up on the day of the event. On-site registration begins at noon. Every individual or team that raises over $100 will be entered in a drawing for prizes. www.wilderover.com

STIR Martini + Raw Bar: The pumpkin deconstructed martini features a holiday slurry with flavors of pumpkin and cinnamon to be paired with bourbon from the ice-encrusted spirits tap. It is available on the regular menu starting in November. STIR is at the Hyatt Regeancy Bellevue. www.stirmartinibar.com

Barrio: Enduring the family you know. Barman Casey Robinson of Barrio is offering up his “The Devil You Know” cocktail recipe to help one survive the family-filled holidays. The recipe. Rittenhouse 100 proof rye, Rothman & winter apricot, Ramazzotti amaro, Regan’s orange bitters. www.barriorestaurant.com

Create Your Own Thanksgiving Label: Choose a varietal, then e-mail photos, logos or other artwork to Northwest Cellars and their designer will create a personalized label for the wine. The one-of-a-kind wine can be picked up in Kirkland or delivered anywhere in the U.S. just in time for the family’s arrival. Prices vary per selection ($14 to $32 per bottle, with a minimum order 12 bottles). www.northwestcellars.com

Purple sommelier recommends ideal pairing: Purple Café and Wine Bar’s Sommelier Dawn Smith is offering wine suggestions to help conquer the challenge of pairing a “family-style” meal where the contrasting flavors and never-ending courses are plentiful.

White Wines – “White wine choices should have lots of fruit and bright acidity. A hint of sweetness in white wine is also an excellent choice when pairing to foods with sweetness.”

Riesling – “Love this grape: tons of fruit, high acidity which helps cut the richness of some foods and often with a kiss of sweetness. That sweetness allows for wine to effortlessly pair with the sweet potatoes and sausage mushroom stuffing.”

Gewürztraminer – “This fruity and spicy (think ginger-spiced pear) variety is also an excellent choice for your Thanksgiving table.”

Sparkling Wine/Champagne – “This option is festive, refreshing and those bubbles cleanse the palate with each sip, preparing you for the next bite; always the perfect choice.”

Red Wines – “Choose wines or varietals with the reputation to pair with a wide variety of foods. Generally for reds this will mean fruit-driven, low to moderate tannins and balanced acidity.”

Pinot Noir – “The red wine of choice at my Thanksgiving meal. Lovely ripe strawberry and red cherry fruit, a touch of herbs, hints of baking spice, moderate tannins and bright acidity. If you think Pinot Noir can be expensive, you’re right, but they are generally worth it.”

Beaujolais – “The grape here is Gamay Noir and we are starting to see some being produced out of Oregon. However, the home of Gamay Noir is Beaujolais, France in southern Burgundy. It’s similar in style to Pinot Noir with ripe red fruit, higher acidity and low tannins.”

Fuller Bodied Reds – “If you prefer a full-bodied red with your turkey then consider a Merlot or Zinfandel. The impression of sweet dark fruit and only moderate tannins will be an acceptable match to the various flavors including those pesky, but yummy, sweet potatoes.” www.thepurplecafe.com

Tips for Perfect Mashed Potatoes, the Irish Way

A general agreement among Americans is that a Thanksgiving meal just isn’t complete without mashed potatoes. But an even more well-known fact around the world is that nobody knows potatoes like the Irish.

Chef Andy from Wilde Rover Irish Pub & Restaurant in Kirkland is offering a few tips that he uses to help Thanksgiving cooks prepare the perfect mashed potatoes, the Irish way.

· Always start boiling your potatoes in cold, salted water. It will limit the starch breakdown. And never overcook them! They should not be mashed when they come out of the water.

· Allow the potatoes to “dry” before mixing. If necessary, place them on a sheet pan and pop in the oven for a few minutes to dry. If your potatoes are overcooked or wet, they will not be able to absorb cream and butter.

· Make sure your potatoes are hot, as well as your butter and cream. If everything is piping hot, you will avoid lumpy potatoes. Make sure to use unsalted butter and heavy whipping cream.

· Never “over-mix” your mashed potatoes. This will also break the starches and your potatoes will become “gummy.”

· Use ground white pepper instead of black grind. Be careful though, white pepper is stronger than black pepper.

· Finally, before you adjust the final seasoning, finish your potatoes with some fresh mascarpone. You will end up with the creamiest, most decadent potatoes. If you have some fresh snipped chives, this would be a good time to use them. www.wilderover.com

Turkey cooking made simple

Cooking an entire meal can be a daunting task, but preparing the turkey just right can be even harder. Chef Greg Campbell of Third Floor Fish Café is sharing his own secret to cooking a Thanksgiving turkey and keeping all the meat perfectly succulent.

Chef Greg cuts up the turkey before roasting it. By cutting the bird ahead of time, the dark meat can cook longer and the turkey breast can be taken out as soon as it is cooked, preventing too dry or chewy meat. Plus, the rest of the carcass can be used for stock, producing much richer gravy. ww.thirdfloorfishcafe.com

Melting Pot Chocolate Fondue

Finish your holiday on a sweet note. Fondue is a perfect way to start a new family tradition that is interactive and delicious.

Get creative and try cutting up bite-size pieces of pumpkin pie or cheesecake dessert and dipping it into a chocolate fondue flavor. The Melting Pot sells milk, dark and white chocolate fondue bars on their Web site for $5 for a 4 oz. bar. www.themeltingpot.com

Special Closures on Thanksgiving Day

· El Gaucho (all four locations: Seattle, Portland, Tacoma, Bellevue)

· Melting Pot (all four locations: Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, San Diego)

· Purple Café and Wine Bar (all four locations: Kirkland, Seattle, Woodinville, Bellevue)

· Sip. at the wine bar and restaurant (all three locations: Issaquah, Gig Harbor, Seattle)

· STIR Martini + Raw Bar

· Wilde Rover Irish Pub & Restaurant