Thanksgiving in Melrose: The Best Restaurants and Prepared Foods

Turkey Day is just around the corner, and sure, you could spend hours in the kitchen whipping up gravy, stuffing and yams. Or you could have someone else do the cooking for you.

So for this week's Patch Picks, : What are the best Melrose restaurants where you can celebrate Thanksgiving? (Nearby is OK, too.) Also, we asked best places to pick up prepared foods—cakes, chicken pies, etc.—for your Thanksgiving Day dinner. Here's what you told us:

• Summer Shack, 149 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge: Jasper White's take on a traditional New England clam shack is best known for its seafood, but Leanne told us, "We got a deep fried turkey dinner from Summer Shack in Cambridge. Last year when I had just given birth to my daughter around Thanksgiving, so we opted to do the take-out route - a whole turkey with all of the fixings. Everything was so delicious that now we're going to make it a tradition."

• , 505 Main St., Melrose: Gail said, "Stearns and Hill's turkey dinner is great."

• , 2 Haven St., Reading: Erin nominated this Reading bakery specifically for their pies.

• , 733 Turnpike St., North Andover: Lisa said this catering business "has lots of great sides or meals."

• 676 Main St., Reading: This Reading Center shop was nominated by more than one reader for their selection of wines.