Thanksgiving comes with strong opinions about what dishes should or shouldn’t appear on the table. Are you a canned cranberry sauce purist? Or a stuffing in the turkey or cooked on the side kind of chef?

But what do people who cook professionally nearly all of the other days on the calendar put on the table for the holiday?

The Banner surveyed chefs at some acclaimed restaurants across Montgomery County to see what they were whipping up for family and loved ones this Thanksgiving.

While some were planning to have a bird on the table and the usual fixings, many use their Thanksgiving meal as a way to incorporate unique dishes from their cultural backgrounds.

It’s a testament to the evolving spirit of Thanksgiving, the first of which blended a Native American culture and its cuisines with traditions from colonial settlers. Here in Montgomery County, chefs with roots in China, Japan, Jordan, Palestine, Italy and beyond are yearning for a taste of their family’s recipes this year.

The Chang family (Q by Peter Chang, Peter Chang and more)

Peter and Lisa Chang and their daughter, Lydia, are the faces behind the acclaimed restaurant empire that bears their name, including Q by Peter Chang in Bethesda. Their restaurants specialize in Peter’s tingling regionally inspired Chinese dishes fueled by Sichuan peppercorns and cooled off by Lisa’s additions, such as the delightful scallion bubble pancake.

“Thanksgiving is the only day of the year that we close our restaurants, across the entire Peter Chang restaurant group,” Lydia told The Banner. “As a family, we traditionally enjoy having a hot pot — it’s perfect for the cold weather and doesn’t require anyone to cook.”

The family has their preferred bits and bites to throw in: Peter goes for beef tenderloin strips; Lisa likes blue crab and most any kind of seafood; and Lydia prefers any bean curd and Japanese pumpkin.

Payesone M. Hakamata (Zao Stamina Ramen in Bethesda)

The chef behind Zao Stamina Ramen was born in Tokyo and came to the United States as a teenager. He worked in kitchens across the country before deciding to dedicate his career to the ramen he loved growing up. He and his wife, Shiho, opened the Bethesda ramen shop in May 2021.

For the couple, Thanksgiving is always a toss-up between two Japanese favorites: a sushi and sashimi platter, often accompanied by uni, or sea urchin, or yakiniku, which refers to a traditional Japanese barbecue technique of cooking bite-sized meat over a flame in front of diners.

Their grill typically features Wagyu beef from Japan. But Hakamata’s friends and guests know that they should snatch up the pieces of gyutan early because the couple are “huge fans” of beef tongue, he said.

The Dubbaneh family (Z&Z Manoushe Bakery in Rockville)

Danny and Johnny Dubbaneh serve up their family’s heritage at Z&Z Manoushe Bakery in Rockville. It’s no different on Thanksgiving.

“The one big dish that’s always on our Thanksgiving table is hashweh,” Danny told The Banner. Hashweh, “stuffing” in Arabic, is a staple of Arab American Thanksgivings and refers to chicken or lamb filled with rice that’s seasoned with autumnal spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg.

The brothers trace their heritage back to Jordan on their maternal side and Palestine on their paternal side. Those cultures shine through for the main dessert offering, knafeh, which they also sell at Z&Z. Their family makes a version with “shredded phyllo dough, melty mozzarella curd and drizzled with an orange blossom syrup,” Danny said.

Mamma Lena’s Thanksgiving (Mamma Lena Trattoria Napoletana in Germantown)

Remind me to get a seat at Mamma Lena’s table next year.

Lena Borrello leads the kitchen at Mamma Lena Trattoria Napoletana in Germantown. The family-run restaurant has earned acclaim for its generous portions from a seasonal menu and staples including Bolognese and tiramisu.

Owner Giovanni Varriale, Borrello’s son, says this year that the family will have a traditional turkey and sides but will also add Mamma’s own flourishes. Some of the highlights include homemade Italian conchiglioni ripieni — jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ground beef and mozzarella that’s topped with a besciamella (béchamel) sauce — and a panettone cake with pistachio cream.