Staff Writer

COLLIERSVILLE — After years of making turkey, gravy and all the fixings, Ada Francisco is done.

That's why Francisco, her husband and two grown children decided to dine out this year.

"Oh, I am just so sick of it," Francisco said while waiting for her hot turkey dinner at The Farmhouse Restaurant in Oneonta. "I thought this might be easier."

The Franciscos are not alone.

Nearly 11 percent of Americans ate their Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant last year, according to the National Restaurant Association. That's up from 8 percent in 1996.

Thanksgiving is the ninth-most-popular holiday or occasion to dine out, according to the association.

Cars filled parking lots of restaurants across the area, while diners enjoyed dinner without the hassle.

"It's too much to make dinner for just the two of us," said John Leon, who was dining with his wife, Patricia, at The Homestead Restaurant in Colliersville.

"We do this now because the family has dwindled," said Leon, who was staying at his vacation home in Schenevus for the holiday.

About 200 people made reservations for Thanksgiving at The Homestead, said owner Janet Collins.

"It's usually a very busy day," she said, noting that customers could choose from a menu of turkey, lamb chops, pork chops, flounder, chicken or prime rib.

"We do go through a lot of turkey, but we also go through a lot of prime rib," Collins said. "It's pretty even across the menu."

Patricia Leon ordered the lamb chops.

"I don't really like white-meat turkey," she said.

John Leon, however, went the traditional route.

"I've found that if I don't order turkey," he said, "I feel cheated later."

At The Farmhouse, turkey-eaters far outnumber others, although the restaurant does offer a full menu, said manager Jennifer Rudloff.

"I would say a majority go with the turkey," she said.

Mary Beth Francisco, Ada's daughter, didn't, however.

"I'm more of a seafood person," she said, adding that she ordered a seafood entree.

Her father, Richard, also steered away from turkey.

"I ordered roast pork," he said, noting the family drove 55 miles from Saint Johnsville to eat at The Farmhouse. "I am not much of a turkey-eater."

Meanwhile, Egbert Leach of Oneonta and his adult son, Gerry Leach of Milwaukee, chose to dine at The Homestead in lieu of attempting to create a meal themselves.

"My mom is in a nursing home, and my wife couldn't get the day off from work," Gerry Leach said. "We decided to do this rather than slug it out and make our own dinner and screw it up."

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Carolyn Norton can be reached at cnorton@thedailystar.com or (607) 441-7218.