Thanksgiving is a season to celebrate togetherness — a time to reflect on the connections that shape our lives and the places that foster those bonds. This year, I’ll be heading to my sister’s house for the holiday. With her talent for hosting and a newly renovated kitchen, excitement is running high for her and her guests.
While holidays often center on home-cooked meals, there’s something equally special about the role restaurants play in bringing people together. For me, they’ve been the setting for countless meaningful moments, whether casual or momentous.
To honor these cherished spaces, hand-drawn restaurant prints offer a timeless way to capture and celebrate the restaurants that have become part of our stories. These prints immortalize iconic establishments in cities like New York, Paris, London, Napa Valley, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
Dining Through the Decades
In my twenties, my friends and I would often gather at a now closed Mexican spot on the Lower East Side called El Sombrero, affectionately dubbed "The Hat." It was affordable, delicious, and always welcoming — the perfect combination for a group of young people finding their way in the world.
On rare and special occasions, we’d venture out to more ambitious places like Al di La Trattoria in Park Slope. One night there, after a reading or some kind of McSweeney’s party when the founder still lived in Park Slope, I sat among friends at the table pining for some future day when I would again dine so royally, only after publishing a book of my own. I eventually did publish a few books, but each time I was so exhausted afterward there was no such meal, the lesson being, enjoy where you are when you are there.
A Table for Milestones
Some of the most meaningful meals in my life have been shared at restaurants that hold a special place in my heart. I remember the day my parents met my wife’s parents over lunch at The River Café. Though all of them are gone now, that gathering lives on through both the stories we tell and a single photo that captured the day.
Milestones, too, have often been celebrated around a table. My wife shared with her parents the news of her first film and her pregnancy with our first child over a dinner at Gramercy Tavern. And I’ll never forget the thoughtful dinner my siblings organized after my first cartoon was published inThe New Yorker. We dined in a private room at The Blue Ribbon Bakery, a place that’s no longer open but remains vivid in my mind.
If given the chance to recreate a moment like that, I’d love to do so in the wine cellar at il Buco. Or perhaps at the rustic, welcoming basement at Peasant, where the aroma of roasting meats and rosemary greets you like an old friend.
Restaurants as Pillars of Togetherness
Whether it’s a casual lunch or an elegant dinner, restaurants provide spaces where bonds are strengthened, laughter is shared, and memories are made. Their charm is not only in the food but in the ability to create a sense of belonging.
Hand-drawn restaurant prints beautifully capture this magic. These illustrations are more than just art — they’re a tribute to the role that restaurants play in our lives.
Imagine a print of a beloved café in Paris, where mornings begin with buttery croissants and conversations over coffee. Or a depiction of a Napa Valley vineyard, where friendships are deepened over wine tastings. For me, a print of one of New York’s iconic dining spots would bring back memories of “The Hat,” the River Café, and Gramercy Tavern.
A Meaningful Way to Celebrate
This Thanksgiving, as we gather with loved ones, let’s take a moment to honor not only the people we cherish but also the spaces that make those moments possible. Hand-drawn restaurant prints offer a thoughtful way to commemorate the restaurants that have been part of your journey, turning them into lasting keepsakes. Whether it’s Chicago, where friendships flourish over deep-dish pizza, or London, where tradition meets innovation at the table, these prints make a heartfelt gift for yourself or others.
Thanksgiving may be one day on the calendar, but the spirit of gathering is something we can embrace year-round. From quiet family dinners to vibrant meals with friends, the places where we come together deserve to be celebrated — and remembered.
Make this season one to savor. Gift yourself or someone you love with a hand-drawn restaurant print to keep those memories alive for years to come.
