Dining out on Thanksgiving? Here are some ideas

Thanksgiving! The traditional day for a 20-piece Chicken McNuggets, a box of Jell-O pumpkin spice pudding mix and regret.

Or is that just me?

It's true that as an Aussie, the finer points of this uniquely American celebration may have eluded me. Colonization + football = turducken?

But I know that I'm a fan of the annual Thanksgiving menu at Maialino (2 Lexington Ave.) because: turkey soup, followed by roast suckling pig. Or, turkey potpie for the bambini. I could definitely eat like that every day of the year.

I'm also pretty jazzed about "turkey five ways" at Triomphe (49 W. 44th St.), which is contributing 5% of the $75 set menu price to City Harvest. That means turkey and foie gras dumplings, turkey livers, a leg confit, plus roasted breast and leg. You'll roll out the door like a barrel and will have done a little good along the way.

You can find another nontraditional menu at Havana Central (three locations), which donated 10% of its proceeds from Monday night to the Red Cross. That means Cuban-spiced turkey breast with a side of chorizo stuffing and a pumpkin flan.

At David Burke Kitchen (James Hotel, 23 Grand St.) you can get your tryptophan fix in the form of smoked turkey wings. Also: "smoked beef fat and jalapeño fries." Is that a Thanksgiving tradition? If not, it should be.

(David Burke is also hosting a special Thanksgiving dinner for Sandy victims and has sent food to affected areas.)

The supper club concept City Grit (38 Prince St.) will deliver a southern-inflected Thanksgiving to your door, with dishes such as cheese grits casserole and root vegetable gratin.

They also pledged a 10% donation to the Red Hook Initiative Sandy Relief.

It's a great time to support a business that is also giving back to the community -- even if you will never convince me that marshmallows and yams should ever be in the same dish.