'You Gotta Have Leftovers': Southland Residents Prepare For A Thanksgiving Like No Other
SHERMAN OAKS (CBSLA) — There was curbside pickup, but the line still wrapped around the block at Honey Baked Ham in Toluca Lake Tuesday.
"Ham," Coronado said going back to his car with two bags. "We got a lot of ham!"
Coronado told CBSLA that about 30 people typically gather for his family's Thanksgiving celebration. But, this year, they were keeping things separated and small in an effort to limit everyone's exposure to COVID-19.
"There's only, I think, seven of us at one house, then six at the other house, and like four at the other one, you know," he said.
And Coronado isn't the only one preparing for a pared down meal.
"We are seeing a lot of smaller ham sizes," Mitchell Dolfuss, store manager, said. "Cutting them up to fit, you know, smaller portions."
Monica Bosch, another shopper, said her family was celebrating outdoors in the afternoon instead of doing dinner. And, this year, she said they would skip the whole roast turkey.
"We're going to do carne asada, a small turkey breast and Tofurky for the vegetarians," she said.
But, even pared down, Thanksgiving would not be the same without pie. And at Marie Callender's in Sherman Oaks, Genevieve Gomez snagged 90 of them.
The desserts are being donated by the Valley School from Van Nuys to the group Olive Crest, which is providing holiday meals to those in need.
"Everybody comes together," Gomez said. "Everybody does their part. As long as everybody does their part, you know, we can help out families."
And giving back was on Robert Warner's mind as well. He and his friend picked up a pre-made holiday feast that will feed 10, though they will only have three at the dinner table.
"I'm taking some to some elderly friends that can't get out, so I'm going to prepare plates," he said.
And despite the scaled back celebrations, Coronado said some traditions are still on the table.
"You gotta have leftovers, you know," he said.
Some businesses said they've noticed customers showing up earlier this year after Los Angeles County decided to prohibit in-person dining at restaurants starting Wednesday night.
