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D&D: Thanksgiving One Shot? Serve Up One Of These Five Tavern Meals

3 Minute Read
Nov 22 2021
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Thanksgiving is around the corner and with it come holiday one-shots. There’s enough fantasy food to satisfy even the hungriest adventurers!

Taverns in fantasy worlds serve stew. That’s just how it goes. Whether you’re reading a fantasy novel, playing in Skyrim, or adventuring in D&Dā€“ if you’re in a world that’s dragon-adjacent or dungeonesque, you know there’s gonna be stew.

But look at the real world, tavern food is greasy and covered in pastry. It’s routinely the kind of thing you’ll want to eat to cap off a night of bad decisions.

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Here’s a list of menu items that are sure to help build ambiance, whatever the fantasy setting.

Pies of All Sizes

You’ll have to supply your own disguises and surprises, but a good savory pie is the perfect dish to satisfy any adventurer.

Perhaps you slop it down with the heft of a hearty steak and ale pie. Or you’re into a minced fennel, delicately complemented by egg yolk and cream that have been blended expertly.

When you serve up a pie, you’ll always be ready to party.

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Roast Me(at)

Do you want to convey that fantasy feeling without spending an hour researching ancient tavern menus? It’s hard to go wrong with an old wooden table, candlelight, and meat that’s been roasted in an old hearth.

Serve with roast vegetables and dripping with sauce.

Finger Foods On A Board

Look, any good pub should be able to do you a ploughman’s.

Make sure you serve up bread and cheese and eggs (pickled or hard boiled). Option to add the bits of meat or whatever other items you can eat with your hands.

Just don’t forget the pickle and cheese. That’s the most important part.

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How About Some Gruel?

Not every tavern is a fancy one. Sometimes when you’re wanting food, glorious food, all you’ll get is gruel.

Gruel is a thin liquid porridge made out of oat or wheat or barley (if you’re lucky.) It’s food for the rougher places, best served in a hardy wooden bowl.

Fruit Cake

Bonus points if you make the very good fruitcake. Definitely not at all a cake that serves as a joke about how this fruitcake is a re-gift from your Great Aunt Bergitha.

Your party will probably try and use it as a doorstop or some kind of weight, because they are hilarious like that.


These are by no means the only options. Indeed, we encourage you to leave your favorite foods down below! But the next time you’re dealing with a hungry party, try one of these options.

Just make sure and keep some real snacks on hand too. Your table will get hungry just roleplaying around these.

Happy Adventuring!

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Author: J.R. Zambrano
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