Thanksgiving Near Landale Square Gets Decided the Weekend Before

If a Landale Square household hasn't ordered a pie by Sunday, Nov. 22, where does dessert come from on Thanksgiving morning?

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, Nov. 26 this year. Near the streets between Laurel Canyon and Colfax, the posted ordering dates cluster around the weekend before. Winston Pies stops taking order changes at noon on Friday, Nov. 20. SusieCakes stops taking pre-orders on Saturday, Republic of Pie on Sunday afternoon, and Gelson's stops taking turkey dinner orders on Tuesday, Nov. 24. After that, what matters is whether a shop will sell to someone without an order.

As of Thursday, Nov. 12, the first of those dates is eight days away.

Five days hold every nearby deadline

Here is how the posted dates line up for the places a short drive from Moorpark and the 101:

That's five dates in seven days. By Tuesday night, the only remaining moves are walking into a shop or booking a table.

Winston Pies sells to walk-ins, and SusieCakes does not

The two Ventura-corridor pie shops handle Thanksgiving week in opposite ways. If you didn't order, that matters more than any flavor.

SusieCakes at 13029 Ventura Blvd. lists pumpkin pie at $39.99, pecan at $42.99 and apple crumble at $45.99 on its Thanksgiving pages. Its pie pages say pre-orders are due Saturday, 11/21 to guarantee a pie. On Wednesday, Nov. 25, the bakery stays open until 5 p.m. for pre-order pickups only, with no walk-ins, and it is closed Thursday and Friday. If you don't order by Saturday, SusieCakes isn't part of your holiday.

Winston Pies works differently. Its Studio City shop sits at 4220 Coldwater Canyon, Suite 112, inside the Shops at Sportsmen's Lodge. Its Thanksgiving 2026 page says each day has a set amount of pre-order inventory. If one day sells out, it suggests trying another. It also says the shop will have extra pie every day on a first-come, first-served basis, though it can't guarantee flavors or quantities. Changes and cancellations go by email to [email protected] by noon on Nov. 20.

The Studio City hours for Thanksgiving week run like this:

• Monday, Nov. 23: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 24: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 25: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 26: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., which the shop marks "promptly"

One detail shapes the timing for anyone holding an order. Winston sets pickup times about an hour and a half after opening, so the counter can help people without orders first, and it doesn't offer earlier slots than the ones on its ordering site. At a 10 a.m. opening, that puts the first pickups around 11:30. If you're planning a Thursday morning walk-up at Sportsmen's Lodge, the first stretch after opening is the window the shop has set aside for walk-ins.

Winston's page also covers what happens after the pie gets home. Its Fall Pumpkin and Key West Lime pies can be frozen under oiled plastic film. Fruit pies like Harvest Apple go straight from the freezer into a 325-degree oven for 25 minutes, without thawing. So buying on Monday or Tuesday, before the Wednesday rush, still gets you a good pie on Thursday.

Republic of Pie holds out until Sunday afternoon

For a pie ordered after SusieCakes closes Saturday, the next option is a few minutes north. Republic of Pie at 11118 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood is taking orders for its limited-edition pumpkin cream pie until 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22. Thanksgiving Day pickups run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the last pickup at 2:30 p.m. Fun With Kids in LA's Nov. 4 pie roundup lists the same pie and the same Nov. 22 cutoff for this year.

That Thursday pickup window is the useful part. SusieCakes is closed on the holiday, while Republic of Pie has a counter open from 8 a.m. Winston starts at 10. Between the two, a Thanksgiving morning pie run has two stops to choose from.

The Sunday market lands in the middle of it

The Studio City Farmers Market runs Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Ventura Place, between Radford Avenue and Laurel Canyon Boulevard, with free parking in the Radford Studio Center Sater Parking Garage. On its regular schedule, the last market before Thanksgiving falls on Sunday, Nov. 22. That's the same day as the Republic of Pie cutoff, and one day after SusieCakes stops taking orders.

On a calendar this crowded, that Sunday morning works as a deadline of its own. You can buy produce on Ventura Place and place a pie order before 3 p.m. in the same trip. By Monday, both options are gone. The following Sunday, Nov. 29, the market is back on its usual schedule.

Gelson's is the last deadline, on Tuesday

If you'd rather skip cooking and serve dinner at home, the latest cutoff nearby belongs to Gelson's, up Laurel Canyon at 4738 Laurel Canyon Blvd. The Gelson's Thanksgiving page lists three turkey dinners among its prepared holiday meals: a whole roasted turkey dinner with sides for up to eight at $199, the same for up to 12 at $299, and a sliced turkey dinner for two at $65. It shows an order deadline of 11/24 and pickups from 11/20 through 11/29.

The pickup window runs both ways. Pickups start Friday, Nov. 20, so a household can collect dinner days ahead. They run through Sunday, Nov. 29, which helps if you're hosting later in the weekend. The Tuesday deadline is the last call anywhere on this list.

Dinner out is a reservation, not a deadline

Restaurants work on a different clock. Once the order cutoffs pass, two nearby rooms take reservations for Thursday itself.

Firefly, at 11720 Ventura Blvd., is serving Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 26. Service runs from noon to 11 p.m. and the kitchen is open from noon to 9 p.m. The price is $85 per adult and $38 per child. The menu centers on roasted turkey with seasonal sides. It also offers barramundi, filet mignon and a mushroom pappardelle, and desserts include pumpkin pie, apple cobbler and molten cake. With several mains to choose from, it suits a table where not everyone wants turkey.

The Front Yard, at 4222 Vineland Ave. in North Hollywood, is running a Thanksgiving buffet from noon to 8 p.m. on Nov. 26. It costs $95 for adults and $45 for children 12 and under, with an 18% service charge on reservations. Its buffet menu lists roasted turkey, several other entrées, sides and pumpkin pie, and reservations are required.

Firefly's kitchen stays open an hour later than The Front Yard's buffet, which matters if you're planning a late meal after an afternoon at home.

The first date on the calendar is a donation

Before any of the pie deadlines, there's a chance to give food rather than order it. The Studio City Neighborhood Council is promoting Assemblymember Nick Schultz's 2nd Annual Holiday Food Drive on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center, 5056 Van Nuys Blvd., and is asking residents to bring food donations. It falls two days before the first pie deadline, so a pantry clean-out on the way to a Winston pickup or a SusieCakes order lines up neatly with the rest of the week.

For anyone who'd rather spend Thanksgiving morning running, Turkey Trot LA is a drive away at Grand Park downtown. Its 5K waves start at 8 and 8:15 a.m. and the 10K at 9 a.m. It benefits The Midnight Mission. Finishing the 5K still leaves time to reach Winston's Studio City counter before its 3 p.m. close.

Here's a pocket version of the week, by order cutoff and by what's open Thursday:

1. By noon Friday, Nov. 20: any changes to a Winston Pies order
2. By Saturday, Nov. 21: SusieCakes pre-orders, the only way to get its pie this year
3. By 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22: Republic of Pie orders, plus the last farmers market before the holiday
4. By Tuesday, Nov. 24: Gelson's turkey dinners
5. On Thursday, Nov. 26: walk-up pie at Winston from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Republic of Pie pickups from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and reservations at Firefly or The Front Yard

Every price, cutoff and pickup time above comes from the businesses' own posted terms, which they can change. Check with the shop before you head out.

If your holiday plans include hosting family who keep asking what it's like to live near Laurel Canyon and Moorpark, Bryan Abrams is happy to compare notes on the neighborhood over pie. Schedule a Studio City market consultation whenever the leftovers are gone.