A Thanksgiving shopping guide to Philly and all of its suburbs

Preparing for Thanksgiving can be a cherished ritual for those who cook (and enjoy it). Rather than take another trip to Acme, you might make a pilgrimage downtown or to a far-flung farmstand. Maybe you assemble the ingredients all at once or string them together slowly over these next few weeks. However and wherever you like to shop, The Inquirer has suggestions. We surveyed the city and its collar counties to highlight some of the best Thanksgiving shopping destinations in the region.

Of course, Thanksgiving shopping can begin and end at the Reading Terminal Market, where you can get everything and anything: turkey (Godshall’s — call in your order now), sausage for stuffing (Martin’s), pies (Sweet T’s, Bieler’s), produce (OK Produce, Iovine’s), a big block of good Amish butter (Lancaster County Dairy). Heck, you can preorder the entire meal, ready to heat, at the Original Turkey.

Prefer a little more walking? Head to the Italian Market and criss-cross South Ninth Street, hitting up Fante’s for the kitchen equipment you didn’t know you needed; Di Bruno Bros. or Claudio for the pre-meal cheese and meat board (or mix it up with smoked fish from around the corner at Biederman’s); butcher shops Esposito’s or Cannuli’s or Carl’s for meats; and assorted produce stalls for the best-priced veggies and herbs around. Isgro’s and Termini Bros. aren’t far at all for dessert. Stroll southwest for fresh Mighty Bread Co. loaves and pies; you won’t regret it.

Want to spread it out, shake it up, and contend with less crowds? Try West Philly for Honeysuckle Provisions’ stellar Thanksgiving staples — from mac and cheese to sweet potato pie, or get the whole dinner for $150 — and Third Wheel Cheese Co.’s selection of Northeast wedges (also ready-made cheeseboards). Or go northeast to Kaplan’s New Model Bakery for feathery challah bread that’s perfect for stuffing, then up to Riverwards Produce in Fishtown for pristine local produce, Smith Poultry turkeys, and more. (How about some Thanksgiving oysters while you’re up that way? Fishtown Seafood has you covered.) Cut across town to Denise’s Delicacies for pies and pound cake, or make it vegan and sometimes gluten-free with biscuits, cheesecake, and pies from Crust Vegan Bakery. And hey: The wine can be local, too. Swing by the bottle shops at Bloomsday or Martha to score a vintage from Mural City or Camuna Cellars.

The meat of Montgomery County is densely suburban, but it has a smattering of year-round farms with important Thanksgiving supplies, like Telford’s Necessity Farms & Dairy (heritage-breed turkey, sausage, cheese), Lansdale’s Merrymead Farm (fresh turkey, pies, ice cream), and Upper Salford’s A.G. Farm Market (fresh turkey, apples, produce). For something closer to one-stop shopping, try Dave’s Backyard Farm, which sells everything from fresh produce and small-batch bread to Mycopolitan Mushrooms and Weckerly’s ice cream in its cozy Huntingdon Valley shop.

Montco knows how to show up with storebought sweets. There’s Danish Bakers in Rockledge (butter cake!), the Cheesecake Lady in Elkins Park (all in the name), Weinrich’s in Willow Grove (legendary pound cake but they make pies and rolls, too), and Heart Stone Pastry in Phoenixville (pies and seasonal galettes plus freshly milled loaves from partner Green Lion Breads). Don’t forget wine: In Montco, Fort Washington’s Karamoor is The Inquirer’s go-to.

Delco may be better known for its grit and distinctive accent, but it’s no slouch on the food front and that’s true of Thanksgiving shopping, too. Consider: Linvilla Orchards, the ultimate fall destination for Philly-area families, sells pies, pumpkin rolls, and cider doughnuts plus sweet potato casserole, dinner rolls, and fresh turkeys (from Chester County). For something more toned down but equally sweeping, try Wolff’s Apple House in Media, which carries local produce, fresh turkeys from Lancaster County, Baker Street Bread, Aversa rolls, and lots of desserts. For a more urban feel, try Booth’s Corner Farmers Market, the Reading Terminal of Delco, with a strong showing of family-run merchants.

And for all of Delco’s blue-collar bluster, it’s also home to some luxury spots that aren’t to be missed, especially Wayne’s outgoing Aux Petit Delices, which has picture-perfect tarts in apple, pear, chocolate chip bourbon pecan, and salted caramel pumpkin. There’s also the Bakery House in Bryn Mawr, which makes the moistest cakes around but also seasonal pies, crisps, and cheesecakes for the holiday.

The rolling hills of Chester County are so crammed with small-scale producers, you might think of it as a macrocosm of the Reading Terminal. Get a cage-free bird from Loag’s Corner Turkey Farm in Elverson or a heritage-breed variety from Canter Hill Farm in Malvern. Round it out at Worrel’s Butcher Shop, which sells great meat as well as store-made stuffing, gravy, and scalloped potatoes. Preorder a thoughtfully curated Thanksgiving veggie box from Pottstown’s Red Dog Market, which carries goods from 70-plus local suppliers. Or try the daily farm stand at Baily’s Dairy in West Chester, stocked with local produce, eggs, and their grass-fed milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream. Get the mushrooms (fresh or dried) in Kennett Square (duh), from either the Mushroom Cap on State Street or a little further away at the Woodlands at Phillips Mushroom Farms.

What about the bread, dessert, and wine? Score French baguettes, dinner rolls, and brioche at Strawberry Bakery in Malvern. Get beautiful pies, pumpkin rolls, and roast turkey lookalike cakes at Yori’s Bakery in West Chester. As for wine, the county is swimming in options, but our top picks are Va La Vineyards and Wayvine.

Blanketed in farmland, studded with small towns, with just a lick of Northeast Philly flair, Bucks County has shopping spots both tony and down-to-earth. Examples of the former include Washington Crossing’s Colonial Farms (sweet potato souffle, fall vegetable medley, Parker House rolls), Newtown’s La Stalla Italian Market (everything from roast turkey to cannoli), Wheat & Vine Provisions in Doylestown (carrying beautiful pies from Pie Bird Farm), and Savour cheese shop just outside New Hope — OK, OK that’s just across the river in Lambertville, N.J. Hey, there’s a footbridge! (Try the Forager in Bristol if you want to keep your money in the county.)

Prefer a more laid-back vibe? Try the Bristol Amish Market, a pared-down Terminal-esque experience with vendors for produce (Ike’s Garden), pies (Dutch Country Bakery), fresh turkey (Bristol BBQ), and more. There are fresh-baked pies of all stripes and sizes at Tabora Farms, a family-run bakery/deli/orchard in Chalfont. Score a Bucks-bred turkey, local produce, and more at Bolton’s Farm Market. And while wine isn’t the county’s strongest suit, but they make something even better in Bristol: Dad’s Hat rye whiskey.

South Jerseyans have the best of both worlds outside of Philly, its bustling suburban towns quickly bleeding into rural countryside as you travel east. That means you can source Thanksgiving supplies from either a farm (say, Russo’s Fruit and Vegetable Farm in Tabernacle or Cherry Hill’s Springdale Farm Market) or a gourmet market (Arnie’s in Cherry Hill, Haddon Culinary in Haddonfield and Collingswood). Get a hickory-smoked turkey or a turducken from Bringhurst Meats in Berlin. Outsource your appetizers to Mullica Hill’s Gather to Graze (pickup only). Score some genuine Jersey cranberries (fresh and frozen) at Whalen Farms in Shamong.

And if you don’t observe already, two South Jersey Italian institutions have Thanksgiving traditions worth adopting: pie from Penza’s (pumpkin ricotta!) in Hammonton; and bread, rolls, and pumpkin pizelles from Del Buono’s in Haddon Heights (also Stratford and Bellmawr).