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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
Is there really any substitute for the Thanksgiving turkey?
As we sink into tryptophan-induced sleep, the turkey remains in our memories long after we've forgotten who Squanto is or where the settlers settled.
But the holiday-table vanguard is throwing over the peace-loving gobbler for wild boar... and bison... and venison... and ostrich. And even traditionalists are starting to pay attention to the exotic new main courses.
Ariane Daguin, owner of specialty meat purveyor D'Artagnan, attributes the trend to a desire among some well-heeled shoppers to experiment. He said that while turkey alternatives make up only a fraction of the Thanksgiving meat market, holiday sales have steadily increased over the past few years with venison being the far and away winner.
"For venison buyers, they feel like they're rediscovering a tradition and breaking new ground at the same time," said Daguin. "Venison makes sense for Thanksgiving because it's a quintessentially American meat, just like turkey."
One drawback to venison, of course, is that it makes stuffing difficult. So people buying turkey alternatives are also picking up duck, geese and guinea fowl.
Scale of some of the alternatives is another advantage -- some of the smaller birds are the perfect size for couples, said Daguin.
On the other hand, price is a drawback. With four rabbit legs selling for more than $20 at D'Artagnan and your basic butterball going for about 29 cents a pound, this trend will never overthrow our beloved, dry, enormous bird.
But in tonier spots, that may not be an issue. Fish and beef have long stood beside turkey on holiday menus, but the nation's priciest and finest tables are now offering more atypical fare to wealthy diners.
For its Thanksgiving offering, Henry, the restaurant aboard Manhattan's World Yacht, is serving free-range bison meatloaf with tomato jam, mashed potato and black truffle sauce. Alto has ragu of wild hare. In San Francisco, Fifth Floor is serving fennel-crusted venison.
"Our generation wants to try new things," said Marcus Samuelsson, executive chef at Henry. "But the real tradition is still just to be together. You don't feel shut out because Thanksgiving is inclusive... and the focus is on food."
Samuelsson also pointed out that the definitions of "tradition" and "American" create an interesting dinnertime paradox.
"People are going to continue to bring their ethnic backgrounds to the holiday, along with a growing curiosity about new cuisine," he said. "We're all immigrants, and we're adventurous people."
"We'll keep it American, but with a twist."
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