Are Thanksgiving leftovers better than the original meal? Bay Area residents weigh in (2024)

SAN FRANCISCO -- More than two-thirds of Americans think Thanksgiving leftovers are even better than the original meal, and it turns out that many prominent Bay Area residents agree.

A next-day Thanksgiving sandwich tastes better than the freshly served dinner, according to 66 percent of 2,000 U.S. residents surveyed by research group OnePoll in mid-November.

From chefs to tech millionaires to real estate agents, Bay area denizens also sang the praises of leftovers.

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Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak prefers pumpkin pie, and he's not alone. Forty-five percent of those surveyed cited pumpkin pie as the best for leftovers.

San Francisco chef Adriano Paganini, who has cooked for Queen Elizabeth and Luciano Pavarotti, loves to eat grilled panini sandwiches with stuffing and fried eggs the next morning.

Paganini is the moving force behind San Francisco restaurants including Belga, Beretta, and Delarosa.

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Bay Area music publicist Terri Hinte likes to make Turkey Tetrazzini out of leftovers.

Continuing the turkey theme, "I love turkey sandwiches," said Nancy Duff, a longtime Berkeley real estate agent and former zoning commissioner.

Richmond Mayor Tom Butt is another turkey sandwich aficionado, preferring them with cranberries.

While 62 percent of those surveyed by OnePoll said turkey makes the best leftovers, not everyone is on board with sandwiches.

One quick and easy approach is to cut up and stir-fry the turkey with chopped ginger, garlic and any frozen vegetables that might be on hand, one of several Thanksgiving leftover recipes offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Duff added, "I like to start the meal all over again. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry - I heat it up the next day in the toaster oven."

Sixty-three percent of those surveyed by OnePoll said they have created an old-fashioned "leftover" plate out of foods they didn't finish on Thanksgiving.