‘Gilmore Girls’: What Did Lorelai and Rory Eat During ‘A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving’?

Gilmore Girls showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino rarely missed an opportunity to mention a holiday. Christmas and Thanksgiving were among the most celebrated. While several episodes have celebrated the winter holidays, loyal fans of Gilmore Girls are especially fond of “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving,” a season 3 episode that follows Rory and Lorelai Gilmore as they try to attend four different holiday celebrations. Do you remember everything they ate at each dinner?

A ‘Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving’ kicked off with a meal at the Kim house

The very first Thanksgiving meal Lorelai and Rory attended in “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” was at the Kim household. According to Lorelai, it was a tradition to visit the Kims each Thanksgiving. Still, Lorelai and Rory’s eating started before they saw Lane Kim and her mom. The duo ate a chocolate turkey on the way to the festivities. 

Once inside the Antique shop, they enjoyed Tofurkey and plenty of vegetables. Presumably, they also enjoyed canned cranberry sauce. They brought a can of cranberry sauce and flowers along with them as a gift to Mrs. Kim. Some sort of punch was being served at the event, too.  

Lorelai and Rory made a pitstop at Sookie St. James’ family celebration

Sookie St. James didn’t just have to give up control of the Independence Inn’s Thanksgiving meal, but, as it turned out, she had to give up control of her own family’s meal, too. Instead of roasting an “organically grown” turkey, she allowed Jackson Belleville to take over the preparation of the bird. He decided to fry the main course in 15 gallons of peanut oil. 

While it’s assumed that Rory and Lorelai ate a full meal with Sookie and the Belleville family, fans don’t actually get to see it. The only thing that Lorelai visible enjoyed at Sookie’s was a beer. When Rory and Lorelai circled back to Sookie’s at the end of “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving,” she was still drinking, and the Belleville’s were enjoying the process of deep-frying everything in the house.

After Rory and Lorelai left a despondent Sookie St. James they headed to Luke’s Diner

After enjoying a beer with Sookie and, presumably, a full meal, Lorelai and Rory headed to Luke’s Diner for what would turn out to be their main event. Luke Danes had their meals ready, and it’s easy to see exactly what they were feasting on.

Luke, Lorelai, Jess Mariano, and Rory all enjoyed Turkey and stuffing, along with candied yams, peas and carrots, mashed potatoes, and rolls. They did not mention dessert during the meal. All told, the meal looked pretty traditional. Lorelai and Rory weren’t the only people eating at Luke’s, though. A good portion of the town apparently enjoyed their Thanksgiving meals at the diner. Babette and Morey Dell were on hand, as was Kirk Gleason, for example.

Lorelai and Rory’s final stop in ‘A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving’ didn’t end up including much food

Lorelai and Rory planned to eat at Richard and Emily Gilmore’s house last. The evening meal, which included guests from around the globe, should have been the largest the duo had, but it was cut short by drama. After a guest quizzed Rory about her college applications, Lorelai had a bit of a meltdown. She and Rory left dinner early, so really, they only got a chance to eat a salad.

Since their final meal never got eaten, they were a bit hungry when they returned to Stars Hollow. Rory and Lorelai stopped back at Luke’s Diner for a cup of coffee and a few rolls “for the walk home.” All told, Lorelai and Rory ate a fair bit during their four Thanksgiving celebrations, but not nearly as much as they thought they were going to consume. Still, it was the most food eaten during any Gilmore Girls Thanksgiving episode.