Jewish Cuisines
Where to Celebrate Passover 2017
Passover may just be the Jewish people’s most alluring food holiday — despite the fact that it requires a strict abstinence from leavened bread. Running from April 10th-18th this year, the festival celebrates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery, via roasted meats, sweet, flour-free desserts, and lots (and lots, and lots) of red wine. So here’s where to get your matzoh on, at spots like Mile End, Fung Tu and more…
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The Best Jewish Desserts for the High Holidays
One of the most pervasive customs associated with the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah is to consume treats like apples dipped in honey — thought to ensure a sweet new year. Which means if you’re observant (or just constantly in search of a sugar rush), you’re practically obligated to eat dessert! From the pistachio and fig-laced halvah at Seed + Mill, to the babka-blessed ice cream at Mekelburg’s…
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Where to Celebrate Passover 2016
It’s almost time for the Jewish holiday of Passover, lasting from April 22nd-30th this year. And while there are a number of dietary restrictions involved (including not eating leavened bread), it won’t feel like a sacrifice if you dine out in NYC, at deliciously observant spots like Russ & Daughters, Balaboosta, and even the contemporary Chinese Fung Tu!
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Restaurant Spotting: Russ & Daughters Uptown
For a century-old establishment, Russ & Daughters has remained adept at keeping its name in the news. Not content with merely slinging bagels and lox from their original Lower East Side storefront, fourth generation owners, Josh Russ Tepper & Niki Russ Federman, are heading to the Upper East Side…
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Sadelle’s – Review
Smoked fish with a schmear on bagels and babka. Doesn’t exactly sound sexy, right? That’s what I was thinking when I contemplated venturing to Sadelle’s on a recent Saturday night. But the lure of dinnertime caviar service at a cool, new downtown spot was just too strong a pull to turn down. Because while it may sound surprising, caviar options are few and far between. Afterall, caviar’s not exactly lowbrow…
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New York’s 8 Greatest Latkes for Every Night of Hanukkah
You’ve got to love Hanukkah — the Jewish holiday that obligates its observers to eat oil-blessed foods for eight straight nights (because a one day supply of oil miraculously burned for eight nights!). And as much as we dig jelly donuts, Hanukkah’s signature dish is Latkes…
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Uniquely Updated Jewish Deli Fare at Harry & Ida’s
If the critically-lauded Harry & Ida’s is any indication, classic Jewish deli fare is ripe for reinvention, with pastrami topped with rounds of buttermilk-fermented cucumber, dried into jerky, or transformed into juicy, shitake mayo-slicked hot dogs…
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Where to Eat During Rosh Hashanah 2015
With Labor Day come and gone, fall (and yes, even winter!) holidays always seem to pop up at a fast and furious pace. And the first on the docket is Rosh Hashanah. From an appetizing spread at the newly opened Sadelle’s to a sticky babka (crossbred with donuts!) from Dough…
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The Best Latkes in New York
There’s lots to love about Hannukah; particularly the eight nights spent feasting on jelly-stuffed donuts and applesauce-topped potato pancakes. And it’s not only Jewish restaurants that are taking advantage of the delicious holiday tradition; so here’s where to find some of the very best latkes in New York right now, from the classic deep-fried orbs at Katz’s, to the refined, steak and egg-crowned patties at Café Boulud…
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Where to Dine During the Jewish High Holidays
Autumn is an especially holy season for Jewish people, beginning with Rosh Hashanah on September 24th (the start of the New Year), extending through Sukkot and concluding with Yom Kippur on October 4th. And if you know anything about the Jews, it’s that they love to eat so here’s where and what to eat during the upcoming Jewish High Holidays — from honey-dipped Challah at Breads Bakery in Union Square, to an elegant, Eastern European-style feast at The Russian Tea Room…
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Florence Kahn
You wouldn’t expect to find a boulangerie in the heart of the Marais named after the first Jewish woman to serve in the United States Congress. But there’s nothing American about this shop, easily identifiable by its beautiful, blue and white tile mosaic on the facade. (It’s actually a Paris landmark, which originally opened back in 1932.) In fact, it’s one of the last standing, traditional Jewish bakeries in Paris’s Jewish Quarter, and undoubtedly the best, especially for Pre-War Europe classics…
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Q & A with The Gorbals’ Ilan Hall
Since even runners up use “Top Chef” as a springboard to open restaurants and launch careers in various media, it’s a surprise that season two winner, Ilan Hall, has stayed under the radar for so long. Not that he hasn’t been busy; he owns the popular, eclectic The Gorbals in L.A., is currently working on opening its Brooklyn outpost in June, and hosts another exciting culinary competition (watch out, Padma!) called “Knife Fight” on Esquire…
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Perfect for Passover Matzoh Lasagna
It can be difficult to get jazzed about eating a unleavened diet for all eight nights of Passover, centered around the dry, brittle crackers known as matzoh. That’s where this recipe for Matzoh Lasagna comes in, which cleverly transforms the somewhat flavorless flatbread into the perfect noodle substitute for one of our favorite Italian dishes!
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New York’s Tastiest Latkes
What’s not to love about potato latkes? At their most basic level, they consist of shredded or mashed potatoes, pan-fried and served with sour cream and applesauce. But lets face it, after eight days of Hanukkah, even something so delicious can tend to get, well, kind of boring. Which is why we’ve rounded up New York’s tastiest – not to mention most unique – latkes, enough to see you through the entire holiday. Because once you’ve enjoyed Toloache’s Zucchini-studded Pancakes with Tomatillo Apple Salsa for dinner and Minetta Tavern’s Poached Egg and Salmon-topped Potato Latkes at brunch, you’ll be able to wholeheartedly affirm our first statement… what’s not to love about latkes?
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Best of Dining Out During Passover
When you’re Jewish, it can be hard to get psyched about potato latkes during Hanukkah when it seems like everyone else is feasting on Egg Nog, Christmas cookies and juicy roasts. And it’s not really any easier to swallow dry Matzoh and potato kugel during Passover when Easter celebrants get to enjoy ham, lamb, chocolate bunnies, and those beloved marshmallow peeps. But the Passover Seder doesn’t need to be something you just resign to dutifully. In fact, at a few great restaurants around the city, it’s one of the most eagerly anticipated meals of the year. You can enjoy a lavish spread of classic comfort foods at Kutsher’s Tribeca, like Friday Night Roast Chicken, Mrs. K’s Matzoh Ball Soup, and Schmaltz Mashed Potatoes. Or why not spend a “Progressive Passover” at JoeDoe, enjoying “Elijah’s Cup” cocktails and squares of...
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Italian Chicken Brodo with Matzoh Meatballs
Even if the matzoh balls were from a box mix, and the broth came from a can, nothing will ever compare to your Bubby’s Matzoh Ball Soup. That’s why we’re not even attempting to compete. Our Italian-inspired Chicken Brodo with Matzoh Meatballs is an entirely untraditional spin on the Passover favorite, but would be more than welcome on any modern Seder table.
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