Where to Celebrate Passover 2016
It’s almost time for the Jewish holiday of Passover — lasting from April 22nd-30th this year — which commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. And while there are a number of dietary restrictions involved (including not eating leavened bread, rice and other good stuff!), it won’t feel like a sacrifice if you dine out at these deliciously observant spots like Russ & Daughters, Balaboosta, and even the contemporary Chinese Fung Tu!
Russ & Daughters at the Jewish Museum
How did it take so long for Russ & Daughters, the be-all-end-all of NYC appetizing, to expand to the Upper East Side? Well they finally have (by opening a fully kosher outpost in the Jewish Museum, no less), and just in time for Passover! So rejoice with Deviled Eggs topped with everything matzoh, a nut-based vegetarian Chopped “Liver,” Smoked Whitefish Chowder with espelette pepper and dill, Halvah Ice Cream drizzled with salted caramel, and even a cheeky cocktail, like the “Fershnikit Egg Cream” made with Fox’s U-bet and whiskey.
Read MoreSadelle’s
Run by The Major Food Group (Santina, Dirty French, ZZ’s), Sadelle’s is the swankiest nouveau Jewish restaurant to open of late (and actually, there’s been a lot of them). So how does a holiday dinner starting with a full-on Caviar service sound, followed by Paprika Chicken or Roumanian Steak with king mushrooms and Russian potatoes, piled with sour cream, trout roe and dill? Granted, most of Melissa Weller’s baked creations owe everything to leaven (that chocolate babka! Be still our hearts!) but it’s merely an excuse to schedule a return visit the second that Passover ends.
Read MoreBalaboosta
Balaboosta’s annual, five-course Seder celebration is always a hot ticket, as it’s also a culinary collaboration between Einat Admony, and one of her talented chef friends. Former “Top Chef” winner Ilan Hall (who’s also the owner of Williamsburg’s Israeli BBQ spot, Esh), is on board for the April 24th event this year, with planned menu highlights including Persian Cucumber Salad with sumac dressing, Marrow Bone Matzoh Ball Soup, Smoked Leg of Lamb with charoset, and a “Yemenite Dynamite” Banana Split; hawaij chocolate ice cream topped with meringue kisses and chocolate-cardamom sauce.
Read MoreTelepan
While not an ostensibly Jewish restaurant in any other way, shape or form, the farm-to-table trailblazer, Telepan, always hosts a Passover Seder. So be part of the annual tradition this year, by nabbing a $98 ticket on April 22nd or 23rd, for a four-course menu of Spring Vegetable and Matzoh Ball Soup with dill oil, Arctic Char with candied beets and horseradish, Hanger Steak and Brisket with wild mushrooms and mashed carrots, and Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake with coconut sorbet for dessert.
Read MoreIvan Ramen
If you’d just as soon celebrate Passover at home, why not have your Seder catered by a truly unexpected source; the Japanese noodle specialist, Ivan Ramen? For $225, you can order a festive feast to serve six, consisting of Slow-Cooked Brisket with shiso leaf salsa verde, Gingered carrots with roasted shitake mushrooms, Chilled Asparagus dressed in sesame-leek vinaigrette, Negi Potato Salad with spring onion and egg, and Asian Pear and Fuji Apple Charoset, made with toasted almonds and Japanese plum wine.
Read MoreTimna
Too bad you’ll have to take a pass on the incredible Kubanah Bread (a flaky loaf baked in a flower pot), but you’ll hardly feel like you’re depriving yourself during a Passover meal at Timna, serving flavorful, contemporary Israeli-Mediterranean cuisine, such as Chestnut Soup with quail egg yolks, Cauliflower with roast carrot puree, dried grapes and puffed quinoa (technically not a grain, and therefore permissible for Passover), and Lamb T-Bones with fresh fava bean salad and artichoke a la barigoule.
Read MoreShalom Japan
Perhaps NYC’s quirkiest Jewish restaurant, this Williamsburg eatery is equally inspired by Japanese cuisine, resulting in unique, Passover-friendly mashups like Grilled Eggplant with za’atar crumbs, pickled cauliflower and miso, Wagyu Tongue with daikon and carrot slaw, and New York Strip and Braised Shortrib Cholent. Perhaps the best part is they’re all paired with cocktails like the “Oy Vey Iz Kir;” a mix of sparkling wine and Manischewitz.
Read MoreFung Tu
Not an obvious choice for a Passover Seder, to be sure, but the modern Chinese restaurant actually has big plans for the holiday. Located on the Lower East Side, they wanted to showcase the culinary connection between their neighborhood’s Jewish and Chinese roots, which is why they’ll serve eclectic Passover dishes from Friday, April 22nd- Saturday, April 30th. Think Char Sui Brisket and Boiled Potato Gnocchi with crunchy matchstick potatoes in tomato-herring sauce; featuring fish sourced from local appetizing institution, Russ & Daughters.
Read MoreTimna
Too bad you’ll have to take a pass on the incredible Kubanah Bread (a flaky loaf baked in a flower pot), but you’ll hardly feel like you’re depriving yourself during a Passover meal at Timna, serving flavorful, contemporary Israeli-Mediterranean cuisine, such as Chestnut Soup with quail egg yolks, Cauliflower with roast carrot puree, dried grapes and puffed quinoa (technically not a grain, and therefore permissible for Passover), and Lamb T-Bones with fresh fava bean salad and artichoke a la barigoule.
Read MoreShalom Japan
Perhaps NYC’s quirkiest Jewish restaurant, this Williamsburg eatery is equally inspired by Japanese cuisine, resulting in unique, Passover-friendly mashups like Grilled Eggplant with za’atar crumbs, pickled cauliflower and miso, Wagyu Tongue with daikon and carrot slaw, and New York Strip and Braised Shortrib Cholent. Perhaps the best part is they’re all paired with cocktails like the “Oy Vey Iz Kir;” a mix of sparkling wine and Manischewitz.
Read MoreCheck out My Book – Try This
