Known in Hebrew as pesach, Passover is one of the most sacred and widely observed Jewish holidays, celebrating the biblical story of the exodus. This year, with the holiday falling later than usual, Passover in the US will begin in the evening of Monday, April 22, and will last through April 30 just after sundown.
Hosting Passover can be a daunting task for even the most experienced cooks, but for families with small children, this not-so-basic meal can be quite challenging.
Passover catering can be the answer to their prayers, helping families pull off a delicious sedar and manage the meal with their sanity intact.
From catered sides to supplement the meal or complete dinners from matzo ball soup to brisket, offering Passover-appropriate menu options can help make the holiday special and less stressful for your customers.
New York City has a large Jewish population, with more kosher eateries in the five boroughs than in the rest of the country combined. So, if you’re looking for some ideas and inspiration, these NYC restaurants certainly know how to do Passover right.
Nearly ninety years, and 4 generations later, Zabar's is still going strong. Opening its doors in 1934, Louis and Lillian Zabar, started this famed deli in a 22-foot-wide space along NYC'a Broadway at West 80th Street. Guided by the same principles and practices of its founder, to respect the customer, never stint on quality, and offer fair value, the business has grown tremendously over the years, now spanning the entire block front.
Family owned and operated to this day, customers still count on seeing Louis and Lillian's sons, daughters, and their cousins hand-slicing meltingly delicious smoked fish behind the deli counter.
Offering Passover seder dinners for 6 or 12 as well as a la carte traditional dishes like brisket, salmon, and roast chicken, this world renowned New York staple offers everything needed for a delicious and stress-free holiday meal.
With two locations in Park Slope and Gowanus, Shelsky’s is one of Brooklyn’s most popular spots throughout the year for chewy Brooklyn bagels, smoked fish, and pastrami sandwiches. With a full Passover menu, guests can order ahead for delivery directly on the restaurant’s website.
Everything from gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, and kugel to smoked fish, chopped liver, and an assortment of Passover desserts, Shelsky’s has been making Passover kosher, easy and delicious for customers for years. All ingredients for the seder as well as the plates themselves are also available.
Located in the quaint village of Cedarhurst, Central Perk Cafe offers an array of casual Kosher fare, under the strict supervision of the Vaad of the Five Towns and upholds kosher standards and hours. A dining oasis in the core of Cedarhurst’s bustling shopping district and town center, customers come to Central Perk Cafe to relax, unwind, and enjoy a hearty meal and homey vibe. Central Perk Cafe is the Jewish community’s go-to spot for customized Passover catering packages for parties of all sizes, from 15 to 1500.
Sharing a name with a coffee shop made famous by a 90s sitcom, Central Perk Café opened its doors in 2002, a place where neighbors and “friends” could come together in a relaxed upscale atmosphere for great kosher fare and friendly service.
A New York City icon, Katz’s offers complete Passover dinner packages complete with gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, brisket, potato kugel and a special kosher for passover honey cake. Katz’s also offers plenty of a la carte Passover items including their world-famous gefilte fish.
Note: Though their packages are Kosher for Passover, Katz's meats are not Kosher-certified.
Delivering to Manhattan and Brooklyn, Mile End serves up juicy Passover classics such as braised brisket, potato latkes, potato kugel, za’atar chicken, and cumin-roasted cauliflower, as well as chocolate-covered matzo for dessert.
Though technically not certified kosher for Passover, 2nd Ave Deli has plenty of Passover-themed options including all the fixin’s of a Passover seder including items like potato kugel, matzo stuffing, chopped liver, stuffed cabbage, and furnishings for the Seder plate itself.
Offering catering and delivery, Paprika in Great Neck has delicious Israeli-style Passover packages for 3 to 10 people plus an assortment of ala-carte entrees like Grilled Salmon, Herbs and Lemon Fried Branzino, Israeli Schnitzel, Kabobs, and Stuffed Capon, and sides like Butternut Squash Soup and Fennel and Mashed Potatoes.
Nats on Bank is a West Village restaurant hosting a modern, very non-traditional seder consisting of a three-course prix fixe menu. Offering non-kosher interpretations of seder staples like charoset made with duck confit and poached apple, beet-pickled deviled eggs with whitefish, and kugel fries, Nat’s on Bank’s full menu is available on their website.
Offering complete seder packages for every size gathering as well as many a la carte dishes, New York’s Russ & Daughters offers pick-up and delivery and ships Passover food nationwide. Seder plates and haggadahs are also available to order.
Mazza and More specializes in high-quality handmade authentic Kosher food, boasting attention to detail and focus on taste. From large parties to small gatherings, Mazza and More caters it all.
With the highest level of Kashrut, the facilities are under the strict supervision of Rabbi Yechiel Babad Tartikov, with meat, dairy, and parve food cooked in separate kitchens.
Mark’s Off Madison
From matzo ball soup and gefilte fish to “my mother’s brisket,”, Mark’s off Madison has an extensive Passover catering menu with a la carte items for pickup only. Orders must be placed 48 hours in advance and submitted via email.
Contrary to the restaurant’s name, Breads and Bakery, with four locations across NYC, offers a full Passover catering delivery menu - sans the bread. Offering a wide selection of traditional holiday entrees and sides, guests can sit back and let Breads and Bakery do all the work.
By Eileen Strauss
