2020 Market Hall seder plate with horseradish, shank bone and eggs.
2020 Market Hall seder plate with horseradish, shank bone and eggs.

Dine-in or take-out this Passover with offerings from these Bay Area joints

Food coverage is supported by a generous donation from Susan and Moses Libitzky.

Passover is right around the corner — the first night is April 15 — and if you want some delicious, traditional fare without all the fuss, these Bay Area eateries and stores have got you covered.

In addition to these establishments, some Bay Area grocers — including Piedmont Grocery in Oakland, Scotty’s Market in San Rafael, Mollie Stone’s and Lucky supermarkets, Nugget Markets and Draegers — offer kosher-for-Passover staples such as matzah, gefilte fish, wine and grape juice. Nugget and Draegers (multiple locations) also offer prepared Passover items and menus, including gourmet dishes such as smoked salmon on endive, pastry cups with smoked chicken mousse, and dried apricots stuffed with blue cheese.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but a sampling of what is being offered this year.

Afikomen Judaica has a selection of kosher and parve treats — candy fruit slices, chocolate-covered matzah, coconut macaroons — plus a large kosher-for-Passover wine selection and other Passover items: tableware, a wide variety of haggadahs, and coloring books, games and toys. 3042 Claremont Ave., Berkeley.

Bishulim, a catering-and-more business run by chef Aliza Grayevsky Somekh, is offering kosher-for-Passover, contemporary Israeli cuisine cooked in Temple Beth Abraham’s kosher kitchen in Oakland (no mashgiach). Options include a full seder plate, matzah ball soup (vegetarian or chicken), brisket, roasted salmon with asparagus, veggie antipasto and coconut macaroons from Grand Bakery. Partial proceeds will go to Beth Abraham. Order by April 8 for delivery throughout the Bay Area, or pick up April 15 at: Temple Beth Abraham, 327 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland (11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) or Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto (3:30 to 4:30 p.m.).

Canela Bistro and Wine Bar, the popular San Francisco tapas bar, will be offering a seder plate-inspired, four-course meal that includes homemade matzah, eggplant shmear, veggie crudite, matzah ball soup, house-pickled veggies, wild white fish albondigas (meatballs), parsley salad and apple strudel with additional options that include a flight of paired wines. The menu is available in the restaurant for dinner (adults only) and pickups or delivery April 15 to 22. 2272 Market St., San Francisco.

Che Fico Alimentari, a Judeo-Italian wine bar, grocery and salumeria by chef David Nayfeld, is keeping things simple with two Passover meal options, meat or vegetarian. The meat entrée is tomato-braised brisket and the vegetarian is stuffed peppers Pomodoro; both come with matzah ball soup, chicory salad, citrus almond cake and more. Available for pickup April 15. 834 Divisadero St., San Francisco.


RELATED: Bay Area Passover seders: free and low-cost community options


Covenant Winery produces a wide variety of kosher wines from its 7,000-square-foot urban winery in Berkeley, and since 2013 has also operated Covenant Israel, producing kosher wines in the Galilee. Both mevushal and non-mevushal wines are available, prices ranging from $13 to $200 and up. Special Passover duos now on sale. 1102 6th Street, Berkeley.

Hagafen Winery in Napa has numerous kosher-for-Passover wines available, including a mere 200 cases of a newly released vintage Cabernet Franc. 4160 Silverado Trail, Napa.

Ladle & Leaf and Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills are teaming up to provide contact-free pickup of fully prepared Passover meals. Selections include traditional items to fill your seder plate, herb-roasted chicken, short ribs or brisket, matzah ball soup, freshly made gefilte fish, potato kugel, roasted brussels sprouts and a flourless chocolate cake. Order by April 7 for pickup on April 14 at Beth Am or recieve free delivery on orders of $250 or more. Beth Am, 26790 Arastradero Road, Los Altos Hills.

Market Hall offers everything from seder-plate essentials to Passover specialties such as vegetable kugel, chopped liver with caramelized onions, gefilte fish, matzah ball soup, baba ganoush, slow-cooked brisket, grilled salmon, braised chicken, chicory salad and a long list of of lip-smacking desserts. Order at least two days in advance for pickup April 13 to 16. 5655 College Ave., Oakland and 1786 Fourth St., Berkeley.

One Market Restaurant, which runs Mark ’n Mike’s NY Style Deli and is known as a reliable spot for celebrations, is offering a four-course Passover meal for dine-in, pickup or delivery. The menu includes matzah ball soup, pickled king salmon, smoked brisket with onion jus and flourless chocolate cake. Individual dishes are available a la carte, as well. The menu will be offered April 15 to 16 and April 19 to 22. 1 Market St., San Francisco. 

Pomella fans can rejoice with the return of favorites such as classic matzah ball soup, the “everything but the plate” seder plate, hazeret (bitter herb), brisket tagine, cod cakes in tomato sauce, potato kugel, matzah brittle and chocolate-dipped macaroons. For something different, there are also stuffed artichoke bottoms filled with spinach, green garlic, quinoa and feta cheese or pistachio pavlova with rose cream and berries. Order early for pickup or delivery April 14 to 16. 3770 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. 

Saul’s Restaurant & Delicatessen is offering a seder-plate kit that includes handmade matzah, a lamb bone, egg haminados, charoset and beet horseradish. Other items include matzah ball soup, gefilte fish, chopped liver (both chicken and vegan options), brisket tsimmes, rockfish in sauce, chicken with dukkah spices, and an array of sweets including chocolate almond cake, sweet matzah kugel and coconut macaroons. Pre-order for pickup April 15 to 23. 1475 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. 

Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen has its catering bases covered, with pop-up pick-up spots in Walnut Creek, Los Altos, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, San Rafael, Los Gatos, Santa Rosa and Sacramento —  which are in addition to their regular locations. The extensive menu includes a full seder plate, chopped chicken liver, matzah balls in brine, brisket, roasted chicken, peas and carrots and mini coconut macaroons. Order ahead at least two days in advance for pickup April 14 to 23. Multiple locations. 

Lea Loeb
Lea Loeb

Lea Loeb is J.'s editorial assistant.