Hanukkah starts the night of Wednesday, Nov. 27. Then Thanksgiving is the next day. My head is in a whirl, with my stomach soon to follow. And with everyone doing their nutty best to combine the foods of the two holidays, things seem all topsy-turvy and out of sync.
So you don’t mind if I start this column with dessert, do you?
After the sufganiyot section, I’ll run through many of the other Hanukkah food offerings available in the Bay Area.
SUFGANIYOT
On one day alone last week, Grand Bakery owner Bob Jaffe took orders for more than 1,500 sufganiyot. The Oakland kosher bakery’s traditional treats, made with strawberry jam, are popular with Chabad for public menorah lightings and other Jewish groups for Hanukkah parties. They’re also available — along with latkes and sugar cookies (dreidels and Jewish stars) — at his shop, which will be open at least until early afternoon on Thanksgiving.
“We’re open every year on Thanksgiving,” proudly notes Jaffe, who on Nov. 17 marked his 15th anniversary at the helm, “and this year it’s going to be even crazier. Usually I’m selling pumpkin pies all day, but this year it will be doughnuts.” No website; 3264 Grand Ave., Oakland; (510) 465-1110.
For a less traditional option, Psycho Donuts owner Jordan Zweigoron and pastry chef Ron Levi are offering what they call “Psycho pSufganiyot.” They are filled with raspberry, lemon or vanilla, or a creme filling “similar to the filling you find in Twinkies,” Levi reports. www.psychodonuts.com; 288 S. Second St., San Jose; 2006 S. Winchester Blvd., Campbell; (408) 533-1023.
Pepples Organic Donuts makes vegan jelly doughnuts every weekend in Oakland, but for Hanukkah, owner Josh Levine reports “they will be powdered, not glazed.” www.pepplesdonut.com; Pepples Donut Farm, 6037 San Pablo Ave., Oakland; Pepples’ kiosk, S.F. Ferry Building; (510) 338-6319.
Donut Savant in Oakland is offering what co-owner Danielle Feinberg describes as “a round, raised, sugared doughnut” with a strawberry-raspberry jam made by Mountain Fruit Co. Her creations also will be the house sufganiyot at Beauty’s Bagel Shop in Oakland. www.donutsavant.com; 1934 Broadway, Oakland; (510) 972-8268.
Marla Bakery Communal Kitchen, a new walk-up window in San Francisco’s Mission District open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be selling sufganiyot in two interesting flavors: Meyer lemon crème and quince. Marla Bakery has been a pop-up for a while, sometimes offering Jewish treats (Joseph Wolf, former head pickler at Wise Sons Deli, is one of the owners). www.marlabakery.com; 631 York St., S.F.; (415) 824-2253.
Masse’s Pastries, just a few doors down from Saul’s Deli in Berkeley, is offering jelly and custard sufganiyot and a “third special flavor each day,” reports co-owner Marcia Masse. “They are fried fresh to order,” she adds. www.massespastries.com; 1469 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley; (510) 649-1004.
THANKSGIVUKKAH MASH-UPS
This section is for people looking to merge the tastes of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah onto one forkful — or at least bring the two holidays together.
Shorty Goldstein’s in San Francisco’s Financial District has put together some interesting mash-ups, such as turkey matzah ball soup and latkes with cranberry sauce. However, the most interesting offering, available only Nov. 25-27, is an entrée plate that includes shmaltz-poached turkey, rye stuffing and a pumpkin latke with cranberry sauce. Open weekdays 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.; closed on Thanksgiving. www.shortygoldsteins.com; 126 Sutter St., S.F.; (415) 986-2676.
The crew at Wise Sons Deli has been working on a “Stuffing Latke” made with potatoes, rye bread and turkey giblets, and topped with herb salad and cranberry sour cream. www.wisesonsdeli.com; 3150 24th St., Contemporary Jewish Museum and (on Tuesdays) the S.F. Ferry Building; closed on Thanksgiving. (415) 787-3354.
The Jerusalem Grill and Bar, the glatt kosher restaurant in Campbell, will be open for lunch and dinner on Thanksgiv-ing. A prix fixe “Thanksgivanukah” menu, as they term it, will feature turkey, stuffing, yams, etc., as well as latkes and sufganiyot. The same menu also will be available on the first night of Hanukkah, Nov. 27. It’s $34.95 per person, or $29.95 for takeout. www.jerusalemgrillbar.com; 1740 S. Winchester Blvd., Campbell; (408) 866-2666.
Saul’s Deli in Berkeley is doing its traditional brisket and latke dinner on the first night of Hanukkah, which always draws a nice crowd. But just as cool is its plan to stay open from 9 a.m. to noon on Thanksgiving for latkes, sufganiyot and coffee. www.saulsdeli.com; 1475 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley; (510) 848-3354.
Paulie’s Pickling in San Francisco is offering pumpkin-cranberry kugel, as well as latkes with cran-apple sauce. Closed on Thanksgiving. www.pauliespickling.com; 331 Cortland Ave., S.F.; (415) 285-0800
SPECIAL HANUKKAH MENUS
Of course, all the Jewish delicatessens and other Jewish eateries in the Bay Area have menus well stocked with Hanukkah favorites. This section is not meant to slight them, but here I want to look at some “mainstream,” non-Jewish restaurants that have planned special Hanukkah menus.
The most ambitious is at San Francisco’s AQ, a one-night affair on Dec. 2, the sixth night of Hanukkah. Executive chef Mark Liberman is joining forces with four other Jewish chefs (Jason Fox of Common-wealth, Jeff Banker of Baker & Banker, Adam Mesnick of the Deli Board and Matt Sieger of the Village Pub in Woodside) to present a $155, multicourse, prix fixe meal that “mixes the bounty of Northern California with traditional [Jewish] foods,” Liberman notes. Some of the proceeds will go to a local charity, he adds.
Here are some of the menu items that jumped out at me: latkes with smoked fish and apples; gefilte fish; a Japanese Wagyu brisket served pastrami style; and prune and sweet potato tsimmes. www.aq-sf.com; 1085 Mission St., S.F.; (415) 341-9000.
For a third straight year, Baker & Banker in San Francisco is offering a prix fixe Hanukkah menu ($55) on seven of the eight nights (closed on Thanksgiving). The menu includes brisket, chicken matzah ball soup and house-smoked trout with horseradish cream. Some items available a la carte. www.bakerandbanker.com; 1701 Octavia St., S.F.; (415) 351-2500.
Grand Lake Kitchen, a diner in Oakland, is adding a la carte Jewish favorites to its regular dinner menu during Hanukkah (closed on Thanksgiving and Dec. 3). The extensive menu, available only after 5 p.m., includes pickles, matzah ball soup, latkes with creme fraiche, smoked trout dip with shmaltzed bagel chips, a deli meat plate, roasted bone marrow and brisket. www.grandlakekitchen.com; 576 Grand Ave., Oakland; (510) 922-9582.
Delfina in San Francisco is taking the same approach: a la carte items on its regular menu throughout Hanukkah. Among the special items are Stoll family matzah ball soup, latkes fried in duck fat, chicken liver served with crostini and pickled vegetables, and beef brisket with prunes in a cognac and chestnut sauce. Closed on Thanksgiving, but open every other day of Hanukkah. www.delfinasf.com; 3621 18th St., S.F.; (415) 552-4055.
Wexler’s in San Francisco is serving family-style Hanukkah dinners ($55) on Nov. 29 and 30. Chef Charlie Kleinman’s menu includes roasted duck matzah ball soup, crispy latkes and potato kugel. www.wexlerssf.com; 568 Sacramento St., S.F.; (415) 983-0102.
LATKES AND MORE
The Old World Food Truck, which has done a Hanukkah pop-up dinner the past two years, will not be doing one this year. However, Old World is offering two kinds of latkes (potato and parsnip) and other favorites for limited delivery and pick-up from Nov. 30 to Dec. 22. www.oldworldfoodtruck.com.
Beauty’s Bagel Shop will be making its own latkes and selling them from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5. They also are available for bulk order with 24 hours advance notice. www.beautysbagelshop.com; 3838 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; (510) 788-6098.
Max’s locations in San Francisco, Burlingame, Palo Alto, Redwood City and Auburn are offering a smorgasbord of intriguing latke options. The list includes a latke burger, a portabella latke stack, latke nachos, a latke Reuben — and traditional latkes, of course. www.maxsworld.com.
Oakland Kosher Foods is making fresh, traditional latkes and sufganiyot every day, co-owner Gary Freeman reports. The market/deli also is selling brisket and other items for Hanukkah, plus a full Thanksgiving menu with all the trimmings. www.oaklandkosherfoods.com; 3419 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland; (510) 839-0177.
Potato and autumn squash latkes fried in rice bran olive oil carry a price tag of $4.99 each at Bi-Rite Market, which has two locations in San Francisco. Pricey? Perhaps, but the market has an impressive selection of Hanukkah items for advance ordering. www.biritemarket.com.
Many other places are selling latkes and various Hanukkah goodies. There’s a lot going on out there. If I missed anything, please email me at [email protected].
LEFTOVERS
Yaniv Benaroya, who was born in Tel Aviv and became a bar mitzvah at Temple Beth Sholom in San Leandro, has confirmed he is going to open Gotta Eatta Pita in Danville the day after Thanksgiving. The small menu features chicken shwarma and falafel, but the signature item is thick, hot pitas served right out of the oven, “just like the experience you get in Israel,” said Benaroya, 37. More details at www.gottaeattapita.com … Due to a lack of customers, the happy hour at Shorty Goldstein’s in San Francisco isn’t quite as happy anymore. The Financial District deli has cut it back from 3 to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, and jettisoned its selection of bar bites … The owners of Authentic Bagel Co. in Oakland are working on a new product, “bagel pockets” … Miller’s East Coast Deli in San Rafael will provide the food for the Osher Marin JCC’s Festival of Lights from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24 … This sounds like a fun one: The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival will be presenting a three-film program titled “Hummus, Falafel and Brisket — Oh, My!” at the JCCSF on March 9. One of the films trolls hummus bars in the U.S. and Middle East, and another seeks to find peace via the falafel sandwich. For information, visit www.jccsf.org/arts-ideas/arts-ideas-home … The half-hour PBS show “Moveable Feast” features a celebrity chef from Australia going on culinary outings around the U.S., joined by local foodsters. In one episode, he goes to Sonoma with Wise Sons Deli owners Leo Beckerman and Evan Bloom for an artisanal brunch that includes cheese blintzes. It’s on KQED TV–Channel 9 at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23.
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Send hot tips and out-of-the-way finds to Andy Altman-Ohr at [email protected].