It’s potato pancake season.
Wednesday marks the first night of Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish holiday also known as the Festival of Lights. Although there is some conflicting opinion among rabbis and scholars as to the true meaning of this holiday, many American Jews believe that Hanukkah is a celebration of a miraculously light flame that lasted eight days. You’ll probably say it’s a small bottle of oil. This famous pot of oil inspired generations of Jews to celebrate this holiday by eating foods fried in oil.
Try latkes, pancakes made with shredded potatoes. It is often served with applesauce and sour cream.
Whether you’re part of the tribe or not, if you’d like to observe this oil-lovers holiday while eating greasy potato pancakes, Gossamist has you covered. We’ve compiled a list of delis, restaurants, and stores in all five neighborhoods that feature latkes on their menus.
This list is unscientific and by no means exhaustive. So maybe you should keep your favorites a secret. Let’s just say there are a lot of potato pancake options in this city.
B&H Daily
127 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003
B&H Dairy bills itself as one of the oldest remaining kosher dairy lunch spots in New York City. Throughout the year, you’ll find classics like blindze, knish, and kasha wanike. Potato pancakes are also on the menu year-round, and come with your choice of sour cream, applesauce, or unusually sweet maple syrup.
Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen
211-37 26th Avenue, Bayside, NY 11360 (and other locations on Long Island and Boca Raton, Florida)
This deli in eastern Queens and Long Island touts its potatoes on its menu as “great because we grate them ourselves.” Even if it’s not Hanukkah, potato pancakes are part of the menu and can be ordered a la carte or with an omelet or hot sandwich.
Katz Delicatessen
205 East Houston Street, New York, NY 10002
Founded in 1888, Katz’s bills itself as New York City’s oldest deli. You may know Katz’s for its cameo in When Harry Met Sally or the line that snakes along the sidewalk outside its Lower East Side storefront. If you want to brave the crowd, you can also get potato latkes with applesauce and sour cream. Or you can enjoy Katz’s Hanukkah Dinner, which includes matzo ball soup, brisket, latkes, pickles and dessert. choice.
Kube
464 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
This Middle Eastern restaurant in Greenwich Village serves gourmet laquet dishes for special holidays prefix menuKubeh’s “classic” latkes are served with spiced applesauce, labneh, and za’atar. The menu also includes ‘crudo’ latkes with sea bass, harissa yogurt and castelvetrano olives, and ‘kashk bademjan’ latkes with eggplant, walnuts, mint and yogurt. If you visit for brunch or lunch during the holidays, you can order a variety of egg dishes, including a large spinach laquet with an herb salad or a laquet that’s a spin on eggs Benedict.
Liebman’s Deli
552 West 235th Street, Bronx, NY 10463 and 472 Ashford Avenue Ardsley, NY, 10502
Liebman’s has been serving deli food in Riverdale since 1953, according to its website. You can order latkes with spiced applesauce to eat on the spot, take away, or even cater for a large group if you want to eat all the mishapacha. Liebman’s now also offers nationwide shipping, and you can order sets of 16 or 32 rakes to locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Miriam
Various locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan
This Israeli restaurant’s menu includes latkes in several brunch dishes throughout the year. But during the holidays, Miriam also offers a Hanukkah menu with your choice of root vegetable or potato latkes, served with labneh and quince marmalade. If you’re feeling extravagant, you can add salmon roe.
Russ & Daughters
179 East Houston Street, New York, NY 10002 (and other locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan)
This “appetizing eatery” on the Lower East Side has been around for more than 100 years and now serves Jewish cuisine at various locations around the city. At the original shop, you can order latkes for $3.75 each or in packs of 5 or 12. delivery Suburbs of New York.
Modern delicatessen with sandwiches and pickles
1949 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10314
Sandwiches and Pickles offers classic deli dishes like turkey sandwiches and matzo ball soup, as well as more creative deli dishes like banh mi brisket sandwiches and pastrami omelets. As for potato pancakes, you can order a “latkes, eggs and cheese” sandwich, “latkes Benedict” or latkes with applesauce and sour cream. You can also add smoked salmon or caviar.
Veselka
144 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003 (and other locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan)
It’s a rare treat to know that when you order eggs for brunch in New York City, instead of the standard hash browns and toast, your omelet will be served with latkes and challah slices. But whether it’s Hanukkah or not, that’s how it is at Veselka. You can also have eggs Benedict on potato pancakes with smoked salmon, capers and green onions.
Mr. Zabar
2245 Broadway, New York, NY 10024
If you’re looking for latkes to take home or ship to a loved one outside of New York City, Zabar’s will send you a set “handcrafted from Bubbe recipes,” according to the website. If you want to splurge, you can get Zabar’s latkes and blintzes bundlelatkes, blints, applesauce, sour cream, and babka.
