Hanukkah Cookies. Photo courtesy of Clementine.
Latkes and brisket and kugel, oh my!
Hanukkah 2020 begins on Thursday, December 10. As the eight-night Festival of Lights coincides with Los Angeles’ renewed safer-at-home constraints, LA’s restaurants can use our support more than ever. See our recommendations below for places to order brisket, latkes, noodle kugel, matzo ball soup, and sufganiyot (traditional jelly donuts) for Hanukkah dining at home.
Culver City’s Akasha is renowned for healthy comfort food, along with its annual Hanukkah tradition: “Vodkas and Lattes.” For 2020, Chef Akasha Richmond’s à la carte Hanukkah menu includes her acclaimed potato latkes, chopped chicken liver, vegan faux “liver” made with green pea and walnut, slow-braised brisket, chicken tagine, noodle kugel, rugelach, and more. Four vodka cocktails round out the menu, among them Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel (vodka, grapefruit, blood orange, and limoncello) and the AKASHA 2.0 (pineapple & shisho infused vodka, green juice, lime & pineapple juice). Available between 12/10 and 10/17, you can place your “Vodkas and Latkes” order for delivery to your home by TOCK.
Boasting locations in Northridge and Westlake Village, Brent’s Deli has been around since 1967, earning praise from Los Angeles magazine and Eater along the way. For Hanukkah, you can pre-order Hanukkah catering à la carte (chopped liver, mini latkes, brisket, and more) or their Complete Meal, featuring chopped liver, brisket or roast chicken, string beans almondine, chicken soup with matzo balls, and latkes, for $23.95 per person (minimum 10 people). Website
Clementine is an acclaimed bakery/restaurant that’s won accolades from Food & Wine, Zagat, and more. For Hanukkah, let this Century City eatery make dinner easy with an $80 package that serves 2-3 and includes matzo ball soup, your choice of brisket, salmon, or free-range chicken, latkes with sour cream and applesauce, and two salads or vegetable dishes. Hanukkah sweets are an optional add-on. Hanukkah orders must be placed at least 48 hours in advance (more details on site) for pickup between 12/09 and 12/18. Website
Hanukkah Brisket. Image courtesy of Gelson’s.
It was hailed by Bon Appetit magazine as one of America’s 10 best restaurants in 2018. Freedman’s, the modern Silver Lake deli with French restaurant energy, has reopened after temporarily closing in April due to Covid and is now offering Hanukkah dinners to go. Savor a feast that includes Freedman’s celebrated glazed brisket or whole roasted chicken with sesame challah and seaweed butter; a latke; matzo ball soup; salad; and roasted carrots with honey vinegar and braised golden raisins. Available for pick-up and delivery, the dinners are priced at $100 for two people or $200 for four. Guava cheesecake, chilled martinis, and bottles of natural wine can be added to your order. Dinners are available from December 10-12 and must be ordered at least 24 hours in advance (and by 8 p.m.) Website
Specialty grocer Gelson’s, with locations all over Los Angeles, is offering prepared Hanukkah dinners for four for $75-85, along with an à la carte menu that includes sweet potato latkes. Meal packages feature brisket or chicken, along with chicken broth and matzoh balls, potato pancakes, tzimmes, chopped beef liver with egg, and noodle kugel. Order online for pickup between 12/07 and 12/19. Orders must be placed by 12/18. Website
LA mainstay Genghis Cohen has served Chinese food on Fairfax since 1983. Now, in honor of Hanukkah, Genghis Cohen has launched the Dr. Dre(idel), a limited-edition jelly donut ice cream inspired by the aforementioned sufganiyot. Created in collaboration with Coolhaus and DK’s Donuts, this icy holiday treat features a vanilla bean base, cake and donut pieces, and strawberry jam. The Dr. Dre(idel) will be available by the pint for $10 from December 10-20 and can be ordered for pickup or delivery. Website
Habayit is renowned for its Kosher Mediterranean and American-Israeli food. Though this West LA restaurant does not offer a Hanukkah menu, they will be offering latkes for the holiday! Website
Founded by Steven Spielberg’s mother in 1977 and still operated by the Spielberg family, The Milky Way is a Kosher stalwart in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood. For Hanukkah, order their latke platter to go – a dozen potato latkes with house-made apple compote and sour cream is $40. You can also order a quart of their Famous Halibut Fish Chowder that serves up to four people for $50. Check their website for info on contactless curbside pickup and delivery. Website
A true Los Angeles classic, Nate ‘n Al’s has been slinging sandwiches since the year World War ended. Latkes, matzo ball soup, noodle kugel and much more can be ordered for delivery or to-go at this world-famous Beverly Hills deli. For catering, Nate ‘n Al’s needs your order at least 24 hours in advance. Website
Latkes & Smoked Salmon. Courtesy of The Milky Way.
The Skirball Cultural Center is offering Hanukkah treats to go for just one day during Hanukkah. Get a box of savory latkes (6 regular, 6 green onion), along with 1 oz. sliced lox, 1 oz. lumpfish caviar, 2 oz. creme fraiche, and 3 oz. house-made applesauce for $24, or a box of sweet treats: 4 raspberry-filled sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), 3 dreidel cookies, 3 Star of David cookies, and 12 Hanukkah gelt for $21. Order online and schedule your pickup time between noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday, 12/13. Website
Vegetarian eatery Uplifters Kitchen is celebrating Hanukkah with potato zucchini latkes with vegan sour cream and apple compote. Priced at $24 for 8-10 latkes, they can be ordered online or by calling the Santa Monica cafe at (424) 268-4904. Orders must be placed by December 8 for pickup after noon on December 10. In addition, if you’re looking for a Hanukkah-friendly dessert, Uplifters is offering vegan and gluten-free cinnamon sugar donuts throughout December. Website
Wexler’s Deli in Santa Monica is offering a complete artisanal Hanukkah dinner to go. Dinner includes brisket braised with plums and apricots, potato latkes with creme fraiche and house-made apple sauce, roasted heirloom carrots, matzo ball soup, salad made with veggies sourced from the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, and chocolate babka. The dinner serves 4 to 6. Priced at $275, the meal can be delivered or picked up between 12/10 and 12/18. Website
Whole Foods’ Hanukkah menu includes a platter of latkes for four for $10, matzo ball soup for two for $9, and brisket dinner for eight ($170). In addition to wine-braised brisket, dinner features matzo ball soup, green beans with roasted shallots, tzimmes, latkes, and homestyle applesauce. You’ll need to order at least 48 hours in advance, and can pick up your Hanukkah order between 12/08 and 12/18. Website
Conversely, if you’d like to make brisket or latkes at home, be sure to check out The LA Beat’s own Elise Thompson’s recipes from her “adoptive Jewish mother” here.
