Rosh Hashanah is coming right up. The holiday, which celebrates the start of the Jewish New Year, begins on Friday evening.
Jews often celebrate Rosh Hashanah with sweet foods–apples and honey, cake, and more. Even if you’re not Jewish, those are probably things you can get behind!
Here are a few of the best places to get a Rosh Hashanah meal or snack here in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Wise Sons
Wise Sons is one of the best Jewish delis in the Bay Area. You can get their fantastic pastrami and latkes year-round.
But for Rosh Hashanah, they pull out all the stops and off a full holiday catering menu. Their brisket and kugel are both amazing!
Tal’s Patisserie
Tal’s Patisserie in Danville, California in the East Bay is a fantastic place to get some High Holiday treats. Tal bakes round challah bread, which is a staple of the Rosh Hashanah holiday.
The round Challah commemorates the roundness of the year, with each year feeding into the next.
Tal also bakes apples and honey French macarons, a special and unique treat for the holiday.
Lottie’s Creamery
Speaking of creative takes on apples and honey, Lottie’s Creamery in Walnut Creek, California offers another cool Rosh Hashanah treat: apples and honey flavored ice cream.
Lottie’s makes their own ice cream base from raw milk in-house, which makes their ice cream confections a totally unique treat.
Call ahead to confirm that they have apples and honey ice cream in stock, as their flavors change daily.
Canela Restaurant
Looking for a sit-down meal to celebrate the holiday? Check out Canela Restaurant in San Francisco. They have a special Rosh Hashanah meal which features several Sephardic specialties (food from Jewish populations in Spain and the Middle East.)
Lamb Chops accompanied by Caramelized Onion, Roasted Piquilllo Pepper Marmalade, and Pickled Veggies are one of the main items featured on their menu. Almond and olive oil cake is a creative, Mediterranean twist on the typical holiday honey cake.
One Market
One Market restaurant, also in San Francisco, is going the more traditional route with some awesome Rosh Hashanah specialities. Brisket, polenta, and Joan Nathan’s traditional honey cake (I’ve baked it, and it’s great) feature on their menu.
They also have a creative twist. As this is the year 5784 on the Jewish calendar, they’re charging just $57.84 per person for their Rosh Hashanah feast.
Conclusion
Whether you’re seeking a fancy and celebratory meal out to honor the New Year, or just some treats to bring home and serve alongside your home-cooked Rosh Hashanah meal, the Bay Area’s eateries have you covered.
If you’re not Jewish, it’s the perfect time to try a new culture. Rosh Hashanah is a highly accessible holiday (who doesn’t love honey?) and a perfect time to year to introduce kids to Jewish culture.
Celebrate the Bay Area’s Jewish heritage with any of these excellent holiday dining choices.
