On Sept. 15, New York’s 1.6 million Jews will join their spiritual brethren around the globe to usher in the Jewish New Year. (The name Rosh Hashanah is Hebrew for “head of the year.”) Kicking off the holiday is a ritual multi-course dinner served at sundown. While many households still handle meal prep at home, increasing numbers of celebrants are turning to Jewish-style delis for helping catering the holiday meal. If that includes you, here are a few local options to which you can turn, but don’t wait too long to place your order. These restaurants handle large volumes of food around this time of year, and lead times are essential to their planning and yours.
PJ Bernstein, on the Upper East Side, has been catering Rosh Hashanah dinners since 1965. The Jewish-style deli is rife with all the familiar holiday essentials, from chopped liver to gefilte fish to a matzo ball soup that is made fresh daily by boiling down over 25 pounds of chicken bones. Naturally, there is brisket and gravy, roasted and boiled chicken, and whole roast turkey. Come dessert time, most households opt for the honey cake and/or sponge cake. PJ Bernstein is perhaps one of one New York delis that features tzimmes (Yiddish for “big fuss”) on its holiday menu. PJ Bernstein, 1215 Third Avenue (bet. 70th and 71st Sts.).
Katz’s Delicatessen, on the Lower East Side, offers two options on its Rosh Hoshannah dinner, an “as-is” version for $155 per person and a version that adds gefilte fish priced at $185 per person. Both versions include noodle kugel, crispy potato latkes, and homemade matzoh ball soup, as well as the deli’s signature hand-sliced brisket and pastrami. Some of the items arrive frozen, so build in time for them to defrost. The package, which also features honey cake, is available for pre-order only and will begin shipping the week of Sept. 11. Katz’s Delicatessen, 205 E. Houston Street (at Ludlow St.), 1-800-4HOTDOG OR 212-254-2246.
The Second Avenue Deli, which is certified kosher, relocated from lower Second Avenue to a side street in Murray Hill in 2007. Its holiday dinner menu, designed for twelve people, is a little confusing. There is a mention of a base price of $575, which it notes is for four or more, but then many items carry a price per pound. The good news is that the menu covers all the bases. Brisket, sliced turkey, roast beef, and roast chicken are among the main course possibilities, and chocolate babka is included among the desserts. Second Avenue Deli, 162 E. 33rd Street (bet. Lexington and Third Aves., 212-689-9000). A satellite location can be found at 1442 First Avenue (at 75th St.), 212-737-1700.
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