Let These Houston Restaurants Prepare Your Rosh Hashanah Feast, 2023

Fall marks a significant period of celebration and reflection for the Jewish community, including some of the most important holidays of the year. From September 15 through September 17, families will observe Rosh Hashanah — the “head of the year” or the Jewish New Year, which marks the creation of the world, and from September 24 through September 25, Yom Kippur marks a period of prayer, atonement, and repentance. With that comes plentiful feasts and platters of delicious traditional fare, including chopped liver, kreplach, stuffed cabbage, matzo ball soup, and more.

Fortunately, some Houston restaurants are commemorating the high holidays in 2023 by offering special menus featuring holiday-ready dishes (think apple and honey desserts for Rosh Hashanah), as well as Kosher meals and platters that can be enjoyed at home. Here’s what’s being offered:

Dessert Gallery

This Upper Kirby bakery is offering desserts, available for pre-order, for your High Holidays spread. Options include:

• hand-decorated Jewish New Year butter cookies ($30 for six)
• Deep-dish apple tart ($50)
• Lemon or chocolate Vacherin ($50)
• Chocolate or white chocolate Concorde ($37 for 6-inch, or $63 for 9-inch)
• Apple Brown Betty ($63)
• Homemade raspberry sauce ($11) and a bittersweet hot fudge sauce ($10)

Orders can be placed online on the Dessert Gallery website three to five days ahead of the desired pick-up or delivery day.

Dessert Gallery

Lees Den

Lees Den, the wine bar that’s sister to Local Foods, will offer a variety of dishes to bring in the high holidays, including:

• Roasted carrots ($17), served with shishito peppers, Meredith Dairy feta, and pomegranate ($17 for each portion, which serves two to four people)
• Spinach mushroom ricotta kugel with Flying Saucer Mushrooms ($18 each, serves two to four people)
• Smoked herb-crusted salmon with sun-dried tomato gremolata ($85 per 2 pounds)
• Braised Texas brisket with beet-horseradish cream ($28 per pound).

Desserts include a honey apple knish, made with sweet potato and brown butter pecans, plus a pint of ice cream for $40, and a chocolate matzo cake made with espresso chocolate mousse and marshmallow for $38.

Orders are due by noon on Monday, September 11, and pick-ups will be held at the wine shop at Local Foods Market in Rice Village from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on September 15 and 16.

Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen and Bakery

Kenny & Ziggy keeps up its 20-plus-year tradition of offering a menu of traditional foods, with a pre-fix Erev Yom Tov menu that feeds 4 to 6 people, with soups, matzo balls, chopped liver, tzimmes, and a large, round plain or raisin-filled Challah. Diners can choose between a prime Angus brisket, apricot-roasted chicken, stuffed cabbages, or a combination of chicken and brisket, and a variety of sides, plus kugels, and a trio of desserts for $239 plus tax. Diners can also order from Kenny & Ziggy’s a la carte menu, which features around 100 dishes, including sides, main courses, soups, salads, desserts, breads, and condiments. Orders must be placed by Friday, September 8, with pick-up offered between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday, September 15. The restaurant will be closed from 2 p.m. Friday, September 15 through Sunday, September 17. Those already thinking ahead for Yom Kippur can check out K&Z’s special packages and a la carte menus online. The deadline for Yom Kippur orders is Monday, September 18. 1743 Post Oak Boulevard.

Hamsa

Celebrate the holiday with a spread from this Rice Village Israeli restaurant. Hamsa is offering a variety of salads, sides, desserts, and 8-ounce portions of its popular salatim for $9 each, or $75 for all of its variety. Score 16-ounce containers of hummus for $19, challah for $8, a braised lamb shank for $70, and 16-ounce portions of its sides of cauliflower couscous or Israeli or green salad for $14. Desserts include its orange cake ($24) and its Basque cheesecake ($48).

Houston Catering Concepts

Diners looking to build their perfect Rosh Hashanah Feast can also order from Houston Catering Company, which has a full lineup of appetizers, soups, salads, main courses, and desserts. Highlights include the following:

Breads and Smears

Becca Wright

• Plain Round Challah ($9)
• Bagels ($18 per dozen)
• Scallion ($12 per pint)
• Nova lox ($15 per pint)

Starters

• $4 Blintzes
• Chopped liver ($16 per pound)
• Whitefish salad ($23 per pound)

Soups & Salad

• Poached pear salad served with raspberry vinaigrette ($35 for serving for 10 to 12 people)
• Meridian salad, made with chopped hearts of romaine lettuce and spring mix with tomatoes, cucumbers, sliced strawberries, and candied walnuts; served with white shallot vinaigrette ($35 for serving for 10 to 12 people)
• Israeli salad ($8 per pound)
• Chicken Soup, serves 2-3 people ($12 per quart)

Entrees

• Brisket, smothered in tomato sauce with carrots and potatoes ($24)
• Apricot chicken (8 pieces for $19)
• Ginger teriyaki salmon ($136)
• Honey Glazed Corned Beef ($31 per pound)

Sides (available as half pan for 15 to 20 people, or a quart, which feeds four to six people

• Roasted corn souffle ($45)
• Broccoli casserole ($45)
• Herb-roasted tri-color potatoes ($16 per quart)

Desserts

• Sponge cake ($24)
• Honey cake ($24)
• Chocolate babka ($16)

Orders for Rosh Hashanah should be placed online by September 8, with pickups on Friday, September 15 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Orders for Yom Kippur must be placed by September 18, with pickups scheduled on Sunday, September 24, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.