Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur fall on the early side this year, with the first of the Jewish High Holidays beginning next Wednesday, September 20th at sundown. Several DC-area restaurants are serving their renditions of matzoh ball soup, beef brisket, kugel, and other classics to ring in the Jewish New Year.
For catering and carryout orders, note that many restaurants require notice several days in advance.
465 K St., NW
Indulge your sweet tooth for the New Year: Alex Levin, head pastry chef for the Schlow Restaurant Group, is hosting a pop-up bakeshop inside Alta Strada. Honey raisin challah, caramelized apple pie, and hazelnut chocolate crunch rugelach are among the offerings, which range in price from $10 to $36. Order ahead online (the treats are already selling quickly!). Delivery, offered only in DC, can be scheduled for Wednesday, September 20th between 1 and 5 PM, or pick up your order at the restaurant on September 19th or 20th between 3 and 6 PM.
Planning on dining in? Alta Strada, the Riggsby, and Casolare are all featuring a special Rosh Hashanah appetizer of honey raisin challah, Honeycrisp apples, and local honey, available September 20th through the 28th.
1317 Connecticut Ave., NW
The Rosh Hashanah menu at this contemporary Jewish deli and cocktail bar is short and sweet, with a single option per each of three courses: buckwheat kasha with a coddled egg, braised lamb shank, and a ricotta blintz with apple compote. The cost for the prix-fixe, offered during dinner hours September 20th and 21st, is $40 per person, with wine pairings available for an additional $15.
1914 9th St., NW
This cozy Italian joint is celebrating for the tenth year in a row, with three separate menus for Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre, and breaking the fast. Look for Jewish classics with an Italian flair: Israeli couscous is served with a flame-roasted eggplant-and-tomato sauce, and the matzoh ball soup comes with homemade angel hair pasta and a Tuscan-spiced broth. Bonus: The meals are served family-style, and the website promises “you can have seconds if you wish.” The cost per person for each holiday meal is $44 ($22 for children 12 and under). The Rosh Hashanah menu is offered on September 20th and 21st; the Kol Nidre menu on September 29th; and the “break fast” menu on September 30th.
818 Connecticut Ave., NW
Equinox’s husband-and-wife duo chef Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray are taking a vegan approach to Rosh Hashanah dinner this year, with dishes inspired by a recent trip to Israel. The four-course menu includes a chickpea-and-eggplant cassoulet and a smoked onion matzoh ball soup. It costs $50 per person (or $70 with wine pairing), and is available Wednesday, September 20th through Friday, September 22nd.
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
750 15th St., NW
The three-course Rosh Hashanah menu at Joe’s sticks with tradition: gefilte fish with red-beet horseradish and matzoh ball soup make appearances. For the main dish, choose from herb-roasted chicken, braised beef brisket, or Wild Alaskan halibut en papillote. The dinner, served on September 20th and 21st from 4 to 10:30 PM, costs $45.95 per person ($19.95 for children 12 years old and under), and is also available for delivery and carryout.
2201 14th St., NW; 4900 Hampden Lane, Bethesda
Mike Isabella’s Greek concepts are offering a special catering menu for the High Holidays this year, featuring Mediterranean-Jewish cuisine (think baked potato dumplings with apple soubise, and smoked brisket kapama with a spiced tomato sauce). Several of the restaurants’ classic Greek spreads—hummus, tzatziki, and tyrokafteri—are part of the holiday menu, which is available September 20th through the 22nd and September 29th through the 30th. All orders must be placed at least 72 hours in advance of desired pickup time.
7239 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda
Get your challah bread fix (with apples and honey to boot) at French bistro Mon Ami Gabi. The restaurant’s multi-course Rosh Hashanah menu features both classic and vegetarian versions of chopped liver, as well as traditional family-style sides like kasha varnishkes and noodle kugel. It’s available September 20th and 21st from 5 to 9 PM and costs $41.95 per person ($16.95 for children 12 years old and under). Place an order by September 15th for carryout.
740 6th St., NW
This Jewish-deli-inspired shop in Chinatown is offering a special catering menu for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this year, featuring several classics (matzoh ball soup, noodle kugel), as well as a few creative dishes like a Reuben quiche and cinnamon babka French toast platter. Also available: deli meat by the pound, bagel boxes, and sandwich platters. Orders must be placed 48 hours in advance of desired pickup time for each holiday; final pickup is 5 PM on September 20th for Rosh Hashanah, and 5 PM on September 29th for Yom Kippur. (On Rye is closed on September 21st and 30th in observance of the respective holidays.)
11825 Grand Park Ave., North Bethesda
Chicken liver paté, slow-braised beef short rib, and flourless chocolate cake are a few highlights from the four-course Rosh Hashanah menu at this North Bethesda eatery. The prix-fixe costs $41.95 per person ($16.95 for children 12 years old and under), and is available September 20th and 21st from 5 to 9 PM. Place an order by September 15th for carryout.
1200 19th St., NW
For the third year in a row, Teddy & the Bully Bar is serving a three-course prix-fixe menu for Rosh Hashanah, featuring a few innovative twists on Jewish classics: think latkes made with butternut squash, served with all-spice sour cream. The menu, which costs $50 per person, is available during normal dinner service on Wednesday, September 20th and Thursday, September 21st.
Former editorial fellow Erica Sloan is now an editorial assistant at Martha Stewart Weddings and Martha Stewart Living.
