The Festival of Lights is on its way soon, next week in fact, so if you celebrate it's time to get your gifts in order and stomachs ready. Hanukkah goes along with the Jewish calendar which means it starts on a different day every year. This year, the holiday begins at sundown on December 10, and it lasts for 8 nights through December 18. There's delicious food like potato latkes and jelly doughnuts, the dreidel game and most important of all, the lighting of the candles each night, representing the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. There are even a few restaurants offering Hanukkah dining deals and meals around town. Here's a quick list.
Miracle Mile Deli is your Hanukkah headquarters, and you can order all you need to celebrate in style with your family. Curbside pickup is available with delivery an option on orders over $100. A la carte items include potato latkes served with sour cream and applesauce, matzah ball soup and steamed vegetables. Entrees are a Hanukkah Special — a plate of beef brisket, a potato latke, cup of matzah ball soup and Noble rye bread and butter; the Half Roast Chicken — bone-in, oven roasted chicken with freshly sautéed peppers and onions, mixed vegetables, bread and butter; and an Oven Roasted Turkey Dinner — white or dark meat turkey with homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread and butter. There's also versions of those meals family style. For example, the Hanukkah Dinner Delight serves six people and has beef brisket, potato latkes with applesauce and sour cream, matzah ball soup, baked mac n’ cheese, coleslaw, challah kaiser rolls and butter and a whole pie of your choice. Pie flavors are apple, cherry, pecan, pumpkin, lemon meringue, Boston cream and coconut meringue. Miracle Mile Deli is located at 4433 N 16th Street, Phoenix; 602.776.0992; www.miraclemiledeli.com
Chompie’s knows how to do holiday food right, and what’s better than a festive meal with Hanukkah and Christmas flavors combined? Starting December 10, Chompie’s is offering its Chrismukkah Dinner, available dine in or for curbside pickup. Starters are challah knot rolls with butter and a pickle tray plus a choice of soup — chicken matzah ball, split pea, mushroom barley or a dinner salad. For an entree, it’s either white meat turkey breast with gravy, homemade stuffing, and cranberry relish; beef brisket with homemade gravy; or stuffed cabbage rolls. Choose two sides — creamy mashed potatoes, potato latke with applesauce, homestyle green beans or glazed carrots. Then, the sweet ending is Lovey’s Festive Holiday Dessert. It’s $22.99 per person and $10.49 for children 10 and under. You can also order items to go by the pound, pint and piece like crispy latkes and Hanukkah cookies, or there’s the Festive Hanukkah Dinner At Home serving 8 for $219.99. Don’t forget about the deli platters and hors d'oeuvres like mini quiches and finger sandwiches. Chompie’s has locations in Chandler, Glendale, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe; www.chompies.com
Milk+honey espresso bar & eatery inside Martin Pear JCC will be making sufganiyot, the fried jelly-filled doughnuts traditional for Hanukkah. You can contact the restaurant to pre order them ahead of time. The second night of Hanukkah falls on Shabbat, so you can also add some challah or other items to your order. There’s traditional Moroccan salads like eggplant, red Peppers, pickled lemons and Kalamata olive plus fish options — Moroccan salmon or white fish balls in a tomato sauce. Meat options serve a minimum of four people and include meatballs; whole-oven roasted chicken and potatoes; chicken thighs and the veggie of the week; and tagine-style brisket with Portobello mushrooms. Shabbat orders must be placed by Wednesday at 8 p.m. and challah-only orders by Thursday at 8 p.m. Milk+honey espresso bar & eatery is located at 12701 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale; 480.566.9020; www.milkandhoneyjcc.com
Scott’s Generations is known for its latkes which you can order off the menu at $3 a piece. Add to that some matzah ball soup available from a half pint to a 2.5 quart, and you’re golden. While you’re at it, grab the Smoked Fish Fiesta off the catering menu — an array of smoked fish specialities garnished with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions and olives with bagels, bialys and cream cheese. There’s also the Salad Spectacular and the Chopped Liver Mold served with rye, pumpernickel or bagel chips for folks that are into that plus Dessert Trays for the end of the meal. Scott’s Generations is located at 742 E. Glendale Avenue, Suite 142,
Phoenix, 602.277.5662; www.scottsgenerations.com
New York Bagels ‘N Bialys is of course known for its bagels and bialys which make a good addition to any Jewish meal, but the restaurant’s main menu also has a la carte potato latkes, homemade chopped liver and bagel chips, smoked fish and deli salads. If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop kind of meal, there’s a Brisket Dinner or a Half Chicken Dinner for 8 people. Both come with potato latkes and a fresh vegetable medley. Add on a Vegetable Tray or a Fresh Fruit Platter, and you’re good to go. New York Bagels ‘N Bialys has three locations in Scottsdale; www.nybagelsnbialys.com
JJ’s Delicatessen has quite the catering menu, perfect for making your Hanukkah meal both easy and delicious. The Latke Platter is a must — mini sweet potato or traditional potato latkes piled high and served with applesauce or sour cream. There’s also Veggie, Cheese and Fruit Platters and the Smoked Fish Paradise, an array of smoked fish garnished with capers olives, bagels and cream cheese, cucumber, onion and tomato. Matzah ball and chicken noodle soup come by the quart, and there’s dessert trays with your choice of rugelach, pastries and cookies. JJ’s Delicatessen is located at 23425 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale; 480.563.4557; www.jjsdeliaz.com