Celebrating freedom? That’s always worth gathering around the table and raising a glass. The Jewish holiday of Passover is a pretty important one on the calendar. It represents the Old Testament story in which the Israelites were freed from the Pharaoh’s painful 200-plus-year period of slavery in ancient Egypt. So the biblical story goes: God rained down 10 plagues on the Pharoah when he refused to Moses’s plea to “let my people go,” as the song goes. For the final plague, the death of all first-born children, the Israelites were “passed over,” so as to not suffer the punishment meant for their enslavers, pushing the Pharoah to declare freedom, finally, for the Jewish slaves.
Several seder traditions and menu items come from this story. Fearful their new freedom wouldn’t last, Moses lead the Israelites’ exodus to get the heck out of Egypt, but in their rush to get away they didn’t have enough to let their bread rise, hence the tradition of unleavened matzah as a bread or a soup dumpling. Horseradish with gefilte fish? The biting flavor of the root represents the bitterness of the slavery the Jewish people endured. There are many others, too, and many spots in the Hamptons that offer representative menus to fill your seder table and help you honor Passover, and freedom for all, in delicious celebratory style.
Sydney’s “Taylor” Made Cuisine, 32 Mill Road, Westhampton Beach, 631-288-4722
With the Westhampton Beach-based Hampton Synagogue as the only Orthodox place of worship in the Hamptons, Sydney’s has long offered a prolific Passover to-go menu, catering to observers of this important spring holiday on the Jewish calendar. From homemade gefilte fish to chopped liver, whitefish salad and braised brisket, you’ll find all the traditional faves here, along with lots of delicious alternatives. To learn more about the full menu and order, email [email protected].
Bistro Été, 760 Montauk Highway, Water Mill, 631-500-9085
Chef Arie Pavlou’s lovely gem of a restaurant recently reopened for the season — just in time for the vernal equinox holidays at hand. For Passover, he’s offering an irresistible Passover take-out menu, featuring Matzah ball soup and crispy latkes to start, beef brisket and whole rotisserie chicken for the main event (along with a bevy of beautiful sides) and, of course, coconut macaroons to end things on a sweet note, as you ought to. Email [email protected] to reserve your meal. Pick-up is Thursday, April 2.
L&W Market, 2493 Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton, 631-537-1123
Let chef Jason Wiener make your Passover table the envy of the neighborhood. Place your order by 6 p.m., Monday, March 30 for pick-up Wednesday, Apr. 1 or Thursday, Apr. 2 (pick your preferred date when you check-out). Weiner’s matzo ball soup is a must, and that smoked bluefish spread? You’ll be craving it long after the last schmear. There’s also Grandma Weiner’s chopped liver (yum!), traditional charoset chock-a-block with raisins, apricots, figs, apples, walnuts, honey and red wine, deviled eggs, roasted rack of lamb and a whole lot more. Place your order here.
Twisted Challah Bakery, 4603 Middle Country Road, Calverton
Baker Hope Kramer’s gorgeous loaves of challah are the best-kept seder secret around. For Passover, she’s got some super special sweet-treats in store, like chocolate dipped macaroons, Basque cheesecake, chocolate swathed matzoh bark (seriously, what a great idea!), Mandel bread and for a crunchy start during Passover mornings, matzoh granola. All are available for pick-up prior to Apr. 1 (her regular challah customers will have to wait for their favorites breads; that baking is on hold until after Passover on Apr. 10). Click here to order.
Citarella, multiple locations, 631-283-6600
Find all your Passover feast fixin’s at one of Joe Gurrera’s three Hamptons locations (2 Pantigo Road, East Hampton; 2209 Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton; 20 Hampton Road, Southampton). Offerings include braised briskets, pomegranate-glazed salmon, traditional seder plates, myriad matzo, potato pancakes and red wine poached pears. See what else is cookin’ here.
Nick & Toni’s, 136 N. Main St., East Hampton, 631-324-3550
You wouldn’t be wrong if you thought chef Joe Realmuto is known for Tuscan-adjacent dishes with local flourish, but the man can make a mean matzo ball soup. On Wednesday, Apr. 1 and Thursday, Apr. 2 he’s adding this plus a few other special Passover particulars to make your seder special if you dine in-house at Nick & Toni’s (note: no take-out for these specials). Passover celebrant or not, his braised lamb shank with sweet potato puree and roasted baby turnips is the kind of dish that everyone can agree is just a little bit life-altering (and the wine-braised short ribs also on boarder? Chef’s kiss, people!). End it all with some chocolate covered macaroons and clever matzo toffee, and you’ve got some spectacular Passover on your hands.
Rowdy Hall, 177 Main Street, Amagansett, 631-324-8555
Everybody’s favorite Hamptons pub-meets-bistro hang will be celebrating Passover with a la carte specials on Wednesday, Apr. 1, and Thursday, Apr. 2. While the regular menu will be available, additions are slated to include matzo ball soup, red wine braised short ribs dressed up with apricots, potato sunchoke puree and fresh horseradish, and chocolate covered macaroons for a special little sweet treat.
