When it comes to where I tuck into my bowl of matzoh ball soup on Passover, I have no choice.  Every year, I dine with a gaggle of relatives at our family’s annual Long Island Seder where traditional foods like brisket and kugel are the order of the day.

But you don’t have to stick with the usual fare for Passover.  In fact, there are a range of intriguing dining out options for the eight days that cover the entire span of the holiday–from sampling a Mexican-themed Seder at Rosa Mexicano to dining on matzoh ball soup with a dash of white truffle oil at Payard Patisserie & Bistro.  (see menus below)

Still, most people prefer home-based Seders for Passover.  For stocking up on the Upper West Side, there are the well-known pit stops–Zabars, Fairway, and Whole Foods, and for kosher products, Supersol.

Are you all in a tizzy about making feather-light matzoh balls?  Zabars will sell you 14 ounces of them for $8.49.  The specialty food store also carries kosher Passover gift baskets, which include exotic items like toffee-chocolate-covered matzoh.

Supersol offers  numerous items especially for Passover, including pizza and beef.  Supersol baker Susan Berlin also runs SusanSez and bakes out of her home for private customers.  Check her website www.susez.com for pricing on items like lemon tarts and flourless chocolate cake.

Passover Dinner at Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro

April 8th and 9th

$45 per person, plus tax and gratuity

1032 Lexington Ave. between 73rd and 74th Streets

212.717.5252; www.payard.com

1st course

Matzo Ball Soup

with White Truffle Oil

2nd Course

Sautéed King Salmon

with Seasonal Baby Beets, Young Onions, Green Asparagus and Horseradish

OR

Braised Lamb Shank

with Seasonal Bean Casserole Tomato Compote, Garlic, Harissa and Cured Lemon

3rd Course

Dark Chocolate Flourless Cake

With Vanilla-flourless Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream

OR

Passover Petits Fours and Parisian Macarons

***

Mexican Passover at Rosa Mexicano

A La Carte Menu Specials April 8th – 15th

Cooking Demonstration and Luncheon April 11th

www.rosamexicano.com

First Avenue, 1063 First Avenue at 58th St. New York, 212.753.7407

Lincoln Center, 61 Columbus Avenue at 62nd St. New York, 212.977.7700

Union Square, 9 East 18th Street btw 5th Avenue & Broadway, New York, 212.533.3350

Menu items include:

A traditional Seder plate table-side to explain the significance of the Jewish holiday to all Rosa Mexicano diners.  See complete menu additions below.

Tropical Haroset

Pears, apples, bananas, dates, almonds, cinnamon and sweet wine

Lunch & Dinner $7.00

Appetizers

Caldo de Pollo con Bolitas (Mexican Matzo Ball Soup)

Roasted jalapeño chicken broth with cilantro matzo balls, carrots and black garbanzo beans

Lunch & Dinner $8.50

Higadito de Pollo para Tacos

Chipotle chopped liver with egg, tempura scallions, chicken chicharrones and tomatillo-avocado sauce, served with warm corn tortillas to make your own tacos

Lunch & Dinner $11.00

Entrees

Lengua de Res a la Veracruzana

Traditional beef tongue simmered in a Veracruz sauce of tomatoes, olives and roasted peppers, served with matzo-potato-chive fritters

Dinner $19.00

Tacos de Lengua

Seared beef tongue served with chile de arbol salsa and pickled jalapeño cabbage

Lunch $10.00

Poblana Relleno con Ternera Barbacoa

Roasted poblano pepper stuffed with slow cooked veal shoulder, braised cabbage, tomatillos and jalapenos, served with mole verde

Dinner $24.00

Robalo Relleno

Baked stuffed sea bass with zucchinis and roasted pecans, served with pureed pumpkin and prunes and spinach-potato kugel “izmir style”

Dinner $24.00

Dessert

Pastel de Dátil

Warm pecan, date and bittersweet chocolate flourless cake, served with piloncillo butter sauce and orange whipped crème fraîche

Lunch & Dinner $9.00

Related posts:

1. Zabar’s and JCC Team for Passover Cooking Event
2. Passover Recipe: Easy Italian-Ashkenazi Matzoh Ball Soup
3. Upper West Side: Zabar’s Jumps the High Holidays Gun