Passover dining: Local restaurants offer dine-in, takeout holiday meals
Passover dining options at Palm Beach County restaurants are plentiful this year, and they range from prix fixe menus to a la carte specials to takeout meals.
Local menus feature chicken liver starters, brisket, roast chicken and salmon preparations, fresh salads and tzimmes and flourless desserts. You can find them and more at favorite local delis, bistros and more upscale restaurants, located from Boca Raton to suburban Delray Beach to Palm Beach to West Palm Beach and other cities.
Here’s what’s on the menu for Passover, which starts Monday, April 22, before sundown and ends on the night of April 30.
Ben’s Kosher Deli
During the eight days of Passover, this go-to Jewish deli in suburban Boca Raton will be closed. But before it closes for the holidays at 4 p.m. April 22, Ben’s will offer a catered, full Passover dinner that serves six to 10 people.
The spread, priced at $259.90 for six and $399.90 for 10, includes chopped liver and gefilte fish starters, chicken and matzo ball soup, a choice of one entree (roast chicken, sliced brisket or turkey), a choice of two sides (such as sweet potato pudding and broccoli almondine), plus homemade gravy, carrot tzimmes, coleslaw, cranberry-pineapple compote and a relish tray.
There’s also a Passover ceremonial plate, priced at $17.99.
To qualify for Ben’s rewards, orders must be placed by Tuesday, April 16, but non-rewards orders will be accepted after that. Ben’s will reopen May 1.
Ben’s Kosher Deli: 9942 Clint Moore Rd., Boca Raton, 561-470-9963, BensDeli.net
Max’s Grille
This Mizner Park mainstay restaurant is offering a la carte Passover dinner specials on April 22-23 after 4 p.m.
On the menu: apple-walnut salad with honey dressing ($15), matzo ball soup ($11), slow-roasted beef brisket with carrots, prunes, herb-roasted new potatoes and green beans and shallots ($34), a half chicken with lemony broccoli and new potatoes ($29), baked salmon with zucchini and carrot quinoa, braised cabbage and horseradish-dill sauce ($37), and for dessert, flourless chocolate cake ($13) and lemon-almond macaroons ($11).
Max’s Grille: 404 Plaza Real at Mizner Park, Boca Raton, 561-368-0080, MaxsGrille.com
Chez Marie
How about a bistro-style Passover meal? Chez Marie French Bistro in Boca Raton is serving a special three-course menu on April 22-23, priced at $65 per person.
On the holiday menu: For starters, there’s a choice of truffled duck liver mousse, matzo ball soup or apple-walnut salad. Main dish options include rosemary-seasoned lamb shank au jus, beef brisket in an onion and sweet tomato sauce, herb-roasted chicken and honey and mustard-glazed salmon. Those entrees come with caramelized carrots, garlic green beans and garlic-roasted potatoes. For dessert, options include apple crumble, lavender crème brulée and chocolate mousse. The holiday menu includes a Passover Seder plate and matzo.
The bistro’s regular a la carte menu will not be offered on either night.
Chez Marie: 5030 Champion Blvd., Suite #D3, Boca Raton, 561-997-0027, ChezMarieFrenchBistro.com
Burt & Max’s
This go-to, suburban Delray Beach restaurant — a sibling of Max’s Grille in Boca — will serve classic Passover a la carte specials on April 22-23 after 4 p.m.
On the menu: Starters include chopped chicken liver ($12), apples-and-honey salad ($11) and matzo ball soup ($9). Main plates include pan-roasted salmon ($30), slow-roasted brisket ($32) with potato pancakes and a roasted half chicken ($25). For dessert, there’s chocolate-coconut macaroons ($8).
Burt & Max’s: 9089 W. Atlantic Ave., in the Delray Marketplace, 561-638-6380, BurtandMaxs.com
Café Boulud
Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud’s Palm Beach restaurant is serving a three-course, prix-fixe Passover menu on April 22-23.
Dinner begins with a choice of starter (options include Balik-style smoked salmon and house-made chicken terrine), continues with a choice of main plate (such as Florida pompano with fennel, tomato and citrus and beef brisket with heirloom carrots, Swiss chard and hazelnuts), includes family-style side dishes and wraps up with a choice of dessert (such as pavlova with passion fruit-mango sorbet and meringue and flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sorbet).
The holiday dinner, served from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, is priced at $135 per person, $65 per child younger than 10. The prix-fixe menu is required for the entire table. Reservations are required and accepted at CafeBoulud.com/palmbeach.
Café Boulud: 301 Australian Ave., Palm Beach, 561-655-6060
Almond
Palm Beach’s Almond bistro is offering a couple of holiday specials on the Passover Seder nights of April 22-23.
As a starter, there will be matzo ball soup. Served family-style or individually portioned, the main plate special is Sephardic-style, wine-braised Florida brisket with dried apricots, Holman’s Harvest farm baby carrots with dill ($44 per person).
Almond: 207 Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach, 561-355-5080, AlmondRestaurant.com
TooJay’s
This West Palm Beach-based deli chain is offering a prix-fixe dine-in and takeout menu for Passover on April 22-23.
The holiday menu, priced at $29.99 per person, starts with matzo ball soup and a choice of gefilte fish or chopped liver. For the main plate, there’s a choice of beef brisket, roasted half chicken or baked salmon with dill hollandaise. Included sides are carrot tzimmes and potato pancakes. Dessert is three iced or plain macaroons.
The meal comes with coffee or tea. Dine-in customers also get a glass of Kosher wine.
TooJay’s: The deli chain has eight locations in Palm Beach County, from Jupiter to Wellington to Boca Raton. To find one near you, visit TooJays.com.
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Liz Balmaseda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network. She covers the local food and dining beat. Follow her on Instagram and Post on Food Facebook. She can be reached by email at lbalmaseda@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Passover restaurant specials in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Jupiter
