Passover begins on Friday, when the city's observant Jews eschew leavened bread products for a full week of chametz-free dining. You could wait on line to pick up Brooklyn-made packages of matzo to make the matzo brei sandwich of your dreams. Or you can score ready-made sweets and dishes from one of the outfits below, who've done the hard work for making matzo palatable for you.
ROBICELLI'S TIRAMATSZU Despite their tongue-in-cheek campaign against food mashups, the Robicelli's can't stop creating fascinating sweets like their version of tiramisu ($20-25) stacked with espresso-soaked matzoh instead of puffy lady fingers. In between are thick, creamy portions of mascarpone mousse and an espresso ganache that give the matzoh even more moisture.
They're also baking up servings of Matzoh Toffee ($1) with chocolate glazed butterscotch matzoh and toasted almonds, plus a flour-free Passover Brownie ($21-$42 per tray) made with matzoh meal and infused with sea salt. That's three ways to make you the favorite grandchild.
Robicelli's Bakery is located at 9009 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge; order online, call (917) 509-6048 or stop by the store to place an order
(courtesy Breads Bakery)
BREADS BAKERY'S MATZAH QUICHE This Union Square bakery boasts a strong Rosh Hashanah game so its no surprise that their Passover options are equally satisfying. They've got plenty of sweets like macaroons and nut cookies, but it's the Matzah Quiche ($18) that we'd want for our Sedar table. The eggy custard gets fortified with mushrooms and Jerusalem artichoke (aka sunchoke) with a matzah meal crust to hold it all together.
Also of note: this spring the bakery will be expanding to a north kiosk in Bryant Park on 42nd & 6th Avenue, offering pastries, breads, sandwiches and coffee.
Breads Bakery is located at 18 East 16th Street; call 212-633-BAKE to place orders. Available now through April 10th
(courtesy Magnolia)
MAGNOLIA BAKERY'S MATZO CRUNCH Truthfully, cover anything in chocolate and it'll taste incredible (the same goes for deep frying), so masking matzo's blandness with a layer of cocoa's the simplest, tastiest thing you can do. The folks at Magnolia take that ethos a step further, layering Matzo crackers with buttercrunch candies, milk chocolate, white chocolate and toffee pieces, which are broken into jagged chunks for shacking. You can snag a bag of the stuff for $12 or a party-sized platter for $24.
Magnolia Bakery has multiple locations; call 1-855-MBakery to place an advanced order. Available April 3rd - 11th
(courtesy of Amused)
AMUSED'S MATZOH GRILLED CHEESE In high school, I'd make matzoh nachos by microwaving generic shredded cheese over broken matzoh and considered myself a genius. Thank goodness chef Stella Ballarini at this UWS newcomer has more experience and ingredients at her disposal to create her Passover-friendly version of grilled cheese. The open-faced sandwich ($11) comes topped with sweet gorgonzola, Swiss, white cheddar and Muenster cheeses, with a ramp-horseradish pesto and radicchio trevisano for some added crunch.
Amused is located at 142 West 83rd Street; available April 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th at dinner
(courtesy Toloache)
TOLOACHE'S MATZO TORTILLA BRISKET TACOS In addition to serving two types of Kosher tequila and a special Sabra Margarita ideal for Kosher customers, all three Toloache locations will be serving a special Passover menu that includes a Mexican-style Jewish menu of Matzo Ball Soup with vegetables and jalapeno, plus some Tacos de Brisket served on matzo tortillas. Inside the tacos, hunks of chipotle-braised beef topped with diced avocado, cilantro, raw onions and salsa.
Toloache has three locations. Tacos and matzo ball soup will be served April 3rd through April 11th
