Hanukkah is called the Jewish festival of lights for its nightly candle lightings, but it’s also a beloved holiday with delicious fried foods and chocolate coins that can be eaten or used for gambling.
Instead of covering your kitchen with oil, you can leave the cooking to the pros and pick up latkes, sufganiyot and other traditional fare including brisket and kugel from restaurants and delis throughout the Chicago area.
There are also plenty of places offering specials for dine-in and other holiday fun like festively decorated cookies and themed cocktails. Dust off your menorah and check out this guide to 19 places to celebrate Hanukkah.
The Loop and Near North Side
Aba
The West Loop Mediterranean restaurant offers three parmesan, potato and brussels sprout latkes with scallion crema and apple compote ($13) as a dine-in special Dec. 7-15. You can also get an order of six ($29) served cold with reheating instructions to-go or for delivery from 1-6 p.m. Orders must be placed by 11 a.m. that day. 302 N. Green St., 773-645-1400, abarestaurants.com/chicago
Ema
Celebrate throughout the holiday with specials including grilled harissa spiced sea bream with roasted garlic yogurt ($29), and parmesan, potato and brussels sprout latkes with scallion crema and apples compote ($13). 74 W. Illinois St., 312-527-5586, emachicago.com
Manny’s Cafeteria and Delicatessen
Get everything you need to celebrate with a roasted chicken ($50) or brisket ($65) dinner for two that includes glazed carrots, latkes, matzo ball soup, apple sauce, challah rolls and sufganiyot. Other add-ons include sour cream ($4), Hanukkah cookies ($4.50) and gelt ($1.29). 1141 S. Jefferson St., 312-939-2855, mannysdeli.com
North Side & Northwest Side
Fiya
The Andersonville restaurant offers specials including latkes with house-cured salmon and labneh, horseradish-and-onion-rubbed brisket, noodle kugel and mulabi with pomegranate syrup. 5419 N. Clark St., 773-543-7074, fiyarestaurant.com
Floriole
The Lincoln Park bakery offers specials Dec. 7-14 including a pack of four jelly doughnut morning buns ($30), a spinach and Gruyere quiche ($66), cranberry orange olive oil tea cake ($19) and honey pecan sticky buns ($40). 1220 W. Webster Ave., 773-883-1313, floriole.com
The Graystone Tavern
The 8 Crazy Nights pop-up bar running Nov. 22 through Jan. 7, 2024, features more than 14,000 blue and white lights and ball lanterns hanging from the ceiling, an 8-foot inflatable dreidel, a Hanukkah sweater wall and more festive decor. A special menu offers matzo ball soup, six flavors of latkes, a brisket sandwich and challah grilled cheese, plus themed cocktails such as the Gelt Martini, a blend of vodka, chocolate liquor and cream liquor rimmed with gold sugar and garnished with a gelt coin. Revelers can also enter a dreidel tournament and play Connect 4 with Hanukkah gelt. 3441 N. Sheffield Ave., 773-666-5450, 8crazynightschicago.com
Steingold’s of Chicago
Get your latkes with applesauce and sour cream ($30) and sufganiyot filled with honey custard, berry jam, chocolate halvah or salted caramel cookie butter ($20). The special menu available for pickup or delivery from Dec. 7 to 15 also features matzo ball soup ($16), coffee-braised brisket ($60), challah ($14-$16) and olive oil cake with orange blossom glaze ($28). 3737 N. Southport Ave., 773-661-2469, steingoldsdeli.com
Summer House Santa Monica
Try three varieties of potato pancakes with classic latkes with housemade applesauce and sour cream ($8), braised leek latkes topped with grain mustard and red wine shallots ($9), and mini latkes with chive cream and smoked salmon ($15). The specials are available Dec. 7-14 for dine-in, carryout and delivery. 1954 N. Halsted St., 773-634-4100, summerhouserestaurants.com/Lincoln-Park
The Understudy Coffee and Books
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Drag bubbie Merriam Levkowitz leads a Hanukkah story time at 4 p.m. Dec. 10 followed by the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce’s first menorah lighting. 5531 N. Clark St., 872-806-0670, facebook.com
West Side & Near West Side
Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar
Available for pickup daily from Dec. 7 to 15, the a la carte special menu features slow-roasted brisket in house-made chili sauce ($48), noodle kugel ($22), giant potato and apple latkes served with creme fraiche and black garlic apple sauce ($24), matzo ball soup ($25) and a platter of five varieties of fish including beet-cured gravlax, smoked whitefish salad and pickled herring ($60). 2700 W. Chicago Ave., 773-661-9577, heritage-chicago.com
Delivery only, suburban and multiple locations
Beatrix
Stop by the pastry counter at any of Beatrix’s five locations to pick up a hand-decorated blue and white menorah, dreidel or Star of David sugar cookie for $4.95. Multiple locations, beatrixrestaurants.com
Bennison’s Bakery
Pick up Hanukkah treats including apricot or raspberry sufganiyot ($2), sugar cookies decorated with menorahs or dreidels ($3), coconut macaroons ($10) and rugelach ($9) Dec. 7-15. 1000 Davis St., Evanston, 847-328-9434, bennisonscakes.com
The Goddess and the Grocer
Leave the cooking to the pros by ordering from a catering menu featuring chicken matzo ball soup ($7-$14), bite-sized potato latkes with smoked salmon and caviar ($36), roasted butternut squash ravioli ($25), noodle kugel ($9-$16), challah ($12) and potatoes au gratin ($12-$23). A wide selection of desserts includes walnut-raisin, apricot and raspberry rugelach ($12), and sufganiyot from Do-Rite Donuts ($4 each). Orders must be placed by noon Dec. 1. Multiple locations, goddessandgrocer.com
Hewn
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a four-pack of raspberry and lemon sufganiyot ($18) or six chocolate rugelach ($20). Orders must be placed by Dec. 5 for pick up Dec. 8. 1733 Central St., Evanston, 847-869-4396, and 348 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, 224-536-1816, hewnbread.com
L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge
Festive specials including matzo ball soup, braised brisket with potato pancakes and green beans, and gooey chocolate cake are available for dine-in, delivery or pickup Dec. 7 through 15. 7110 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood, 847-677-3350, lwoodsrestaurant.com
Once Upon a Bagel
Orders open Nov. 25 for raspberry jelly, chocolate and vanilla custard sufganiyot, which are expected to sell out. The restaurant, which has locations in Highland Park, Northbrook and Winnetka, will also offer full-size and mini latkes by the piece or the platter. Multiple locations, onceupononline.com
Prairie Grass Cafe
Celebrate at home with a $118 package for two featuring slow-braised barbecue brisket, smashed roasted cauliflower, potato latkes with sour cream and apple butter, and flourless chocolate cake. Dishes are also available a la carte. Orders must be placed by Dec. 5 for pickup between 4-5 p.m. Dec. 7. Hanukkah specials will be served at the restaurant that night in addition to the regular menu. 601 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook, 847-205-4433, prairiegrasscafe.com
Schmaltz & Vinegar
Build your own latke bar for $12 per person featuring traditional, everything spice, zucchini feta or za’atar scallion versions with two toppings such as creamy onion dip, eggplant caponata and pimento cheese sauce. Latkes are also included in a Hanukkah dinner featuring matzo ball soup, braised brisket, creamed spinach and rugelach ($26 per person, four-person minimum). Delivery orders require 72 hours’ notice. schmaltzandvinegar.com
Sweet Mandy B’s
The bakery offers blue and white dreidel and Star of David cookies, cakes and cupcakes for preorder at its Lincoln Park and Streeterville locations starting Dec. 7. 1208 W. Webster Ave., 773-244-1174 and 254 E. Ontario St., 312-255-1632, sweetmandybs.com
Samantha Nelson is a freelance writer.
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