9 Ways to Fill Your Belly This Hanukkah (Without Having to Cook)

There’s nothing quite like taking that first bite of applesauce-topped latke after spending hours peeling, grating, and frying potatoes to make the traditional Hanukkah dish. (I usually tweak this classic David Firestone recipe with fresh herbs.) But there are also those times when you want to enjoy the food and celebration of the holiday without putting in the grunt work. I get it—and so do our local chefs. Which is why they’re handling much of the cooking for you, whether you need a full Hanukkah feast or some sweet treats like traditional sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts). Before you light the menorah for the first time on Thursday, December 10, place your order at one of these local eateries.

Button Rock Bakery in Lafayette has Hanukkah meal packages for four to six people, which come with matzah ball soup and latkes (starting at $70). You can also purchase à la carte eats, such as noodle kugel, chopped liver, or a whole roast chicken. Pickup is available starting December 10; call 303-926-1676 or email info@buttonrockbakery.com to order.

Latkes and applesauce are the quintessential Hanukkah pairing, and Chook chef Alex Seidel is kind enough to fry them for you this year. The from-scratch potato pancakes can be purchased à la carte or in a party-size platter (so you can share some during a socially distanced hello). The goodies will be available to order from December 10 to 18 for pick-up at the Platt Park and Hale locations.

Gingerbread people aren’t the only holiday cookies worth a bite. Let the creative energy flow with Olive & Finch Eatery and Bakery’s Chanukah Cookie Kit ($45), which comes with a dozen sugar cookies, five different frostings, and Hanukkah-themed decorations. If you mention JCC Denver when you pre-order at either of the restaurant’s two locations, O&F will donate 10 percent back to that organization. The kits will be available for pick-up at both locations, in Cherry Creek and City Park, between December 8 and 10.

Boulder’s River and Woods put together a mouthwatering, multi-course menu that includes matzah ball soup, mashed potato latkes, slow-braised Colorado short ribs, and sufganiyot ($100 for two people, $180 for four). Act quickly, though: Orders must be placed by December 7 for pickup or delivery on December 10, 11, or 12.

Rosenberg’s Bagels and Delicatessen in Five Points and Stanley Marketplace and Rosenberg’s Kosher in Washington Virginia Vale are also paying homage to the miracle behind the holiday (a day’s worth of ritual oil that lasted for eight days and nights) with traditional fried treats. Pre-order your latkes ($18 per half dozen) and sufganiyot ($3 per piece) by Monday, December 7, for pick-up December 11–13 and 15–18, with limited availability for walk-ins; a selection of Hanukkah-themed cookies will also be offered in-store.

Safta in RiNo is cooking an entire to-go Hanukkah feast for four people (starting at $175). The menu includes tahini hummus, tershi (a pumpkin dip from Libya), pita, lutenitsa (pepper-tomato relish), labneh, latkes, harissa-roasted chicken, lamb shank, and six sufganiyot (half of which are filled with strawberry cream, half with kumquat marmalade). The dinners are available for pickup between noon and 4 p.m. on December 10–13 and 16–18.

Do you feel like cooking along with Safta’s chef-owner Alon Shaya instead? The Israeli-American toque is hosting a virtual latke-making class on December 13 ($50). Denver area participants can pick up their supplies (apple butter, a shopping list, and a link to a pre-recorded video so you can get your mise en place in, er, place) in advance, or they can be shipped. Can’t make the live event? Sign up and you’ll have access to recording.

Though not a traditional Chanukah treat, ice cream is welcome at any celebration. The Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center (JCC Denver) teamed up with High Point Creamery to re-release a special holiday flavor: Bob’s Babka ($10/pint). Homemade babka is mixed into an olive oil base—a taste that’s so simpatico, Forbes named it one of the best new ice creams of the year in 2019. Purchase at JCCDenver.org through December 9; pints can be picked up at the center in Washington Virginia Vale (350 S. Dahlia St.) starting December 10.

TBD Foods in Congress Park, the catering arm of Sullivan Scrap Kitchen, is letting you build your own Hanukkah dinner. Choose from five proteins (including braised brisket and herb-roasted Colorado lamb) and a selection of sides, desserts, and optional appetizer and booze add-ons (starting at $50 per person). Every order comes with house-baked challah, applesauce, and sour cream—those last two are, of course, toppers for the latkes. Another perk: Vegetarian and vegan options are available.

Chag Sameach / Happy Hanukkah!