This year, Rosh Hashanah falls on Sept. 14 and 15, which means that the Jewish New Year begins at the beginning of the work week: Monday.
Some eateries will close for the two-day event, but here are a handful restaurants, events and bakeries throughout the city where you can sample the holiday offerings.
Brooklyn
► Green & Ackerman Bakery, 65 Franklin Ave., Bed-Stuy
Upon visiting the website, users are immediately told to "Remember, Green's cakes are the best. And they happen to be Kosher too..." Yelpers agree.
The "babkalicious" baked goods come in a number of shapes and sizes: from cinnamon and chocolate babkas ($8.49 for 24 oz loaves) to vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate rugelach ($6.74 for 14 oz) and honey cakes. Green's is your go-to for sweet (and kosher) holiday eats. Patrons can either buy directly from the store, or order online.
► Mile End Delicatessen, 97A Hoyt St., Boreum Hill
Before Mile End expanded, Yelpers noted that to get a taste of the deli's legendary smoked meat, you'd have to arrive early as they'd run out of it before the day was over.
The cured and smoked brisket sandwich ($15) and corned beef reubens ($13) are a favorite among Mile End patrons. For lighter Rosh Hashanah fare, Mile End offers chicken and matzo ball soup ($9) and a kale and whitefish caesar salad ($16).
► Bowl Hashanah: Rosh Hashanah at Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Ave., Williamsburg
While tradition is important to many during the High Holidays, for Rabbi Dan Ain, Rosh Hashanah is a time to "[explore] what Judaism has to say about the world we are in now for people who are no more interested in the fashions of 1765 Poland than they are into recreating 1985 Long Island."
With that said, why not celebrate the holiday with some blues, brunch and bowling? A $60 ticket includes a Rosh Hashanah service by Rabbi Ain, music by Jeremiah Lockwood of the Sway Machinery, lunch from Blue Ribbon — and babysitters for the kids.
The service begins on Monday, Sept. 14 at 9:30 a.m., and lasts until 2 pm. Head to Eventbrite to reserve your spot.
Manhattan
► Eli's, 1411 Third Ave., Upper East Side
Want to lose yourself in the curves of a challah braid or sink your teeth into some seriously sweet rugelach? Head to Eli Zabar's Upper East Side Institution, aptly named Eli's.
The bakery offers an array of kosher breads (a pair of challah braids cost $18, and a pair of kosher raisin-nut round loaves can be yours for $10). For those who want to celebrate the High Holidays without kosher restrictions, Eli's babka ($18) and a box packed with two pounds of buttery, bite-sized rugelach ($28) are worth a try.
► Breads Bakery, 18 E. 16th St., Union Square
Apples and honey are two Rosh Hashanah musts, and for some of their most delectable manifestations, head to Breads.
For its Rosh Hashanah menu, the Union Square bakery includes a safta cake (moist cinnamon honey cake with apples, $15.95), a standard honey cake (a parve moist cake made with tea and honey, $11.95) as well as an apple galette (a tart with marzipan and thinly-sliced apples, $21.95).
Breads also offers five different types of challah, as well as three varieties of babka.
► Joe & Misses Doe, 45 E. First St., East Village
On Sunday, Sept. 13 and Monday the 14, the casual-meets-quirky East Village eatery will be hosting a Rosh Hashanah dinner.
The four-course meal ($85 per person) will feature all the traditional holiday favorites like challah, kasha varnishkas, potted brisket and honey cake — but with the restaurant's signature twists (example: the brisket is served with sweet and sour sauce).
For those who want to make the celebration a bit boozy, Joe & Misses Doe will be serving a High Holy Punch, which consists of rum, Manischewitz and apple cider.
Queens
► Ben's Best Kosher Deli, 96-40 Queens Blvd., Rego Park
For old school deli lovers who dislike the perpetually crowded environs of Katz's in Manhattan, this kosher institution founded in 1945 is for you.
Visitors can dine in or take out from Ben's Best, but for Rosh Hashanah, we recommend the stuffed cabbage ($9.25), matzo ball soup ($6.75 for a bowl), overstuffed brisket sandwich ($14.25) and rugelach ($5.50).
For families celebrating Rosh Hashanah at home, Ben's offers a dinner package for ten, which includes menu options such as homemade gefilte fish, stuffed cabbage, chicken matzo ball soup, empire-roasted chicken, kasha varnishkes, challah and rugelach, among others.
► Andre's Hungarian, 100-28 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills
What it lacks in size, this tiny Forest Hills bakery gains in taste and authenticity. The kosher bakery offers apple and cabbage strudels ($10), chocolate or cinnamon-raisin babkas ($12) as well as apricot and raspberry rugelach ($14 per pound).
Homemade goods mean higher prices, but Yelpers tend to agree that Andre's goods are worth the cost — both to their wallets and waistlines.
The Bronx
► Liebman's Deli, 552 W. 235th St., Riverside
When Liebman's opened its doors in 1953, hundreds of Jewish delis called the Bronx home. Today, Liebman's is the last one standing, according to its site.
It's not hard to see why: from potato knishes ($3.75) to brisket (which is served with a potato latke, apple sauce, cole slaw, rye bread and vegetables for $17.95), the old school tastes and sights of Liebman's make it worth the schlep.
