Puttin’ on the brisket:

Restaurants offer elegant Pesach options

By Susie Davidson

Special to the Advocate

We say “why is this night different from all other nights,” but truth be told, the food is often same-old, same-old. That’s not a bad thing, necessarily – but after 40 years of Aunt Ida’s potato kugel, Uncle Harry’s horseradish and Grandma Vera’s compote, the palate may yearn for a night of edibles that are a bit out of the ordinary. A night that not only offers gourmet, upscale and innovative dishes, but also white linen, cloth napkins, crystal glasses, subdued lighting and an ambiance conducive to harmonious gatherings – as opposed to – we know what!

For those who don’t insist on strictly kosher dining (although the ingredients to follow are fresh, wholesome and in most cases, [local] farm-to-table, there is no mashgiach certification), but do appreciate tradition, several restaurants offer elegant meals prepared with a haimish touch – with nary a dinner roll, corn muffin or crouton to be had.

Upstairs on the Square　in Cambridge will offer a three-course Passover menu for $50 in its　Soirée Room　April 18-26.　“Book your own time,”　executive chef Steven Brand　said by phone amid his harried kitchen scene. “We are offering it as an a la carte tasting menu, too.”

Brand, who has been doing a Passover menu for five years, said he helped pioneer the concept in Boston. “I wanted to provide a menu that Jewish people could order comfortably without worrying,” said the Marblehead native, who recalls having to order Caesar salads without the croutons during Passover.　

Brand’s touches reflect the flavors and traditions of his Jewish upbringing, but with added refinement. “People have an expectation that I will elevate the cuisine,” he said.

The opening Composed Salad of Passover Favorites includes beets with horseradish and pickled onions, hard-cooked eggs with sea salt and parsley, and charoset and matzah.

How does Brand make his charoset? “My mother always used apples, walnuts, cinnamon, red wine, and maybe a drop of lemon juice,” he said. “I will probably use those items, because I generally call my mother and ask what she does, and improve upon that.

“Sometimes, I just use a bit of a modern technique,” he added, noting that he was considering making apple butter and folding some into the charoset for a creamier texture.

Diners will move on to Steve’s Great Aunt Sylvia’s Fava Bean and Escarole Matzah Ball Soup. Who was Aunt Sylvia? “She was a great aunt on my father’s side who always had the holiday dinners at her house in Hamden, Conn., right outside of New Haven,” he said. He keeps to her recipe, but adds the beans and escarole.

For the entrée, diners can choose between Roasted Organic Chicken with Jumbo Asparagus, Creamy Morels and Aromatic Jus; or Slow-Braised Brisket with Horseradish, Potato Kugel and Broadleaf Spinach.

“I use fresh ginger instead of ginger ale,” Brand said, a move guaranteed to draw consternation from many a bubbe, who secretly might want to taste such a flavor innovation. Brand also incorporates carrots, onions and celery; and uses tomato paste instead of ketchup (again, a move that could elicit a collective gasp).

As for the meat, “I braise brisket until tender, and not any longer,” he said. “Some people believe you have to go overnight – but I usually check it after three hours, and it’s usually done by five,” he said. Brand uses the whole brisket. “The lean may braise faster because it’s a smaller piece,” he said.

Dessert will be a choice of Almond Chocolate Flourless Cake and Chocolate Mousse; or Ginger Pavlova and Best of the Market Fruit and Vanilla Whip. “Pavlova is a dessert that’s generally clouds of meringue that are baked crispy and floated in a sauce,” Brand said, explaining that the secret is to bake them just enough so that they don’t become hard, yet retain a soft core.

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Craigie　on Main　in Cambridge will feature chef/owner Tony Maws’ annual epicurean Passover tribute to his Baba Hannah on April 19 and 20. Ready for extra-special wines, organic matzah and Turkish charoset, with a traditional Seder plate, Passover story and explanation of each Seder portion at each table? (One can only imagine dayenu being sung at differing times, in differing keys at varying tables.)

Craigie on Main, which has the feel of a neighborhood bistro, features an open kitchen, where Maws performs his magic with seasonal ingredients purchased from local farmers who employ environmentally-friendly growing methods.

The Passover menu ($80 prix fixe) will draw from Sephardic as well as Ashkenazi traditions, accompanied by Passover wines.

It will open with traditional kneidelach, served with goose broth, confit and vegetables; Asparagus à la Schmaltz; gribines; farm-fresh egg; and early Vidalia onions. Next will come Matzah-Crusted Fried Quail; Sephardic matzah brei salad; spiced veal meatballs; matzah meal noodles; and artichokes, green garlic and green olives.

For entrees (yes, we’re only just coming to them), choose among Almond and Prune-Braised Beef Short Ribs with spring-dug parsnip tsimmes; Elysian Fields Lamb 3 Ways with Turkish charoset, pistachio, and saffron; and Slow Cooked Wild Halibut with Iraqi beet stew and curried Carolina gold rice.

For dessert, you will have a choice of Olive Oil Taza Chocolate Mousse with oranges, dates, and sesame tuille; Cardamom and Vanilla Arborio Rice Pudding with glazed pineapple, macadamias and pina colada sorbet; and Sheep’s Milk Yogurt Cheesecake with matzah meal-pine nut crust and blueberry-anise hyssop jam.

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“Passover food is among my favorites,” said Kathy Sidell, owner of the　Metropolitan Club　in Chestnut Hill. “With a bite of veal brisket and my Nana’s matzah meal puffs, I am transported back to the table with my parents, their parents, my children and beyond.”

Executive chef Todd Winer’s dinner menu ($38 prix fixe) will be served April 18-25.

First course: Chicken Liver Salad with sautéed chicken liver, onions, boiled egg and baby greens; or, Matzah Balls with Chicken Consommé.

Entrées: Veal Brisket with potato pancakes and braised carrots; or Baby Poussin with date and onion marmalade, and root vegetable mash.

Dessert will be Meringue and Berry Napoleon.

Accompanying the dinner will be Nana Dora’s Matzah Meal Popovers.

The $15 lunch menu, to be offered April 19-24, will feature Matzah Meal Popovers stuffed with Chicken Salad. Dessert again will be that yummy-sounding Meringue and Berry Napoleon.

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