Let My People Go to These Passover Seders at SF Restaurants

It’s a tradition of the Passover Seder to lean back while eating, because that’s what free people do, and it feels nice and aids digestions. But it’s even easier to recline when you don’t have to do any of the cooking — so go ahead, lean way the heck back at one of these restaurants while they do the heavy lifting on the brisket and seder plate front. There you go.

Canela Bistro & Wine Bar
What: Executive Chef Mat Schuster’s Spanish restaurant in the Castro celebrates with seders including homemade matzo and wine pairings. The first course is matzoh ball soup, the second is horseradish and herb deviled eggs with smoked salmon, third is matzo meal chicken schnitzel, and fourth is chocolate almond cake.
Details: Friday April 19 to Saturday April 27, $69 per person plus tax and tip

Perbacco
What: Chef-owner Staffan Terje’s FiDi restaurant serves a fixed seder menu with matzo ball soup, simmered brisket, and salsa verde. Special Kosher wines from Covenant Winery are in the house, available by the glass or by the bottle, plus Passover-inspired cocktails like a Charoset (with Manuka Honey Vodka, sweet vermouth, and cinnamon).
Details: Monday April 22 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., $58 per person before tax and tip, menu online, call for reservations

Comal
What: Berkeley modern Mexican restaurant Comal puts their own spin on Passover, with rock cod “gefilte” fish cakes with chipotle aioli, caldo de pollo with jalapeño matzo balls, and beef brisket in adobo. The seder meal is served in Comal’s private dining room at a communal table, no Haggadah.
Details: Monday April 22 and Tuesday, April 23, 6:30 p.m. seating, limited to 22 diners each night, $80 per person including service but excluding beverages.

One Market Restaurant
What: One Market Restaurant is whipping up their “Floaters, Not Sinkers” matzah ball soup, a chicken consommé with carrot, celery, and parsley.
Details: $13.95 from Friday, April 19 to Saturday, April 27, during lunch and dinner.

Oren’s Hummus
What: Oren’s Hummus locations in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Mountain View, and Cupertino, founded by Tel Aviv native Oren Dobronsky, will give out free matzah all week, but are closing at 3 p.m. Friday, April 19 in celebration of the first night of Passover.
Details: Free matzah through April 27

Saul’s Restaurant & Delicatessen
What: “Stop wandering” and head to Berkeley classic Saul’s for an a la carte passover menu featuring house-made matzo, pacific gefilte soufflé, braised brisket with prunes and cherry, and Riverdog chicken with apricot braise and dukkah. They’ve also got a take out menu, if you’d prefer to have your seder at home.
Details: Reservations for Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20 available online, pricing a la carte.

Delfina
What: Craig and Annie Stoll’s famous tradition continues at their 20-year-old Mission restaurant, with Passover-inspired dishes including an edible seder plate, picolo bollito misto (an Italian-style stew) and the Stoll family matzo ball soup. The secret there? Walnuts. And there’s a funny story about that, too, as J., The Jewish News of Northern California, reports it.
Details: April 19 to 27, reservations online.

Wise Sons
What: New shool Jewish delicatessen Wise Sons will cater your high holiday with any combination of items you desire, from charoset ,to chopped chicken liver, to chocolate caramel and sea salt matzo. Put that in the afikomen, and it becomes its own prize.
Details: Price is per item, create your order online for pickup or delivery.