How to celebrate the 8 days of Hanukkah with festive meals or a cooking class in Charlotte
Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival that begins on Kislev 25 (typically aligning with late December in the Gregorian calendar), is a time to commemorate the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem.
Central to this celebration is the lighting of candles each day. But Hanukkah is also about something deeply personal: coming together with loved ones, cherishing traditions and savoring the comforting flavors of the season.
From a crispy golden latke to the sweet, freshly baked raspberry sufganiyot, the foods of Hanukkah evoke a sense of joy and togetherness that make the holidays what they are.
This year, Hanukkah coincides with Christmas on Wednesday, Dec. 25, and runs through Thursday, Jan. 2 — just enough time to embrace everything the Festival of Lights has to offer.
And, while we’re bummed Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen isn’t offering its traditional Hanukkah menu this year, it’s still celebrating with a special Hanukkah cooking class. Here’s where you can find Hanukkah meals and treats in Charlotte:
Joan’s Bakery & Deli
Location: 1100 Metropolitan Ave #190, Charlotte, NC 28204
Joan’s Bakery & Deli is offering a Hanukkah bundle with 12 latkes and Joan’s signature applesauce. The latkes come frozen with instructions on how to heat them for serving.
Price: $25
How to order: Online via ToastTab.
Hours: Orders must be placed by Dec. 21 for pickup Dec. 26-28, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Kosher Charlotte
Location: 6619 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC 28270
At Kosher Charlotte, you can find latkes and donuts during the week of Hanukkah, along with fresh kosher foods and catering such as chicken schnitzel with onion gravy, Za’atar pita chips and orzo pasta salad, available online.
And, if you’d like to sit down for a completely kosher meal, you can stop by Kosher Charlotte’s HaPina Eatery – open three days a week.
Its menu items include:
Reuven’s Burger
A sushi plate
Asian peanut teriyaki salad
Arais
A Falafel platter
Herb roasted salmon filet
Build your own bowls, salads, pitas and sandwiches
Price: Prices for Kosher Charlotte’s online menu and HaPina’s in-person menu vary, as you can purchase sides, entrees and build-your-own options.
How to order: Via Toasttab, DoorDash or in-person at HaPina Eatery.
Hours: Kosher Charlotte is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Kosher Charlotte’s HaPina restaurant is open on Monday from 4-7 p.m., as well as Tuesday and Wednesday, from 12-6 p.m
Your Mom’s Donuts
Location: 11025 Monroe Rd, Matthews, NC 28105
Location: Park Road Shopping Center, 4205 Park Road Charlotte, NC 28209
This donut spot, serving up glaze, cinnamon sugar and vanilla bean donuts year round is ringing in Hanukkah with its powdered sugar-coated raspberry sufganiyot donut, here for the entire month of December.
Pro tip to know: What is the significance of the jelly doughnut? Oily food items have been a symbol of the Hanukkah miracle since its very first celebration. But, it was in the Middle Ages when jelly donuts and sufganiyot became part of the tradition.
The earliest known recipe, found in a 1485 German cookbook printed on Gutenberg’s press, featured jam-filled dough fried in lard. Fast forward to the late 1920s, when Israel’s Histadrut labor federation chose sufganiyot over latkes, seeing them as a way to create jobs. Since then, sufganiyot have become a beloved Hanukkah treat in Israel and beyond.
Price: Raspberry sufganiyot is $4.
How to order: Online or in person. The specialty doughnut is available in stores throughout December.
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Bonus options:
Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen
Location: 4001 Yancey Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217
Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen normally offers a traditional Hanukkah menu for holiday catering every year, but with the first night of the holiday falling on Christmas, preparation difficulties required a pivot. Instead, the kitchen will host a Hanukkah Cooking Class with chefs Alyssa Willen and Shai Fargian of Yafo on Monday, Dec. 16.
Price: Tickets for the 6 p.m. class are $90.
How to order: Tickets and the class menu are available via its website.
Gleiberman’s Gourmet Grocery Store
Location: 1816 Galleria Blvd G, Charlotte, NC 28270
If you’re looking for some more kosher food items to prepare your own feast at home, Gleiberman’s Gourmet — Charlotte’s only fully kosher grocery store — has varying options for kosher products.
Price: Varies, as items are a la carte.
Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Fridays, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
This story was originally published December 6, 2024 at 3:06 PM.
