Restaurants fete Jewish New Year with special Rosh Hashanah dinners

Happy New Year! For those who celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year holiday includes festive meals featuring sweet delicacies. Starting at sundown Sunday, Sept. 29, some suburban restaurants are hosting special dinners to celebrate. Be sure to make your reservations now, before restaurants book up.

Beatrix

272 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 491-1415, beatrixrestaurants.com/beatrix/oak-brook/. Also with locations in Fulton Market, River North and Streeterville.

Beatrix celebrates Rosh Hashanah over four days, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Monday, Sept. 27-30. Special homemade pastries such as apple cinnamon rugelach and angel food cake muffins (available by the half-dozen) or a chocolate chip coffee cake will be on the menu. Put in your to-go order by Monday, Sept. 23.

Di Pescara

2124 Northbrook Court, Northbrook, (847) 498-4321, di-pescara.com/events/rosh-hashanah-dinner/

Executive Chef Mychael Bonner will be cooking up a family-style feast to fete the Jewish New Year from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Sept. 29-30. Start off with a freshly baked challah bread roll, sliced apples with honey, orchard salad, chopped liver, Suzy Friedman's vegetarian chopped liver, kasha varnishkes, gefilte fish with beet horseradish and homemade matzo ball soup. And then nosh on roast chicken with rosemary, beef brisket with caramelized onions, salmon with lemon butter, potato pancakes with applesauce, noodle kugel and carrot tzimmes. Finish your meal with chocolate mousse layer cake, apple crostata and chocolate-covered almond candies. It's $42.95 for adults and half-price for kids 12 and younger. Reservations required.

Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse

1028 N. Rush St., Chicago, (312) 266-8999, gibsonssteakhouse.com/locations/gibsons-chicago/

Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House

1024 N. Rush St., Chicago, (312) 640-0999, hugosfrogbar.com/

The three-course Rosh Hashanah dinner menu at Gibsons and Hugo's features chopped chicken livers, matzo ball soup, spit-roasted half chicken, braised brisket of beef, broiled whitefish, carrot cake cupcakes, brownies a la mode and more Sunday and Monday, Sept. 29-30. Dinner costs $43.50 per person. Reservations recommended.

Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

60 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, (312) 379-5637, joes.net/chicago/

If your plans involve heading into Chicago for Rosh Hashanah, consider the multicourse dinner at Joe's from 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Sept. 29-30. Try dishes such as gefilte fish with red beet horseradish, chopped liver with bibb lettuce and chive salad, matzo ball soup, herb-roasted chicken, braised beef brisket with red wine Bordelaise, wild Alaskan halibut en papillote, ginger-glazed carrots and potato pancakes with homemade applesauce. For dessert, nosh on a slice of flourless chocolate cake or apple pie. Dinner costs $54.95 for those 13 and older and $24.95 for kids 12 and younger. Reservations are required.

L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge

7110 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood, (847) 677-3350, lwoodsrestaurant.com/

Traditional Rosh Hashanah favorites, including beef brisket, potato-crusted Lake Superior whitefish, housemade chopped liver and matzo ball soup will be on the menu at L. Woods' from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Sept. 29-30. Plus, sides of potato pancakes, honey-glazed carrots, kasha varnishkes and green beans will be served with all entrees. The holiday dinner is $42.95 for diners 13 and older and $15.95 for kids 12 and younger. Reservations required. Carry out is available; orders must be placed by Monday, Sept. 23.

Max and Benny's

461 Waukegan Road, Northbrook, (847) 272-9490, maxandbennys.com/

Dine on fine linen at the New Year's Holiday dinner at Max and Benny's, with seatings at 5, 6 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Sept. 29-30. The meal features lean roast brisket au jus, roasted half chicken, homemade chopped liver, homemade gefilte fish, apples and honey, matzo ball soup, freshly baked round challah, oven-roasted potatoes and green beans and carrots. And for dessert, choose from honey cake, frosted banana cake and flourless chocolate cake. Vegetarian options will be available. Reservations for dinner, which costs $35 for adults and $16 for kids younger than 10, are required.

Max's Delicatessen & Restaurant

191 Skokie Valley Road, Highland Park, (847) 831-0600, maxs-deli.com/rosh-hashanah-yom-kippur/

The dining room and deli will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Sept. 29-30, serving a special Rosh Hashanah menu for $38.99 for adults and $15.99 for kids 10 and younger. The meal includes one entree - slow-roasted brisket, grilled North Atlantic salmon, roasted half Amish chicken, sweet and sour meatballs, matzo-sesame Door County whitefish or Israeli couscous with grilled asparagus - and sides including challah bread, chopped liver, matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, potato latke, sesame-roasted baby green beans and baby carrots and dessert. Reservations are required.

Saranello's

601 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, (847) 777-6878, saranellos.com/

A family-style dinner devised by Executive Chef Mychael Bonner honors Rosh Hashanah from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Sept. 29-30. For $42.95 for adults and half-price for kids 12 and younger, dine on specialties such as matzo ball soup, roast chicken with peppers, beef brisket with caramelized onions, chocolate mascarpone pie and more. Reservations are required.

Stefani Prime

6755 N. Cicero, Lincolnwood, (847) 696-6755, stefaniprime.com/

Stefani Prime - a collaboration between restaurateur Phil Stefani, wife Karen and their kids Gina and Anthony - will be serving up a special menu for Rosh Hashanah Sunday and Monday, Sept. 29-30. Nosh on challah with apples and honey, homemade chopped liver, golden chicken broth with matzo, a choice of oven-roasted brisket of beef, roasted half chicken or Wild Atlantic salmon piccata, sides of garlic and EVOO green beans and mashed potatoes. And don't miss the chocolate cake for a sweet treat. Dinner is $45 for adults and $25 for kids 10 and younger. Reservations, which are required (mention Rosh Hashanah), start at 5 p.m. those days.

Summer House Santa Monica

1954 N. Halsted St., Chicago, (773) 634-4100, summerhousesm.com/

Another city option for Rosh Hashanah dining comes from Executive Chef Ben Goodnick from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Sept. 29-30. For $44.95 and $16.95 for kids 12 and younger, dine on challah bread with sliced apples and honey, matzo ball soup, slow-braised beef brisket, chicken paillard, potato pancakes, warm flourless chocolate cake, apple galette with cinnamon ice cream and more. The regular dinner menu will be available. Carry out is available; orders must be placed by Monday, Sept. 23.

Tuscany

550 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, (847) 465-9988 or tuscanychicago.com/location/wheeling/

If you're looking for a traditional family-style meal for the holiday - Sunday and Monday, Sept. 29-30 - Executive Chef Bolla Loza has devised a three-course prix fixe menu that starts off with appetizers such as challah with apples and honey, homemade chopped liver and golden chicken broth with matzo ball. Entrees feature a choice of oven-roasted brisket of beef, roasted half chicken or Wild Atlantic salmon piccata with sides of sweet or mashed potatoes and fresh green beans in garlic and olive oil. End your meal with a homemade apple tart or a treat from the small bites dessert menu. Coffee, tea and soda are included in the dinner, which costs $40 for adults and $20 for kids younger than 10. Mention Rosh Hashanah when making reservations.

Wildfire

1300 Patriot Blvd., Glenview, (847) 657-6363, wildfirerestaurant.com/Glenview/, and 235 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire, (847) 279-7900, wildfirerestaurant.com/Lincolnshire/

Perfect for groups of six or more celebrating the Jewish New Year, the family-style Rosh Hashanah Club Menu features challah with honey spice apple butter, homemade chopped liver, matzo ball soup, plus entrees such as apricot-glazed chicken breast, salmon with lemon and capers or braised brisket of beef. Sides feature carrot tzimmes, roasted green beans and Chef Joe's noodle kugel, while sweets include homemade honey cake with caramel sauce and whipped cream and flourless chocolate cake with whipped cream and hot fudge. Dinner runs $42.95 for those 13 and older and $19.95 for kids 12 and younger. For groups with fewer than six, the specials will be a la carte. Available for dinner on Sunday, Sept. 29, and all day Monday, Sept. 30; reservations required.