As a friend of many Members of the Tribe and a University School grad, I’ve been invited to a lot of seder dinners in my life. I really enjoy the rituals and the history of the ceremonial meals, but to be honest, some of the specific dishes are intentionally a little ... shall we say, challenging. Bitter herbs dipped in salt water to symbolize the tears of struggle and unleavened breads are truly ancient components of a seder, so far be it from me to criticize them as part of telling the inspirational story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery.
But Hanukkah? That’s right up this gentile’s alley. It features foods cooked in oil to memorialize the miracle of the lamp that burned for eight days on a single vial of oil. That means latkes and fried jelly doughnuts, plus triumphant main courses of brisket or roasted chicken and sweet treats such as babka and rugelach.
That’s why it’s always a treat when the owners of Bill’s Sandwich Palace in East Nashville get together with a few of their friends to offer their annual Hanukkah-inspired lunch menu. This year Aaron Clemins and his wife Christen are joining forces with their friends Mike Wolf, Matt Leff and Ellen Einstein, the beloved former proprietor of Sweet 16th Bakery, which used to operate out of the 311 N. 16th St. location.
Brisket Reuben
Together they have created a special tribute menu for Sunday, Dec. 14. From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. they will offer their takes on classic dishes: The Big Schnitz, a fried chicken thigh on lavash bread served with all sorts of delicious accoutrements; Bubbe’s Brisket, braised beef on rye with Russian dressing and a cheese blanket; and Danny’s Dog, an all-beef Vienna wiener with slaw, tomato, hot giardiniera, dill pickle, yellow mustard and hot poppy cider dressing.
Danny's Dog
For dessert, choose from an L+W Uncle Buck Citrus Cake (which is nothing like the version they sell at Bass Pro Shop for some reason) or Matt Leff’s recipe for “babkamisu,” a chocolate babka with layers of pistachio cream and an espresso-honey syrup.
Walk-in service will be available on Dec. 14, but the smart money is on preordering from the Bill’s website starting at around 6 p.m. the evening before. They will be limiting the number of preorder spots, so if you don’t snag one, remember you can still probably get there early on Sunday and still find something amazing for lunch.
And by the way, Bill's isn't the only game in town when it comes to special upcoming Hanukkah options. See my fellow Scene contributor Margaret Littman's recent update on what Sadie's, Aba and Butcher & Bee have planned for the holiday.
