Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th St. between Sixth & Seventh Aves.
Monday, December 2, $55-$110, 6:30-9:00
www.greatperformances.com
Of course, there’s nothing quite like grandma’s Hanukkah latkes, burning hot and oh-so-fresh, you and your siblings devouring them nearly as fast as they’re coming out of the kitchen. But it will be a lot more than just potatoes, oil, onions, and salt and pepper on December 2, when the Metropolitan Pavilion plays host to Great Performances’ fifth annual Latke Festival. Fifteen local restaurants will be competing for the People’s Choice award, serving unique variants on the traditional holiday favorite. The decidedly nonkosher menu will consist of Kutsher’s Tribeca’s Peking duck, scallion, and sesame hoisin latke, known as the Big Megillah; Veselka’s latke with braised pork and cherry compote; Mile End’s butternut squash latke and fresh sage; Commerce’s scallion latke with farmer’s cheese, smoked salmon, and caviar; the Butterfly’s aged beef basted latke with sliced prime rib, caramelized onions, horseradish cream, and crispy rosemary; Delicatessen’s sweet potato latke slider with ground brisket, roasted apple, black pepper crème fraîche, and cranberry chutney; La Vara’s latke canaria, made with sweet potato chickpea, taro, and cadiz shrimp; Blue Hill Yogurt’s butternut squash latke with curried butternut yogurt; Stone Park Café’s braised short rib latke with smoked crème fraîche and sour cherry compote; the Vanderbilt’s potato and seaweed latke with sweet Maine shrimp; Benchmark’s caraway-scented latke, with short rib pastrami, truffled sauerkraut, and mustard crème; Toloache’s yucca latke with salmon pastrami and mojo de ago salsa; the Plaza Hotel’s crispy duck fat Yukon gold potato latke with Hudson Valley duck confit and kumquat-pomegranate gelée; Sylvia’s Table’s spaghetti squash latke with dehydrated olives, whipped feta, and sumac (with Great Performances); Garden Court Cafe at Asia Society’s sweet potato and kimchi latke with soy vinegar dipping sauce and perilla leaves; and Mae Mae Café’s potato pancake with maple mascarpone and cranberry bourbon sauce. There will also be breads and sufganiyot from Hot Bread Kitchen and drinks courtesy of Cliffton Dry Hard Cider, GuS (Grown Up Soda), the Brooklyn Roasting Company, and the Shmaltz Brewing Company, along with wine and vodka. The culinary judges who will select the Latke Festival Master include Ben Leventhal, Lee Schrager, Amanda Hesser, Joanne Wilson, Elinor Tatum, Jason Ackerman, Robert Lavalva, Alan Boss, and CBS medical correspondent Jonathan LaPook, who is not on hand to discuss the health concerns of such an eating frenzy. Tickets range from $55 to $110 depending on time of entry and various VIP bonuses and must be purchased in advance.