Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish New Year and is based on the lunar calendar. It starts a period called the High Holidays or High Holy Days, which include Yom Kippur, a day of fasting and asking for forgiveness, the harvest festival, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah, the day the Torah is finished, scrolled back to the beginning, and restarted. 

All Jewish holidays begin the evening before what’s stated on the calendar. While 2024 lists Rosh Hashanah as beginning Thursday, Oct. 3, it actually starts at sundown on Wednesday, Oct. 2. 

Although families celebrate Rosh Hashanah in a variety of ways, Jewish tradition calls for foods that symbolize the sweetness of the new year, including apples and honey and a round challah. 

There’s no shortage of food options for Rosh Hashanah from restaurants, bakeries, and markets around Atlanta. Below, we’ve compiled a quick guide to fresh-baked challah, holiday desserts, holiday catering options, restaurant dinners, and meal kits for Rosh Hashanah.

L’shana Tova, here’s to a sweet new year! 

Challah, dessert, specialty foods

Crumbs and Yums Catering
Toco Hills, Atlanta 

This Toco Hills catering company, owned and operated by Sarena Winter, bakes round challahs for Rosh Hashanah as well as Jewish holiday-themed desserts and breads throughout the year.

Eli’s Pita Market
2080 Peachtree Industrial Court, Chamblee

Only open on Fridays, this Chamblee bakery is known for its wide range of breads and pastries and as a falafel bar. Pre-order a round challah for Rosh Hashanah.

Souper Jenny
Blandtown, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Decatur, Roswell

The menu at Souper Jenny’s locations always includes soups, sandwiches, and salads from scratch. There’s a 20-person minimum for catering from this Atlanta favorite, but if a small dinner is in order, we suggest grabbing Souper Jenny’s herby chicken matzah ball soup (frozen or fresh). 

The Crazy Apron
Marietta

Bukharian chef Liat Tzionov bakes challah, babka, yeast rolls, pirashky, and other baked goods. She also teaches challah baking classes in Marietta. 

The Spicy Peach
2887 North Druid Hills Road, Toco Hills (Accepts SNAP/EBT)

Co-owner Tzipporah Teller said the kosher market in Toco Hills will have plenty of round challahs for Rosh Hashanah, so there is no need to order ahead this year. The shop also carries honey from Israel and other pantry and holiday meal items. 

Takeout meals and catering

Alon’s Bakery 
Buckhead, Morningside/Lenox Park

Alon’s has been a go-to for Rosh Hashanah catering for decades in Atlanta. Highlights of the holiday menu include several kinds of round challah, chopped liver, mushroom brisket, Israeli salad, and apple sponge cake. 

Daily Chew
2127 Liddell Drive, Morningside/Piedmont Heights

Owned by Julia Kesler Imerman, this breakfast and lunch cafe tucked away off Cheshire Bridge Road features a Rosh Hashanah menu that includes roast lemon chicken, chicken soup, its popular carrot and potato latkes, and several desserts with apples or chocolate. 

Restaurant dinners

The General Muir
1540 Avenue Place, Emory Point

The Emory Point restaurant offers catering for Rosh Hashanah, but for those looking to let a restaurant do all the work for the holiday, The General Muir also offers a four-course dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Expect the dinner with optional wine pairings to include dishes like baked brie and Beluga lentils, braised brisket and za’atar roasted salmon, and apple honey cake for dessert. Reservations highly recommended. 

Recipe: Grandma Rina’s Honey Cake

Born in Haifa, Israel, Tal Baum’s culinary studies took her to Italy for several years. Baum now owns four restaurants in Atlanta, including Atrium, Rina, Carmel, and Bellina Alimentari at Ponce City Market, all part of her Oliva Restaurant Group.

Baum called her grandmother Rina’s honey cake “a staple at every holiday table” in her home. 

“It’s incredibly moist and boasts a wonderful caramelized honey flavor. The secret to its rich color and unique taste lies in using strong brewed coffee,” Baum told Rough Draft of the recipe, provided below. Her family always enjoys this cake during the High Holidays. 

“One of my favorite traditions is sharing it with my kids after the Yom Kippur fast, accompanied by strong mint tea,” she added. The cake is already vegan, but to make it gluten-free, swap out flour for almond flour. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 3 large eggs 
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 1/2 cups white flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup strong hot black coffee 

Topping:

• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1 handful sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F. It’s important to maintain a low temperature to prevent the cakes from overflowing.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, honey, eggs, oil and spices. Whisk for one minute until the mixture is smooth and airy.
3. Add the flour and baking powder, and mix until just combined (about 5 seconds).
4. Carefully pour in the hot coffee and continue mixing until mixture is smooth.
5. Pour the batter into two greased loaf pans.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the cakes are risen, browned, and spring back when touched.
7. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of honey over each cake immediately after they come out of the oven. The honey will warm up from the cake’s heat and become liquid, then simply use the back of a spoon to spread it over the cake as a glaze. To finish, sprinkle a handful of sliced almonds on top.