Passing Over Passover Night Eight at Ad Hoc

Seder Brisket

When I was a kid, my family always kept kosher for Passover: brei for breakfast, sandwiches on matzoh for lunch, and burgers sans buns for dinner.

We simply ignored the fact that our morning matzoh brei had bacon, ham and swiss were tucked between our oversized crackers at lunch, and the patties were in fact double cheeseburgers. It's no wonder that today I continue that tradition in full force:

Bacon, Egg and Cheeseburger on Matzoh

...and by day four, it becomes necessary to find other ways to palate the cardboard tasting squares:

We followed the "holiday" never ate leavened goods, but the traditional kosher aspect stopped when my grandfather, a kosher butcher, passed away.  For me, the many ancient rules of kashrut were created at a time when such measures were necessary, but today no longer seem relevant: the same logic applies for the eighth night of Passover. 

In Israel, Passover lasts for seven nights.  However, when Jews spread to the diaspora it was often unclear as to when the sun set in the holy land, so the rabbis determined that those outside of the holy land tack on an extra night: essentially, "Just in case."

Thanks to the wonders of technology, the weather channel, and text messages I know precisely what time the sun sets in Israel, thus I keep Passover for seven nights, and when my good friend Nefaur invited me to celebrate his birthday on said evening at Ad Hoc for fried chicken dinner night, I was pleased to oblige. 

Baby Iceburg Wedge: Red Radish, Bread and Butter Pickles, Golden Beets, Shaved Rainbow Carrots, Caraway Dressing, Spiced Chickpeas

Buttermilk Fried Chicken: (not pictured: Green Bean Casserole, Mushroom Veloute Crispy Shallots, Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes), Buttermilk Biscuits, Blueberry Jam in the background

Shrimp and Grits Supplement Piquillo Peppers, Diced Ham, Parsley Vinaigrette

Seascape: Wild Arugula, Palladin Toast Granny Smith Apples, Crushed Hazelnuts

Ready to dominate every wheat and grain product in sight, I was at first disappointed with the salad, but once I took a bite of the extremely well-seasoned lettuce surrounded by southern additions like chickpeas and pickles, all was forgiven.  The fried chicken certainly lived up to its reputation - not only for the incredibly crisp, crunchy coating, but more-so for the impossibly moist chicken itself that melted away with the chicken skin in my mouth.  Probably the least kosher aspect of the meal found creamy, cheesy grits as the bed for tender, juicy shrimp.  I wanted more tartness and acidity on the seascape: a cow/goat cheese served alongside butter toast with hazelnuts, apples and arugula.

But hell, it had bread. 

For the caliber of food served at Ad Hoc, it skyrockets on my list.  Solid execution of the staples, inventive twists, gigantic, family-style portions and a homey vibe made this the perfect night to celebrate a birthday the end of Passover.

Nosh on,
Josh

P.S. - The vanilla panna cotta topped with strawberries and accompanied by cinnamon shortbread cookies was the damn best I've ever had: a deep, rich vanilla custard that had an almost cheesecake-esq flavor, sweet macerated strawberries and butter shortbread left my sweet tooth beyond satisfied, though with no decent picture to share.