Eat! Eat! Eat!

Thinking about foreskin removal may not whet your appetite, yet the seudat mitzvah (“commanded meal”) is an obligatory part of the event. Depending on the number of guests and the formality of the service, the after-party can be a fully catered sit-down or a casual buffet breakfast or lunch.

“There is nothing in any Torah or Talmudic text that requires bagels and lox at a bris,” says Rabbi Levitt, “but that’s pretty much what everyone serves anyway.” Other bris-brunch standards include deli meats, tuna and egg salads, fruit and cheese platters, and babka and rugelach.

If possible, delegate food planning to willing family members or friends. Whoever is planning should pin down whether you’ll need truly kosher food or only kosher-style. The answer hinges on the requirements of the location (for a seudat mitzvah held in a synagogue, the food will probably need to be kosher) and, of course, those of your guests.

If you’re having a small bris at home, your local deli, bagel shop or specialty store may be up to the task. For a large fete, gourmet grocers like Citarella and Whole Foods offer platters. You can also hire a kosher caterer (for a list of companies, visit timeoutkids.com). Following are some classic delis and purveyors of smoked fish.

Artie’s Delicatessen
2290 Broadway between 82nd and 83rd Sts (212-579-5959, arties.com)

Barney Greengrass
541 Amsterdam Ave at 86th St (212-724-4707, barneygreengrass.com)

Carnegie Deli
854 Seventh Ave between 54th and 55th Sts (212-757-2245, carnegiedeli.com)

Katz’s Delicatessen
205 E Houston St at Ludlow St (212-254-2246, katzdeli.com)

Marcey Brownstein Catering & Events
555 W 23rd St between Tenth and Eleventh Aves (212-807-0568, marceybrownstein.com)

Manna Catering, Inc.
24 Harrison St between Greenwich and Hudson Sts (212-966-3449, mannacatering.com)

Murray’s Sturgeon Shop
2429 Broadway at 89th St (212-724-2650, murrayssturgeon.com)

My Cooking Party
219 W 21st St between Seventh and Eighth Aves (888-435-2433, mycookingparty.com)
306 W 51st St at Eighth Ave (888-435-2433, mycookingparty.com)

Newman & Leventhal Caterers
45 W 81st St between Central Park West and Columbus Ave (212-362-9400)

Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St between Allen and Orchard Sts (212-475-4880, russanddaughters.com)

Sable’s
1489 Second Ave between 77th and 78th Sts (212-249-6177, sablesnyc.com)

Sarge’s Delicatessen
548 Third Ave between 36th and 37th Sts (212-679-0442, sargesdeli.com)

Stage Delicatessen
834 Seventh Ave between 53rd and 54th Sts (212-245-7850, stagedeli.com)

Zabar’s
2245 Broadway between 80th and 81st Sts (212-787-2000, zabars.com)

Acme Smoked Fish Corporation
30 Gem St between Meserole Ave and North 15th St, Greenpoint, Brooklyn (718-383-8585, acmesmokedfish.com). Wholesaler, open to the public Fri 8am–1pm.

Junior’s
386 Flatbush Ave at DeKalb Ave, Fort Greene, Brooklyn (718-852-5257, juniorscheesecake.com)

Mill Basin Kosher Delicatessen
5823 Ave T between 58th and 59th Sts, Mill Basin, Brooklyn (718-241-4910, pastrami.net)

Schwartz Appetizing
4824 16th Ave at 48th St, Borough Park, Brooklyn (718-851-1011)

Scoop & Company
940 McDonald Ave at 18th Ave, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn (718-853-5368, scoopparty.com)

Prestige Caterers
217-80 98th Ave at 217th Ln, Queens Village, Queens (718-464-8400, prestigecaterers.com)

Golden’s Kosher Deli and Restaurant
2845 Richmond Ave between Yukon and Platinum Aves, Staten Island (718-494-6000)

GROCER CATERERS

Citarella
424 Sixth Ave at 9th St (212-874-0383, citarella.com)
1313 Third Ave at 75th St (212-874-0383, citarella.com)
2135 Broadway at 75th St (212-874-0383, citarella.com)
461 W 125th St between Amsterdam and Morningside Aves (212-874-0383, citarella.com)

Eli’s Manhattan
1411 Third Ave at 80th St (212-717-8100, elizabar.com)

Eli’s Vinegar Factory
431 E 91st St between First and York Aves (212-987-0885, elizabar.com)

Fairway
2127 Broadway between 74th and 75th Sts (866-392-2837, fairwaymarket.com)
2328 Twelfth Ave between 132nd and 133rd Sts (866-392-2837, fairwaymarket.com)
480–500 Van Brunt St at Reed St, Red Hook, Brooklyn (347-750-1251, fairwaymarket.com)

Whole Foods
95 E Houston St between Chrystie St and Bowery (212-420-1320, wholefoodsmarket.com)
40 E 14th St between Broadway and University Pl (212-673-5388, wholefoodsmarket.com)
250 Seventh Ave between 24th and 25th Sts (212-924-5969, wholefoodsmarket.com)
10 Columbus Circle at Broadway (212-823-9600, ext 252; wholefoodsmarket.com)

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