Sitting at the kids’ table, debating whether gefilte fish is actually good or bad. Drinking grape juice out of small silver kiddush cups. Desperately trying not to eat the matzah on the table until the parents gave the OK. Food has always been a beloved part of Passover Ethan Rogers, head chef at both Linny’s and Linny’s Luncheonette. “My cousins and I had an annual competition to see who could put more horseradish on their matzah.” he says.
For many Jewish chefs in Toronto, these early Passover food experiences were both fun and formative. Today, many of these foodies have evolved into some of the most exciting tastemakers on our local food scene, leading to a recent boom in buzzy Jewish eateries serving up comfort classics and innovative takes on old favourites for both Toronto members of the tribe and new fans alike.
With Passover starting tonight and running through next Thursday, we checked in with the chefs behind popular spots, Linny’s, Maven and Romi’s Restaurant and Bakery to find out what delicious dishes make their holiday even more meaningful every year.
Ethan Rogers, head chef, Linny’s and Linny’s Luncheonette
“I loved hearing the many stories of my Oma making gefilte fish over the years. When she lived in Brazil, she had to keep a whole carp in the bathtub because they would sell out if she waited to buy fish once Passover started. She passed away in winter 2024, so Passover 2025 was the first year we celebrated without her. My mom and aunt made her gefilte fish recipe; this was full of so much emotion and meaning, the first time they had made it without their mom.
Gefilte fish is still my favourite Passover dish: it’s the only dish throughout my life that has been made the same way with the same recipe and has been great every time. This is one of the few recipes Oma made every year, starting when my mom was a kid and continuing until she was 95.
The foods for Passover are so iconic, maybe more than for any other holiday: matzah ball soup, brisket, gefilte fish and matzah. Having these foods on this holiday can strengthen your connection with your family history and your faith. This year I am in charge of dessert and am making a pavlova with fresh fruit and compote. But the highlight, again, will be my mom and aunt making Oma’s famous gefilte fish once more. I love seeing the next generation understand and look forward to the same foods and traditions that I grew up with, and telling them stories about our seders at childhood homes that have been sold or even around the same fold-out kids’ tables they sit at now.”
Tomer Markovitz, owner and chef, Romi’s Restaurant and Bakery
“Growing up Sephardic and Ashkenazi, I remember us all sitting around the table reading the Haggadah and ‘stealing’ hard-boiled eggs and three different patties — leeks, squash, spinach — while the adults took their time to read every word.
I loved watching my grandmothers from both sides (may they rest in peace) stand in the kitchen and cook together. Seeing both cultures come together was magical.
My favourite Passover dishes are the ones that have stood the test of time, like chraime and gefilte fish; back home, we would take the gefilte fish and top it with Libyan red sauce (chraime).
From a young age, we were always taught that eating together means growing together. Food has always meant the world to me, especially living abroad while everyone else is back home. The small notes of dishes, the smell, the flavours, the tradition — all of that brings me a little closer to memories of us sitting at my mom’s house, always with 30 or 40 guests — including cousins, grandparents, uncles, aunts and friends — and the experiences we had. The laughter, the arguments, the singing, just being one. Food is about bringing people together. It is always special.”
Shauna Godfrey, owner and chef, Maven
“I love matzah ball soup. I remember eating the warm matzah balls my mom would prepare for our Passover seder, slurping them down just as they came out of the simmering pot. Then we’d go to my Bubby’s for Passover and she would always make homemade egg lokshen (noodles) for the chicken soup. My Bubby taught me how to make thin egg crêpes with a little potato starch. This dish is my comfort food and is always something I crave. My mom makes the most delicious chicken soup that we call ‘Liquid Gold’ in my family.
Passover is also called Chag Ha’Aviv, the holiday of spring. I love to have really fresh, bright spring vegetables on the seder table: a crunchy vegetable salad with radishes, cucumbers and fennel with a tangy vinaigrette or some asparagus with sauce gribiche. I like adding a lot of cold vegetables to the Passover meal to help lighten some of the heavier dishes that my family usually prepares.
Food is at the centre of the Passover seder — eating many symbolic foods throughout the meal. Passover, for me, is a time to reflect and be with loved ones, and those moments always include gathering and eating.”
