KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In the heart of Kansas City's Crossroads District, the Tannin Wine Bar and Kitchen is serving a taste of Hanukkah.
"I am a nice Jewish boy that grew up in Overland Park," said Chef Brian Aaron. "I took the helm here in 2011.”
Aaron has worked in restaurant kitchens across Kansas City. During the Hanukkah holiday, he's serving a taste of his childhood.
"I think every Jewish kid remembers making potato pancakes during Hanukkah," he said. "These [dishes] are me playing with a lot of traditional items we had growing up."
For the past few years, Tannin Wine Bar and Kitchen has offered Hanukkah-inspired dinners, initially only serving matzoh ball soup. This year, Aaron and his team expanded the menu, including potato latkes, eight-hour braised brisket, and babka bread pudding.
"For a lot of people who aren’t familiar with the culture, and are unfamiliar with the food, it’s a chance to try it for the first time," Aaron explained. "There’s also a lot of people who come in because of it."
In the Jewish culture, traditional matzoh ball soup symbolizes strife during the Jewish Exodus of Egypt. Matzoh bread is a token of the unleavened bread Jews ate while fleeing Egypt centuries ago.
Potato latke embodies the Hanukkah story when the Jewish army took control of the Temple of Jerusalem from the Greeks in the 2nd century BC.
Jewish soldiers sought to relight the temple's menorah but only had enough oil for one night. Miraculously, the oil lasted eight days determined the modern celebration of Hanukkah.
Latke is a tribute to the oil withstanding one of Judaism's darkest days.
"One of the main things is if it makes me happy, I want to give it out to the masses," added Aaron.
For the last few years hosting Hanukkah dinner, Jerry Rivera missed the mark. On Saturday, he was able to expand his palette in centuries of tradition.
"It’s just a new experience for me to come and a new experience for me with food, different food I’d not had. The matzoh ball soup was absolutely delicious," Rivera explained.
KSHB 41 caught up with Rivera while he got his second course, braised brisket—a dish Aaron commonly had as a boy.
"I have some friends who celebrate Hanukkah and it seems like a good way to connect with them since they live in New York," said Rivera. "I think every culture, whether it’s a nation or a culture, has their own food. Understanding their food helps understand their culture.”
Tannin Wine Bar is offering its Hanukkah dinner menu through Sunday night, as it prepares for New Year celebrations downtown.
"It’s encouraging there is a want and need in having the availability of our food," Aaron added. "That’s the whole point — telling your story with food."
The Hanukkah dinner menu begins at 4 p.m. and offers wine pairings with each course.
For more information on Tannin Wine Bar and Kitchen, click here.
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Share your story idea with Ryan.
