More than 450 people gathered at the JCC Denver last Sunday for a latke competition, and the aroma of potato pancakes filled the air outside the building and into the parking lot.
The Latkes and Lights event – which also featured vendors, a menorah competition and live music – attracted some of the biggest restaurant names in Denver’s Jewish and Mediterranean cuisine scenes, including Safta, Zaidy’s Deli & Bakery, Odell’s Bagel, Ash’Kara and Latke Love.
But the team that took home the coveted Golden Skillet was none other than Rosenberg’s Kosher.
“It’s important to host events like this because food brings people together, it’s a connector of our community – connecting people to their heritage and their roots,” said Joshua Pollack, owner of Rosenberg’s, which also won in 2022. “It’s also fun to play with other Jewish food operators and get a little competitive.”
The third annual competition – emceed by Ryan Warner, senior host of Colorado Matters on Colorado Public Radio – was judged by Eli Benel (winner of last year’s Citizen’s and People’s Choice awards), Bree Davies (host of Citycast Denver), Casey Gruber (CEO of HCA HealthONE Rose) and Koree Margaret (Denver food influencer @koree_margaret).
According to the judges, they were looking for a latke that achieved the perfect texture – crispy on the outside and a little softer on the inside.
“You don’t want your latkes falling apart or too soggy, it’s got to have a good crisp on the outside, and should hold up when you pick it up without flopping or breaking,” Pollack explained. “There should also be a hint of onion in there. Our mix includes onion and garlic powder, as well as scallions, giving it different layers of onion flavor.”
Another secret technique that Rosenberg’s employs is parbaking the potatoes before shredding them in order to avoid oxidation.
At its stores, Rosenberg’s serves the gluten-free latkes a la carte with the typical applesauce and sour cream, or as an add-on to any sandwich. During the event, however, the restaurant’s chefs let their creativity shine, with latkes topped with roasted artichoke mousse, shaved Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil; as well as a peppered goat cheese with fig, balsamic jam and thyme.
“We like to get creative,” Pollack said. “Artichokes and figs are staples in Israeli cooking…we wanted to stay true to the theme of Jewish cooking while using flavors that work well together.”
Attendees also got to vote for their favorites for the People’s Choice award, which went to Latke Love. The Littleton potato pancake shop presented two varieties – one topped with raclette cheese with an olive tapenade, pickled red onions and a cornichon on top; and another with housemade applesauce, lingonberry jam and fresh thyme.
“I’m an apple sauce guy,” said Steve Shander, owner of Latke Love. “My family never really made latkes when I was growing up, so I had to do them as an adult.”
The Citizen’s competition had a great turnout as well. One contestant, Jeff Likover, traveled from Ohio to participate. In the end, though, the citizen’s award went to Rachel Shindman and Dylan Anderson for their hot green chile latkes.
“For me, the perfect latke is crispy, and the right potato-to-onion ratio is pretty important. Ours have green chilies which makes them extra special,” said Shindman, who entered the competition with Anderson despite the fact that they had never made latkes before. “The biggest thing is getting the moisture out of everything to make sure they’re not too soggy.”
Rosenberg’s will be offering a special Hanukkah menu from December 25-29 featuring six packs and 12 packs of their award-winning latkes with sides of apple butter and creme fraiche. The menu also includes sufganiyot, doughnuts filled with raspberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar, which are common Hanukkah offerings in the Sephardic Jewish tradition.