We know, we know. Your mom made the creamiest, most perfectly sweet, most deliciously-topped kugel ever. But not everyone has the time, or the talent, to make this beloved Jewish noodle dish. So At Play sought out sweet noodle kugels–two at classic Jewish delis, one at a new market. Good as mom’s? Of course not. But close.
BEST BET
THE PLACE: ASHKENAZ DELI, 12 E. Cedar St., 312-944-5006
THE STATS: $5.99 per pound
THE COMMENTS: The kugel: Raisin studded, cornflake topped. This one’s most like mom’s thanks to the golden crunchy cornflake topping. Rich, dense and simple, it struck the right balance of creamy, sweet and crunchy. Great, classic kugel. Downside: Raisin-haters won’t be fans. Our take: The mommiest.
THE PLACE: EATZI’S MARKET AND BAKERY, 2828 N. Clark St., 773-832-9310
THE STATS: Our take: The dessertiest. $2.99 per piece
THE COMMENTS: The kugel: Layered with apples and raisins, topped with crispy glazed noodles. Gorgeous, with a top the color of autumn leaves. This isn’t the kugel you serve with brisket. It’s more of a dessert, like apple-raisin bread pudding. Still, it’s downright delicious, both tart and sweet. Downside: Raisin-haters will be picking out a lot of raisins.
THE PLACE: MAX & BENNY’S RESTAURANT, 461 Waukegan Rd., Northbrook
THE STATS: $14.95 for a 9-inch pan
THE COMMENTS: The kugel: Raisins on the bottom, raisins on top, noodles and sweet custard in between. The simplest, this one will seduce those who love their kugel very sweet. But it did feature a nice balance between sweet custard and noodles, and was pretty to look at. Downside: Raisins again! Raisin-haters might want to hit mom up for kugel. Our take: The sweetest.
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ttsouderos@tribune.com
Have a favorite kugel? E-mail us at atplay@tribune.com. We’ll print some in a future issue.
