Passover, Easter Already Have Jean Jacques Bustling

The first few months of a new year make for brisk work in the kitchen of Jean Jacques—the eatery has two seasonal menus to live up to.

The downtown French cafe and bakery will be bustling this month and next, managers said, as the kitchen churns out entrees and desserts for the Passover and Easter holidays.

"We feed about 50 families," said Manager Patty Irwin.

The Passover menu includes mainly traditional fare, like chicken soup with matzo balls, sliced roast turkey and Haroseth, a confection made with apples, walnuts, dates and honey.

"[The Haroseth] is a lot of work, chopping up all the apples" Irwin noted. A chore second only to preparing the chopped chicken liver—"a real pain in the neck," Irwin added.

A passel of Passover desserts include flourless cakes and pastries.

"You're not really going to put on your own twist—you want something familiar," Irwin noted.

This year, Passover will run from Monday, March 25 to Tuesday, April 2.

And though Easter is even further away—March 31—the shop is already prepping.

"We're already receiving Easter cake orders," Irwin said.