Your Meaty Guide to Easter Eats
As evidenced by the impending surfeit of marshmallow Peeps and pastel-colored eggs, Easter is but a bunny hop away. Which is exciting, because in a way Easter unofficially beckons the start of spring dining season. Here's a handy guide for Easter dining options on March 27 in Chicago restaurants:
Sunday's are typically known for being a day of rest but Easter Sunday is more commonly reserved for family time and a day to indulge as Lent comes to an end. For those looking to indulge away from home, Prime & Provisions will open its doors for the special occasion to serve a lavish brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Guests will be greeted by a dining room full of chef carving stations and loaded raw bar displays in addition to brunch basics to suit a family of palates. Best known for its USDA All-Natural Beef program, the steakhouse will highlight stationed carveries featuring maple-glazed ham, prime rib, roasted chicken vesuvio and smoke mustard glazed salmon.
The family friendly brunch is priced at $55 for adults and $25 for children and features a plethora of options to fill multiple plates with. The all-inclusive brunch may be reserved in advance by purchasing tickets or by making a reservation online at this link.
Sunday's are typically known for being a day of rest but Easter Sunday is more commonly reserved for family time and a day to indulge as Lent comes to an end. For those looking to indulge away from home, Prime & Provisions will open its doors for the special occasion to serve a lavish brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Guests will be greeted by a dining room full of chef carving stations and loaded raw bar displays in addition to brunch basics to suit a family of palates. Best known for its USDA All-Natural Beef program, the steakhouse will highlight stationed carveries featuring maple-glazed ham, prime rib, roasted chicken vesuvio and smoke mustard glazed salmon.
The family friendly brunch is priced at $55 for adults and $25 for children and features a plethora of options to fill multiple plates with. The all-inclusive brunch may be reserved in advance by purchasing tickets or by making a reservation online at this link.
At Osteria La Madia, Easter dining is available all day long in the form of both brunch and dinner. In the morning, the restaurant features egg-shaped doughnuts courtesy of sister doughnut shop Firecakes, along with antipasti like salmon belly crostini and brioche cinnamon rolls with red wine currants and bourbon icing. Entrees include creamy polenta with shrimp, crab, Fresno chile, and arrabiata sauce; crispy porchetta with roasted tomatoes, melted mozzarella, scrambled eggs, and crispy potatoes; and the tarte flambe breakfast pizza with bacon, onion, and fontina. That’s not all though. Later in the day, Osteria La Madia features a family-style Easter dinner menu, which entails a five-course meal for $40 per person. For reservations for either (or both!), call the restaurant.
When dining at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab this Easter, all kids will receive a surprise Easter treat. Full a la carte menus will be available, along with a classic lunchtime combo special of 6 oz. petite filet with mashed potatoes, grilled tomato, and banana cream pie. It’s available for dine-in or pickup.
Think outside the bunny basket this year with a festive meal at Roka Akor. The contemporary Asian restaurant is serving up a special four-course Easter tasting menu at dinner with items far from typical. This includes lobster dumplings, oysters with grape granita, deviled eggs with shiso and uni, robata grilled yuzu miso black cod, prime New York strip steak with bone marrow, and kumquat sesame tiramisu. Each guest will also receive a special egg from the Easter bunny.
Billed as a three-course “celebration menu,” you know the holiday cooking at III Forks Prime Steakhouse is going to be good this year. Available all day long, from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., the steakhouse will provide a memorable prix fixe by chef Billy Caruso. To start, diners choose from a Caesar salad or a III Forks salad with crispy green apples, Wisconsin blue cheese, toasted pecans, and field greens in a housemade maple-walnut vinaigrette. Entree options are a roasted tenderloin with shallot-thyme-veal demi and whipped potatoes, double-cut herb-crusted lamb chop with braised fennel and fingerling potatoes, and airline chicken paillard with oyster mushroom and smoked bacon veloute. Finish off with either a Mandarin orange cake or a chocolate dessert that’s sure to dazzle. The cost for the prix fixe is $50 per person, or $17 for children 12 and younger. There’s also an a la carte menu available.
Keep it classic and upscale with a refined meal at Sepia, where Easter brunch is under the dutiful care of chef Andrew Zimmerman and pastry chef Cindy Schuman. They preside over a four-course tasting menu rich with fresh spring flavors, starting with an assortment of breads and pastries. The ensuing dishes are served family-style, including smoked salmon tartine, housemade granola with yogurt and fresh fruit, and optional entrees like shakshuka, croque madame, and brioche French toast. Dessert options include ginger caramel cream puffs, lemon crumble cake, and chocolate raspberry Nutella tarts.
Speaking of upscale, Easter is an apt time to try out Acadia in the South Loop. The dining destination is open for the holiday, serving a special holiday brunch from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Each table gets a complimentary plate of pastries by newly appointed pastry chef Mari Katsumura, followed by a la carte options like oysters, cured salmon, peekytoe crab hash, “green eggs and ham,” Maine lobster Benedict, Southern fried chicken, and Maine blueberry pain perdu.
Local ingredients adapt an elegant European accent at Cafe des Architectes, which rises to the occasion with a masterful prix fixe for Easter brunch. To start, appetizers include spring pea veloute with goat cheese and mint streusel; asparagus with prosciutto, mustard sabayon, and hard-boiled egg; lingonberry waffle with foie gras butter and whipped ricotta; and Maine lobster crepe with bechamel, English peas, and sour cherries. Move on to entree options like a smoked salmon pastrami Benedict with hollandaise and cucumber; Amish chicken breast with Boursin polenta, maitake mushroom, and black truffle jus; roasted leg of lamb with mint jus, sweet potato hash, and Brussels sprouts; Alaskan halibut with mushroom ragout, spring onion puree, and red wine jus; and filet mignon with roasted garlic potatoes, spring vegetables, and red wine jus. The dessert portion contains a chocolate peanut butter tart with strawberry preserves and chocolate shortbread; angel food cake with peach jam and blueberry creme fraiche; sour cream cheesecake with brown sugar, graham cracker, and apricot sorbet; and white chocolate tart with sour cherries, chocolate sponge, and candied almonds. The cost for the tasting is $65 per person and it’s available March 27 from 11:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Embrace the meaty comforts of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que this Easter, as the New York-based institution offers a bevy of savory and sweet packages for the holiday. Designed for pickup to enjoy at home, the menu features pit-smoked ham with brown sugar-mustard glaze for $84.95. It served 12 to 14 diners and comes with one side, or for $159.95 you can tack on another side and two pies. There’s also boneless, spice-rubbed, pit-smoked leg of lamb, which serves eight to 10 people and costs $139.95. Sides include applesauce, broccoli and cauliflower bake, and zucchini and tomato saute. Pies are sweet potato pecan, key lime, and peanut butter. Orders must be made by March 21 for pickup on March 25 or March 26.
- Matt Kirouac