Easter this year falls on April 1 — April Fool’s Day — but don’t let the date mislead you. The city’s restaurants will be laying out regal spreads for those looking to have someone else take on the kitchen chores.
The following are some of the more promising brunch offerings in and around town.
Tavern on the Green, which disappeared briefly after the owners filed for bankruptcy in 2010, is back in all its splendor. Set against a glorious park backdrop, the three-course brunch commences with the likes of fruitwood smoked salmon with grilled herb focaccia and caper cream cheese and proceeds to Maine lobster eggs benedict (this is brunch, after all). Traditionalists will find braised spring lamb with roasted baby vegetables and a mint pesto. The feast runs $125 per person. Park views are free. Tavern on the Green, 67th Street and Central Park West, 212-877-8684.
For a New York view of an entirely different, though no less enticing, sort, consider the Rainbow Room, 65 stories above the Rockefeller Center. The restaurant recently implemented a new brunch format that combines table service with a few buffet specialties. Among these is a “bacon bar” for sampling variations on the much-beloved breakfast classic. (Don’t miss the smoky salmon “bacon”). They turn out perfect, fluffy omelets as well as shrimp and grits, a fried chicken sandwich, and a salmon platter with a black seed bagel. The prix fixe brunch is, $125 per person, and dress — nota bene — is business casual. The Rainbow Room, entrance on 49th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, 212-632-5000.
As I noted in September 2016, Jonathan Waxman’s Jams had reopened after a hiatus in the Hotel Central Park. On Easter, the restaurant will begin serving a brunch at 7 a.m. that features omelets made to order, French-toast skewers, house-made pastries, and yogurt parfaits. The per-person cost is $35, though for an additional $15 you can enjoy brunch-time cocktails, such as mimosas and Bellinis. Jams, 1 Hotel Central Park, 1414 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10019, 212-703-2007.
In Italy, Easter is called Pasqua. To enjoy the holiday like an Italian, head over to La Pecora Bianca, NoMad. The $45-a-person three-course prix fixe menu includes among the starters a salad grilled mushrooms, eggs, and pequillo peppers, or begin with the salmone toast, spread with scallion cream cheese and smoked salmon. Desserts feature an Easter special of affogato — a mélange of mascarpone, espresso, caramel, whipped cream — but in between you will want to chow down on one of the pastas, perhaps the strapazzate, twists of noodle dough with soft-scrambled eggs and mashed avocado, served with country toast and local mixed greens. La Pecora Bianca, 1133 Broadway (bet 25th and 26th Sts.), 212-498-9696.
