Your Last-Minute Guide to Easter Brunch in Boston 2013

Photo via 89AKurt/Flickr

For those of us who simply don’t have the culinary prowess or can’t imagine spending the day cooped up in the kitchen with the entire family, Easter Brunch can be a terrifying thought. Skip your aunt’s over-glazed store-bought ham and the always questionable potato salad, and try one of these ideal Easter options from Boston-area restaurants instead.

Prix Fixe

Craigie on Main
Chef Maws gives his take on traditional brunch with classed-up house-made coriander and cashew Granola or a fresh fruit smoothie as the options for the first course. With six choices for the entree, guests will have a hard time choosing between fun items like the “Fancy Pants Easter Bagel Plate,” inspired by some bunny love, and upscale offerings like the rabbit sausage gravy and biscuits. And, of course, Craigie couldn’t just serve carrot cake as a choice to finish off the experience, but had to pair it with cream cheese ice cream.
$50 adults, $25 children, Sunday, March 31, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Craigie on Main, 853 Main St., 617-497-5511, craigieonmain.com

The Beehive
Spice up your Easter with traditional Bohemian breakfast choices like Eggs Shakshuka (“North African Style” sunny-side eggs baked in with rich tomato sauce and polenta) and more traditional items including The Beehive Prime cheeseburger and skirt steak frites with mustard jus. To feed your ears, The Mike Meile Trio, Phil Grenadier, and more will be performing live jazz music all day long for the celebration. Your “Little Bees” can also nibble on choices from the kids menu for only $12 and then hop off to the Easter egg hunt from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. For late risers, or those who prefer a la carte options, The Beehive will also be serving dinner with Easter-inspired specials from 4-10 p.m.
$33.95 adults, $12 children, Sunday, March 31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., The Beehive, 541 Tremont St., 617-423-0069, beehiveboston.com 

Enjoy the view from the Soiree Room at Upstairs on the Square for Easter Brunch. (Photo via Upstairs on the Square/Facebook)

Upstairs on the Square
Another Cambridge classic, this Harvard Square hot spot is preparing for the rush by offering Easter Sunday brunch in both of its dining rooms. Where better to celebrate the holiday than in the Soiree Room, which, from pink frills and purple plush booths to gilded wallpaper and warm lighting, makes diners feel as though they have stepped into a Faberge egg? The restaurant offers several choices from asparagus bisque or buckwheat crepes to cast-iron French toast or a Maine crabmeat omelette.
$50 adults, $25 children under 12, Sunday, March 31, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Upstairs on the Square, 91 Winthrop St., 617-864-1933, upstairsonthesquare.com 

AKA Bistro
It’s easy to want to resort to tradition on holidays and stick with those classics even if they don’t stand up, but if you’re ready to break through that Easter shell and try something new this holiday, this Concord Japanese-French hybrid has a three-course set menu that definitely steps outside the basket. Chef Chris Chang offers an inspired menu with traditional Easter options reinterpreted with an Asian flare. Elevating smoked salmon, a brunch staple, by pairing it with wasabi crème fraiche and pickled radish is just one of the ways that this seasoned chef will make your Easter more fun. He doesn’t leave the family staples behind, however, as lamb stew complete with fingerling potatoes is one of the hearty options offered for the main course at this brunch.
$39, Sunday, March 31, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., AKA Bistro, 145 Lincoln Rd., 781-259-9920, akabistrolincoln.com

Beacon Hill Bistro
For brunch in picturesque Beacon Hill, it’s tough to beat this Charles Street standby. They’ve stepped up classic dishes for brunch. The arugula salad isn’t just any old rabbit food; here it’s mixed with shaved fennel, ricotta salata, candied hazelnuts, and a meyer lemon vinaigrette. You can also choose from hearty and homestyle options like Tamworth ham or lamb shoulder for the entree, bringing a piece of tradition with you even outside of the home.
$39, Sunday, March 31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Beacon Hill Hotel, 25 Charles St., 617-723-7575, beaconhillhotel.com

Buffet Options (Plus Bonus Options for the Kids!)

Photo via Abby Park/Facebook

Abby Park
If you’re going for piled-high plates instead of dainty prix-fixes, one of these options may be a better holiday fit. At Abby Park in Milton, the Easter brunch buffet comes stacked with classics like cinnamon French toast and eggs Benedict, plus specials just for Easter like portobello mushroom ravioli with white wine sauce, creamy goat cheese, and aged balsamic or roasted duck with pomegranate glaze. The dinner menu also features some holiday specials from 4-10 p.m.
$30 adults, $12 children 5-12, free for children under 5, Sunday, March 31, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Abby Park, 550 Adams St., 617-696-8700, abbypark.com

Turner Fisheries
Trade in your chocolate bunnies for oysters this Easter at Turner Fisheries with their extensive seafood buffet. With chilled seafood options, beet salads, artisan cheeses, and more, their cold buffet nicely complements their hot options like crab cakes benedict, clam chowder, and grilled salmon with edamame and a gazpacho broth.
$69 adults, $23 children 5-12, free for children under 5, Sunday, March 31, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Turner Fisheries, 10 Huntington Ave., 617-424-7425, turnersboston.com

The Ritz Carlton
For the classiest of all buffet options, ritz it up this Easter at…where else? The Ritz. Brunch will come complete with cookie decorating, as kids can get into the spirit of the holiday with a craft and community service project put on by Catching Joy. The Easter Bunny will also make an appearance, of course, but when all is said and done, the food is the main reason to choose The Ritz. An extensive selection of sushi, artisan cheeses, and more traditional carved roasts and Belgian waffles are just a few of the culinary offerings at this brunch.
$98 adults, $48 children, Sunday, March 31, 2013, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., The Ritz Carlton, Boston, 10 Avery St., 617-574-7184, ritzcarlton.com

Brasserie Jo
Distract kids by taking them to pose with the Easter Bunny, or send them off scurrying for eggs in either of the two Easter egg hunts at 12 or 3 p.m. With an extensive menu featuring Easter classics, the adults in the group won’t be disappointed either. The crepe and cupcake stations are just two of the more unexpected options in the choices, not to mention the Bloody Mary and mimosa bars.
$45 adults, $12.95 children under 12, Sunday, March 31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Colonnade Hotel, 120 Huntington Ave., 617-425-3240, brasseriejo.com

Photo via The Four Seasons, Boston

Bristol Lounge
At The Four Seasons, even the late risers won’t miss the celebration as buffets are offered in The Ballroom from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and in Bristol Lounge from 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If you can make it to The Ballroom, expect countless options from traditional omelet stations to New England seafood, pasta, pastries, and more. At Bristol, you can also get expanded raw bar choices from smoked fish to lobster gazpacho. And, of course, there will be plenty of Easter favorites to add to the list.
$95 adults, $47.50 children, Sunday, March 31, 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, 200 Boylston St., 617-338-4400, fourseasons.com/boston