Whether it’s boozy brunch or formal dinner, don your Sunday best and head to these local restaurants for Easter’s most delicious celebrations.
This year the Palace Hotel is adding new items to its signature Easter brunch menu. Enjoy the addition of a potato latke station, Benedict two ways (traditional and Dungeness crab), the Palace paella, and a Bloody Mary garden(!). Plus, you can still pick and choose off the scrumptious traditional menu, featuring French pastries, omelets, crepes, waffles, salad, cheese, Chinese delicacies, sushi and sashimi, a raw bar, ice cream sundaes, and desserts. So. Much. Food. There’ll also be entertainment for the kiddies including face paintings, magic, and of course, the Easter Bunny. $125 adults/ $65 kids, 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 2 Montgomery Street.
The Grand Café’s annual Easter brunch buffet is jam packed with breads, fruits, salad, and desserts, plus an egg station and raw bar. Come here if you value quantity more than anything else. $64, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., 501 Geary Street.
The only restaurant on this list not within BART distance, Nick's Cove is worth the drive for fresh, fresh seafood. Executive Chef Austin Perkins’s Easter menu features artisanal purveyors, homegrown produce, and neighborhood cheesemakers combined to create dishes like butter roasted local halibut with sweet pea risotto, salsa verde, and fava bean ragout ($22); Fra’mani ham and cheese sandwich with Della Fattoria Levain, mustard seed aioli, Nicasio Square, carmelized fennel, and hand-cut Kennebec fries ($15); and potato and goat cheese gratin with home-raised poached egg, Serrano ham, Cypress Grove Bermuda Triangle, and wild arugula ($14). As always, a fully-stocked oyster bar will also be available, featuring the Cove’s famous Tomales Bay BBQ oysters ($18 for half dozen). 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. 23240 Highway 1, Marshall
Tired of the same old Easter fare? Head to Mandarin Oriental’s extensive Easter buffet with a carving station, mimosas, and an abundance of Bloody Marys. The best part? They’ll also be hosting their annual Easter hunt at 11:00 a.m. and again at 1:00 p.m., and you could be the lucky guest who finds the magical golden ticket (cue Willy Wonka music) to unleash fantastic, unknown prizes. But if you don't find the ticket, cheer up, because the Easter bunny is scheduled to make a special appearance from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. with photographer on hand. $75 adults/ $35 kids, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., 222 Sansome Street.
La Urbana understands that Easter is all about sleeping in, so they've extended their regular brunch hours for the ocassion. They’ll be offering breakfast favorites like totopos chilaquiles, Dungeness crab sopes Benedict, and all the necessary morning cocktail concoctions to make you feel alive again, like Morningcall and the Mezcal Bloody Mary. 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 661 Divisadero Street.
What could go together more than Easter and wine? The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards in Livermore will host an exclusive Easter brunch menu on Sunday, and you'll be able to admire the panoramic view of the East Bay wine country at the same time. The three-course meal offers savory dishes like eggs Benedict with whole wheat English muffin, Canadian bacon and rustic potatoes, as well as almond risotto with porcini, asparagus, preserved lemon and parmesan. Compliment the spring-inspired menu with bloody marys, champagne, and mimosas. Wente's more casual dining atmosphere, The Grill is also serving brunch from dusk till dawn with enticing items like handmade doughnuts with jam, open faced albacore tuna melt baguettes, and a mouthwatering lamb burger. The Restaurant: $49, 10:30 – 2:30 p.m., 5040 Arroyo Road, Livermore.
This Easter Sunday, you only need two reasons to head to Oakland's premier Pan-American restaurant: 1.) A 7-hour leg of lamb Oaxacan-style with beans and tomatillo salsa and 2.) Dungeness Crab Benedict for brunch. Enough said. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., 55 Webster Street, Oakland.
Keep Easter brunch traditional and comfortable with PSC’s full delectable brunch menu plus a selection of specialty dishes featuring locally sourced baby lamb, and classic Virginia Ham. Yum. 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., 562 Ruger Street.
Although the Ritz-Carlton is also offering a scrumptious brunch and a 5-course tasting menu for dinner, there’s nothing like afternoon tea on Easter. The menu includes an expansive array of drinking options from traditional English Breakfast to the exotic Thunderbolt Darjeeling or Chocolat. Tea sandwiches range from classic cucumber to mini-Reubens, and pastries include Mini-salted caramel cupcakes, French macarons, Earl Grey shortbread, and toasted coconut rocher. Come in for a breather, or stay for the royal treatment. $65-85, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., 600 Stockton Street.
Celebrating its first Easter in Oakland, A16 Rockridge will offer special brunch and dinner offerings by Chef Rocky Maselli. For brunch, guests can choose from an a la carte menu with dishes such as Crespelle with rhubarb compote and whipped cream fraiche and candied almonds; and Capunti with lamb heart sugo, gava beans, and pecorino reserva. For dinner, the a la carte menu boasts savory dishes such as Verdetto, Easter Lamb with egg, snap peas, pea greens, and grana padano, and a special dessert of Pastiera Napoletana with cinnamon, gelato, and orange caramel. An Easter-inspired libation will be available for the holiday as well: The Carrot Top includes Boyd + Blair vodka, carrot, grapefruit, and lemon juice with ginger syrup and garnished with festive carrot fronds. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., 5366 College Ave., Oakland.
This Easter, celebrate the holiday on the water. Offering special menus for every age group, CHAYA will feature dishes such as smoked trout and crispy potato with crème fraiche, ikura, and shiso salsa verde; Castelle French toast with caramelized banana, almonds, and fresh fruits; and five spiced duck confit hash with piquillo peppers, red onions, and fried duck egg. For an additional $12, guests can enjoy bottomless Champagne or mimosas. Hell yes. $15 - $42, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., 132 The Embarcadero.
Easter brunch at the Westin is bigger and better than ever before with the newly rennovated Grill & Vine restaurant and free-flowing champagne. The chef's menu features classic egg dishes and brunch favorites, like extravagant waffles, energizing smoothies, and decadent desserts. Look out for a surprise visit from the Easter bunny and an Easter egg hunt at 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. $49 adults/ $22 kids, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., 1 Old Bayshore Hwy., Millbrae
