If you’re not into cooking for Easter on April 12, here are some dining out ideas at some of the area’s finest restaurants.
Tre Piani, at Forrestal Village in Plainsboro, is open for Easter (and Mother’s Day on May 10) from 11am to 4pm, $49 per adult ($14.99 for kids up to 12, free for 6 and under. There will be an extensive appetizer buffet, a choice of several choice plated entrées, and then back to the buffet for dessert. This is how they did Thanksgiving and my family and I loved it. It was just delicious, and not rushed. It felt like a real family affair, too, as owner Jim Weaver’s family was there, too, along with other family groups, and warm service.
The Alchemist & Barrister, in downtown Princeton, is serving an elegant a la carte brunch from 11am to 3pm. at entrée prices ranging from $12 – $18. Entrées at dinner (5-10pm) are $18 – $28. Chef Arthur Kukoda plans several new menu items for the day. (And, for other, more casual, occasions, may I say again that their Kobe beef burger is truly a work of culinary art!)
In New Brunswick, try Easter brunch at The Frog and The Peach. A special a la carte menu will be served 11:30am to 5:30pm, featuring selections from their new spring menu. The price range is really wide, you can get anything from an omelet to tenderloin or king salmon. (I love that idea, because when I eat out for brunch or an early dinner, I never know what I’ll be in the mood for. Is it breakfast? Is it lunch? Is it dinner? Must I choose?)
Also up in that direction, in Somerset, is my favorite French spot, Sophie’s Bistro. On Easter Sunday they’ll be open for brunch from Noon to 3pm, and then continue with dinner from 3 to 7pm. Chef David will prepare specials of Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine and of course French Toast, with some great dinner specials including Rack of Lamb, Filet Mignon and Crab Cakes, in addition to the regular menu.
In Hopewell, The Brothers Moon has long been my standby for Sunday brunch for special occasions. They’re open for brunch year round anyway, but on a holiday it is an especially pleasant refuge from larger venues, such as those hotel brunches where you feel like you’re on an assembly line. Brunch is from 10am to 2pm, with a menu that ranges from quiche and pancakes to crabcake sandwiches to grilled Portobello with goat cheese on brioche.
NJ SPICE 