This Easter, have a little lamb … or ham … or some roasted vegetables … as special Easter menus are popping up all over New York this Sunday.
At David Burke Townhouse (133 E. 61st St., 212-813-2121), enjoy starters such as honey-glazed ham scramble and classic entrees such as rosemary-infused grilled leg of lamb while surrounded in the restaurant’s legendary colorful-egg motif.
Aquavit (65 E. 55th St., 212-307-7311) will have a special smorgasbord brunch and dinner featuring chilled nettle soup, ramp herring, salmon and leg of lamb. In the Scandinavian restaurant’s main dining room, pastry chef Emma Bengtsson has created a Arctic Bird’s Nest dessert, inspired by the flora and fauna of Scandinavian forests.
And on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wall & Water at Andaz Wall Street (75 Wall St.) will serve a special Easter farm-to-table menu featuring glazed ham, grilled swordfish, roasted baby chicken, steamed spring vegetables and creamy Parmesan grits.
For the kids in your life, the restaurant is also converting its private dining room into an Easter room for children — complete with coloring and egg painting.
A traditional Italian feast for Easter
SD26 offers a traditional Italian feast for this high holy day. “We are always busy for Easter. We serve brunch from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., so some people come straight from church while others trickle in throughout the day,” says executive chef Matteo Bergamini. He’s also offering a four-course dinner for $75, featuring tonnarelli, roasted lamb and an Easter grain pie. Try his traditional Casatiello, an Easter bread made with lard, black pepper, salame and hard boiled eggs.
Greek Easter
This year, Greek Easter — the Greek Orthodox calendar’s answer to the Christian holiday — falls on Easter Sunday, and many restaurants are offering specials.
Molyvos
Chef Jim Botsacos is serving up a traditional Greek Easter menu, including Magiritsa, the custom Easter lamb soup with egg and lemon, and slow-roasted baby lamb with olives and orzo. Guests can take part in a time-honored Greek ritual of cracking dyed eggs for luck — it’s similar to the American tradition of breaking the wishbone on Thanksgiving. ($65 each, 871 Seventh Ave., 212-582-7500)
Kellari Tavern
Sharing plates of spanakopita (spinach pie) and saganaki (baked graviera cheese) complement the traditional Easter lamb at this restaurant, where the motto is: “Enter as strangers, leave as friends.” Salmon and Dover sole are also on the menu to please vegetarian palettes. ($65 per person, 19 W. 44th St., 212-221-0144)
Stamatis Restaurant
Venture outside Manhattan for authentic Greek food in Astoria, a Queens neighborhood that still retains its close ties to the Hellenic heritage. At Stamatis, you’ll find classic Greek dishes like Pastichio and Moussaka, and the restaurant is sure to be packed with locals. (29-09 23rd Ave., Queens, 718-932-8596) –Meredith Engel/Metro
