You've denounced chocolate. You've forgone your daily glass of Pinot Noir. You've said sionara to your weakness for nachos. Whatever you've sacrificed these past six weeks, you deserve to reward yourself with a decadent Easter brunch. From build-your-own omelet stations to mimosa flights to endless buffets, these spots will save you the trouble of whipping up a home-cooked feast for the fam. After all, haven't you been through enough already?
Drink bottomless coffee at 42n Latitude
At $14.95, Latitude's all-you-can-eat buffet and bottomless coffee is an affordable option that spares no expense. Fill up on carrot cake pancakes, biscuits and gravy, Monte Cristo sandwiches, white chocolate bread pudding and homemade granola. Children 10 and under can eat for $6.95 and take home an Easter egg to for coloring.
Bowl with the Bunny at 10pin Bowling Lounge
Add activity to your Easter Sunday by going bowling with the Easter Bunny at 10pin, where you can win special prizes for knocking down the randomly-added pink pins. Shoe rental, two hours of bowling and a buffet cost $36 per guest, with seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Specialty drinks, like the Chocolate Bunny martini for adults and Yellow Peep and Jelly Bean for kids, are also available.
Spice things up at Adobo Grill (Old Town)
Year after year, you eat ham after eggs benedict after pancakes—we know it can get a bit dull. So if you want to add a little spice to your Easter celebration, head over to this spot for Mexican fare, including tostados topped with achiote-marinated chicken, tequila- and lime-cured salmon, pan-seared tilapia with wild mushrooms and orange-infused pineapple upside-down cake. Brunch costs $21.95 for adults and $10.95 for kids.
Wash it down with a mimosa flight at Bin 36
Bin 36's 10 a.m.-3 p.m. brunch buffet offerings—blueberry ricotta pancakes, artisanal cheeses and a build-your-own-omelet station—go beyond typical breakfast fare, but it's the bloody mary and mimosa flights that stand out. Sample four three-ounce portions of the popular breakfast drinks dressed up in flavors like Consuela Mary (roasted chipotle peppers, fried tortilla and salted lime). Milk and juice flights are available for kids. Beware: Drinks cost extra on top of the $38-per-person ($18 for kids under 12) price tag.
Dine in the 'burbs at Arlington Heights' Birch River Grill
Worth a trip to the suburbs, Birch's signature brunch features a raw bar, carving stations, omelets and a salad station. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., adults can dine for $29.95 ($14.95 for kids).
Try seafood specials at Bistro 110
If it's a rich, cream-laden meal you desire, head to Bistro 110 and order off its special Easter menu. With creamed asparagus, seafood crepes, lobster bisque and lamb with vegetables available at a la carte prices, you can order one of each from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Add French flare to your brunch at Bistrot Margot
For a taste of France, hop over to Bistrot Margot for a three-course prix-fixe brunch ($21.95) or a three-course prix-fixe dinner ($29.95). Entrees include oven-roasted lamb with red potatoes and mint-mustard sauce or honey-baked ham with sweet potato au gratin. For a sweet ending, trade in the peeps for a terrine of dark chocolate with laced raspberry.
Forget ham at Blue Water Grill
Ham, the widely-favored Easter meat, gets upstaged by Blue Water Grill's dry-aged lamb on its special menu served 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. The Grilled Colorado Rack and Navarin of Lamb ($38) shares the menu with halibut, salmon, two salads and 18K Carrot Cake with walnut cream cheese frosting.
Get treats for the kids and quiche for you at Brasserie Jo
Delicious Easter brunch entrees complement Brasserie's mouthwatering French menu. Expect delicacies like a brie omelet, Quiche Lorraine and fresh fruit crepes. And if the kids haven't eaten enough candy already, they can nosh on chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks. Entrees are priced at $13.95, and the brunch runs from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Treat yourself to tapas at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba
This lively Spanish spot serves a tapas-style Easter brunch, cava cocktails and a build-your-own bloody mary bar. Peruse the menu for treats like Spanish-style French toast, apples and whipped cream, baked eggs with chorizo hash and crepes filled with goat cheese and quince (yum!). Prices vary, and the party goes from 11 am.-3 p.m.
Keep the kiddies entertained at Carlucci
A good bet for families with young kids in tow, Carlucci will host a magician, face painting and cupcake decorating. For the older folk (not that you won't secretly enjoy the magic and face paint), the menu bursts with frittatas, pasta, a split-roast leg of lamb, gelato and more. Hours are 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and prices vary.
A Latin twist on Easter at Carnivale
Brazil's Carnivale festival kicks off the Easter season with its pre-Lent debauchery. From 1-9 p.m., Carnivale will honor the end of Lent by offering two special appetizers, an entree and a dessert, along with its usual menu items (prices range from $10 for appetizers to $25 for the entree). Expect innovative empanada fillings like asparagus, morel mushrooms and goat cheese.
Wear your green at Chief O'Neill's Pub
For those of you who haven't quite moved on from St. Patty's Day, this is your tasty, Irish answer to Easter. Expect a brunch buffet ($18.95 for adults, $9.50 for kids) featuring seafood, Irish cheeses, made-to-order omelets, leg of lamb, corned beef hash and chocolate fondue. And in true Irish spirit, saunter over to the bar for $6 bloody marys and mimosas.
Celebrate with Italian cooking at Coco Pazzo
Feel like your dining in Tuscany with Coco Pazzo's Italian-inspired special menu. Try the ragu made of artichoke, rosemary and lamb tossed with pappardelle or the spit-roasted pork leg. Sweet endings include the sacrapantina, a sponge cake soaked in rum with whipped cream or amoretti cookies with dark chocolate shavings.
Listen to Bossa Nova beats at Cuatro
Nosh on Nuevo-Latino specials like pozole de pernil, a pork and hominy stew, vuelve la vida, a spicy ceviche made of shrimp, calamari and tuna, or pastel de chocolate, a chocolate mousse served with sweet corn ice cream. Brunch is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a Bossa Nova band will play live from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Eat eggs out of an egg at David Burke's Primehouse
You can do more than fetch hidden eggs on Easter—at David Burke's you can eat out of one! A colorful, large Ostrich eggshell comes stuffed with scrambled eggs mixed with three types of ham, tomatoes and caramelized onion. It's served along with the usual brunch menu and a few special dinner entrees from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Brunch with the Easter Bunny at Dine
Dine serves a $29 prix-fixe brunch ($14.95 for children) from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. The Easter Bunny will hand out candy to kids while parents enjoy an omelet station, waffles, smoked salmon and bagels, meatloaf, ham and turkey carving stations and homemade desserts.
Get a leg up at Fiddlehead Cafe
Celebrate the end of Lent by indulging in the lamb leg Benedict with grilled asparagus and sage fondue. If sweets are more your style, opt for pancakes topped in bananas and rum caramel or strawberry French toast topped with rhubarb sauce and vanilla-rose ice cream. Brunch runs from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Have a taste of a wine (or two) with brunch at Flight
With the hearty choices offered at Flight's Easter brunch, you can sample one of its 16 wine flights without getting too tipsy. From 11 a.m.-3 p.m., order from a special menu with items like banana's foster-stuffed brioche French toast, quiche du jour and the Flight burger—Angus beef, jack cheese, Neuske bacon and red onion marmalade.
Pop open a bottle of bubbly at Galleria Marchetti
Arrive between 11 a.m.-3 p.m. to indulge in bottomless champagne, assorted pastries, carved ham, pasta, smoked salmon and fresh juice at this Italian-style Easter buffet. The cost is $29.95 for adults and $14.95 for kids 12 and under.
Get a beefed-up brunch at Gioco
Gioco's typical Sunday brunch gets better on Easter with specials like Frittata al Forno, an open-faced omelet with Italian sausage and peppers, and a wood-grilled ribeye with truffled hollandaise sauce. The menu is available from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; prices vary per selection.
Score a home-run brunch at Harry Caray's
From 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m., dine on Harry's regular lunch bar and look forward to fresh carved sandwiches for a holiday treat. From 4-10 p.m., enjoy a la carte specials to end your Easter with a grand slam.
Go Cajun at Heaven on Seven (Magnificent Mile)
This joint will burst with all things Cajun and Creole to celebrate Easer. From 11 a.m.-2 p.m., its southern-style brunch will feature entrees like Creole eggs benedict, bananas foster French toast and more. Though you shouldn't need another reason to go, Heaven will host live music, too.
Go for grand at Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club
An Easter without drag queens is no Easter at all. From 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Diva Madame X will entertain the mimosa-sipping crowd. A four-course prix-fixe meal for $29.95 starts off with homemade beignets and includes your choice of three entrees and desserts.
Get your Yorkshire pudding at Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro
From 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., this upscale Irish restaurant will offer its usual brunch menu of skillets, corned beef hash benedict and traditional Irish breakfast—bangers, rashers, black and white pudding, tomatoes, baked beans and toast—along with a trio of Yorkshire puddings.
Get on board with spring on the Odyssey Cruises
This two-hour cruise sets sail from Navy Pier on Easter Sunday. Board the boat at 11 a.m. and return at 2 p.m. Enjoy a holiday buffet brunch, a glass of champagne and live jazz. Cost is $74.90 for adults and $37.45 for kids 3-11. For reservations, call (888) 957-2322.
Order a la carte at Parlor
For a festive, a la carte brunch, head to Parlor to sample its special menu. Choose from one of three Benedicts (smoked pork loin, spinach and smoked tomato or lobster) all topped with hollandaise. For a more traditional Easter treat, try the carved turkey with a side of gravy, golden hash and toast. Dishes cost $8-$19.
Keep it classic at Petterino's
For a classic Easter experience, head over to Petterino's to sample its three-course brunch menu, which includes a mimosa, juice and breakfast pastry. The menu features eggs benedict and homemade hash browns, steak Diane with steamed asparagus, parmesan-crusted chicken and chocolate cake. Prices are $29.95 for adults and $19.95 for kids 12 and under.
Hop into nature at Prairie Grass Cafe
Start your meal with a mini spinach and eggs benedict appetizer (a house specialty) and move on to the buffet, which includes glazed ham, made-to-order crepes, waffles and moussaka. The price is $27.95 for adults and $14.95 for kids 10 and under. The buffet is served from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Dine on the Northshore at Quince
Northshore diners nibble on pastries and jam before selecting three courses for their prix-fixe brunch. Delectable options include lobster benedict with vanilla hollandaise, salmon tartare, pancakes with peach syrup and skirt steak with truffle fries. Adults costs $40, and the little ones can pick kid-friendly fare like grilled cheese, chicken fingers and mac and cheese for $20.
Put on your Sunday best to get wined and dined at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago
Celebrate spring with style at the Ritz. Start the morning with an Easter egg hunt at 9:30 a.m., and then proceed to brunch—the dining room offers three different seatings (11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.), and the Greenhouse room offers two (10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.). The dining room costs $95 per adult and $30 per kid, and the Greenhouse costs $75 per adult and $20 per kid.
Crack open the Easter eggs, then crack open a crab leg at Shaw's Crab House
Dive into Shaw's Easter brunch buffet, which features a sushi station, omelet station, carved beef tenderloin and more. The $50 cover for adults includes mimosas, and brunch is served from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Bring the kiddies along for $20 each.
Hop higher than the Easter Bunny for brunch at the Signature Room at the 95th
From 10 a.m.-7 p.m., make your way to the top of the Hancock Building for Signature Room-style brunch. The Easter bunny will hop in at 11 a.m. and stay until 6 p.m. Live jazz music by Peterson Productions will keep you dancing all day while you enjoy a lunch or dinner buffet. Tickets costs $58 for adults and $25 for children four-to-12-years-old. Children three and under can come for free.
Dive into spring at South Water Kitchen's Easter Buffet
From 7 a.m.-2 p.m., this all-you-can-eat buffet offers French toast, eggs benedict, omelets and a carved ham. Don't miss the dessert table for a sweet ending to your feast. Tickets cost $25 per adult and $15 for kids under 12. Reservations are required.
Get a head start on celebrating at Venus Greek-Cypriot Cuisine
If you're looking to celebrate early, this Greektown spot offers holiday specials after midnight mass, and then again starting at noon. You can order off the regular menu or opt for the $28 prix-fixe with options like red-dyed, hard-boiled eggs, margiritsa (an Easter lamb soup), roasted lamb and tsoureki (sweet bread) with a glass of wine included! Live Greek music will play from midnight to 3 a.m.
Relax with comfort food at ZKF
This American eatery serves an Easter brunch reminiscent of your mom's homemade feast. The special three-course menu will feature honey-baked ham, meatloaf, chocolate-chip pancakes and more. For those of you craving some serious comfort food, you can get it all for $15 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Check out more from Centerstage's 2007
Chicago Easter Guide.
From festive brunches to marys and French mimosas, our
Easter guide is as sweet as a bowlful of jellybeans.
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