So Many Easter Dining Options!

Well, not just for Easter per se, but for general Easter time, you get what we mean? The time in which more than one spring-equinoctial holiday is observed.

Truluck's Lobster Thermidor will make you feel happily shellfish

We won’t even bring up the wonderful wealth of pagan origins that could be explored in this context, we’ll just offer you a small flock of local dining recos for Easter (or Passover, or Songkran and Pi Mai).

And then we’ll toss in a few extra home-delivery possibilities – because there’s good stuff to be found everywhere, yes, but mostly because aaaaaaah, omg, those zombie bunnies are totes adorbs …

And so:

TINY PIES FOR EASTER
Yes, they're available for pre-order at all four Tiny Pies locations in Austin, and the most holiday-centric deal is the cutely basketed six-pack of Easter Hand Pies, featuring three bunny pies and three egg pies in flavors of cherry and blueberry ($35.70). But you might also want to check out their strawberry mousse tarts, the quiche lorraine, and the five-inch pizza rustica, because – well, you know how delicious these things are, right? Order now for pickup on April 15-16.
tinypies.com

DAI DUE: EASTER BUNNY SPECIALS
Bunnies? No, yeah, we do mean rabbits – whole rabbits, boned and stuffed with cream, sweetbreads, bacon, mushrooms, brandy, thyme, and breadcrumbs, presented as only this acclaimed butcher shop can do 'em. And freshly made lamb-and-artichoke sausages, as well, and a plethora of rolls and buns to accompany. All properly prepared, tasty af, and ready to reserve for your holiday feasting. Pre-order now for pickup on Sat., April 16.
2406 Manor Rd.
512/524-0688
daidue.com

SWOOP GARDEN: EASTER BRUNCH
The Swoop Garden is that curated verdant paradise surrounding Swoop House, of course, and on Sunday it'll be host to an excellent service of brunch that features delights from the culinary crew of Sawyer & Co. Beginning with passed hors d'ouevres (while the kiddos enjoy an Easter egg hunt) and continuing with a buffet of garden salad, carved leg of lamb, smoked salmon, toasted focaccio, mini veggie and bacon-and-cheese quiches, hash brown casserole, and an amazing dessert trio to sweeten the finale among all that lovely spring foliage. Click here for reservations.
Sun., April 17, 11am
3012 Gonzales, 512/467-6600
$55 ($25, ages 10 and younger)
2dine4.com

VISCONTI RISTORANTE: EASTER BRUNCH BUFFET
The signature restaurant of Hotel Granduca Austin presents its annual holiday fête amid the venue's elegant surrounds, loading their tables with starters of chilled smoked carrots, scrambled eggs with chives, a baked brie cheese bar, and more; with entrees of slow-roasted Angus striploin, rigatoni, grilled chicken, roasted salmon, and even more; and of course the sweet finishers of carrot cake, Rice Krispie eggs nest, lemon lover's bars, and assorted cheesecakes. You can wash all these delicacies down with juice or coffee, sure, but there'll also be a Bloody Mary bar and a mimosa bar.
Sun., April 17, 11am-3pm
320 Capital of TX Hwy. S., Bldg. B
512/306-6400
$65-89 ($20, kids; free, ages five and younger)
granducaaustin.com

GOODALL'S KITCHEN: EASTER BRUNCH BUFFET
Head over to the Hotel Ella's superb restaurant for a decadent prix-fixe family-style brunch on Easter Sunday. Get you some of that tender flank steak (or baked salmon) accompanied by the likes of deviled eggs, roasted asparagus, charred carrot potato salad, corn maque choux, and more – there's something for everyone in this lineup, tell you what. Desserts? Try the mini coconut cream pies, lemon bars, and sugar cookies. And, bonus bunny tip: The Tiny Tails to You petting zoo(!) will visit the Hotel Ella lawn from 2-5pm.
Sun., April 17, 10am-5pm
1900 Rio Grande St.
512/495-1800
$85 ($30, kids)
hotelella.com/goodalls

YARD BAR: EASTER BASSETS
Yes, you read that right. Bring your furry friends up to Yard Bar for their Easter Bassets egg hunt and photo fun event. Let your dog sniff out their very own Easter egg filled with prizes – like treats, memberships, and more – from the folks at Happy Basset and Tomlinson's. Spring-themed photo props will be provided for peak bunny-ear cuteness. Basset Hounds encouraged but not required to join in on the fun (there will also be a Basset Hound meetup in the off-leash park).
Sat., April 16, 2-5pm
6700 Burnet Rd.
512/900-3773
$9
yardbar.com

TRULUCK'S EASTER EXTRAVAGANCE
In addition to Truluck's usual menu of seafood and steaks, both Austin locations will showcase some "special offerings" for Easter. Two items are special enough to shout out right here: 1) Lobster Thermidor made with chunks of spiny lobster tail meat simmered in a creamy shellfish sauce with Havarti cheese, mushrooms, and tarragon; and 2) the Easter Bloom cocktail, composed of Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac, almond orgeat, Angostura, bitters, lemon and lime juice, all strained into a martini glass and garnished with dried tea roses and an orchid. That particular combo will set you back almost $150, yes, but – Easter comes only once a year, n'est-ce pas?
Fri.-Sun., April 15-17
400 Colorado
512/482-9000
trulucks.com

ABA MEDITERRANEAN: PASSOVER FEAST
For Passover this year, Austinites can enjoy an Aba's dinner to-go, featuring traditional dishes with a Mediterranean twist – including classic hummus; parmesan, potato, and Brussels sprout latkes; matzoh ball soup; leafy green salad; slow-braised short rib; crispy chicken thigh, and an almond tart. ($54; orders must be placed by Wed., April 13, 9am for carryout and delivery on Fri. and Sat., 11am-4pm.) OTOH, if you want to dine in the restaurant, you can get many of those excellent noms (and pan-roasted halibut) during dinner service on April 15-16. See website for more.
1011 S. Congress, Bldg 2 #180
737/273-0199
abarestaurants.com

L’OCA D’ORO: PASSOVER SEDERS
For the first time since 2019, L’Oca d’Oro is hosting Passover Seders, where families and friends can get together to enjoy great service and a delicious dinner, regardless of faith.Those who attend can expect a unique and provocative pre-meal service hosted by Rabbi Neil Blumofe (Agudas Achim) on one night and Cantor Sarah Avner (Beth Israel) on the other. The meals will feature chef Fiore Tedesco’s take on some traditional Passover dishes like matzoh ball soup, brisket, tzimmes and charoset. Note: A 10% service charge of sales each night will be donated to the participating synagogues.
Tue., April 19, 6pm
1900 Simond
737/212-1876
$100
locadoroaustin.com

FIERCE WHISKERS: SONGKRAN + PI MAI
Fierce Whiskers Distillery's newest installment of their Chef Series is a Songkran / Pi Mai festival with chef Thai Changthong and chef Mia Li from Thai Kun and chef Bob Somsith from SXSE Food Co. Experience the Songkran and Pi Mai festivals and amazing live-fire dishes including whole roasted pig, Thai-style octopus, and more. Tickets bring access to the festival, all food stations, and two cocktails from the night's special drinks menu.
Sun., April 17, 3 & 5:30pm
5333 Fleming Ct.
$125
fiercewhiskers.com

DELICIOUSNESS DELIVERED DIRECT:

CHOCOLATE ZOMBIE EASTER BUNNY
Yeah, this one ain't local, but, as the popular slogan used to say, "You've got a friend in Pennsylvania," right? This particular friend is called Sugar Plum, and they make chocolates of all kinds for all occasions, and right now they have chocolate zombie bunnies (and those zombies' decapitated victims) to give your Easter celebrations just the sort of grisly twist you've … always … wanted? Hella tasty and macabre, to be sure. Just the sort of confection to chomp on while screening, say, Night of the Lepus. (Although, as Wikipedia tells us, that movie has gained cult status for "its laughably poor quality." These chocolate zombunnies, OTOH, are of admirably high quality and limited edition – and going fast, so check 'em out ASAP.)
$20 and up
sugar-plum.com

EASTERN STANDARD PROVISIONS
This epicenter of culinary bounty is *chef’s kiss* any time of the year, of course, but damned if they don’t have “EASTER” right in their name. And when it comes to waffles – Belgian liege waffles, to be specific, whether plain or coated in chocolate – the kitchens at ESP are nigh on unmatchable. (Don’t take your reporter’s palate’s word for it; his wife, a seasoned Midwestern aficionado of all things toastable and breakfasty, will vouch in spades.) These wonderful squares of bready yum will supercharge any brunch – much as Eastern Standard’s variety of giant pretzels and pretzel sticks (and more) will do for lunches or anytime snacking. Thus do we recommend the Happy Easter Gift Box ($34.99). But! Thinking farther ahead: Imagine gifting one of their Gourmet Liège Belgian Waffle Gift Box ($29.99) to your favorite girl for Mother’s Day. Or, you know her better, perhaps mom would prefer that Gourmet Soft Pretzel Box ($29.99) instead? Suggestion: Srsly, give these provisions a try and see if you’re not like, “Thanks for existing, internets!”
esprovisions.com

IN GOOD TASTE: WINE FOR THESE TIMES
We’re not telling you to eschew the usual mimosas or anything like that – heavens, no! But there are so many wines in the world, and so many that perfectly enhance a holiday like Easter. To be honest, there are so many that enhance a holiday like any holiday – even if that holiday is “Yay, I survived another day at work!” But, how do you choose among all of them? Aside from, like, driving to tastings when you can find them, hauling your weary carcass to vineyards hither and yon, spending your hardearned simeoleons on big bottles of the vintners’ craft? Well, here’s a solution for you: In Good Taste brings an assortment of fine wines right to your doorstep, with a diverse selection of mini bottles that includes wine varietals from California, Italy, Spain, France, and more. Each wine is handpicked and available in limited batches, allowing you to discover a new region or style of winemaking you might not have considered before. And, bonus: Each bottle contains 187ml (about a glass and a half of sippable goodness), and those little glass vessels are excellent for upcycling.
$65 for an eight-pack
ingoodtaste.com