Where to Eat Easter Sunday Brunch in Boston

Photo courtesy of Top of the Hub.

Top of the Hub: It’s no surprise that the highest venue for brunch is known more for the view than its food, but Top of the Hub has lofty ambitions for its Easter menu, rich in classic and creative offerings. We’re psyched about crispy cornmeal shrimp with jalapeno and cheddar grits, pico de gallo, and green chile mustard for appetizers. Entrees include Jonah crabmeat-cake benedict with blood-orange hollandaise and asparagus, or char-grilled steak and boursin cheese omelette. Or go in the sweeter direction and opt for banana and rum French toast with chocolate, strawberry and rhubarb jam. $62, $27 (children under 12), includes admission to Skywalk Observatory and live jazz performances. 800 Boylston Street (52nd floor, Prudential Tower), Boston, 617-536-1775, topofthehub.net.

Market: Give your Easter Sunday a spicy, Sriracha-infused twist at this Asian-inspired eatery. A prix-fixe lunch/dinner offered from noon on begins with scallops sashimi dressed with crispy rice and laced with chipotle emulsion, followed by a roasted-beet and ricotta salad with a solid punch of wasabi. Entrees feature beef tenderloin or sweet-chili glazed salmon, crisped with lemon crumbs. Best to leave your kids at home — Market’s better suited for the young, hip, and upwardly mobile. $55, 100 Stuart Street (W Hotel), Boston, 617-261-8725, marketbyjgboston.com.

Upstairs on the Square: Go for a three-course, festive menu with classic staples like smoked salmon on potato blinis and warm buckwheat crepes with lemon ricotta and curd. Choose from five mains, like the cast-iron French toast with organic blueberry compote, maple syrup, and sausages or the sauteed Steelhead trout with grilled bacon and brown butter vinaigrette. We’re really just gunning for the Maine lobster omelette, sweetened with Vidalia onion and served alongside Devonshire cream and celery-leaf salad. $50, $25 (children under 12). 91 Winthrop Street, Cambridge, 617-864-1933, upstairsonthesquare.com.

Catalyst: Chef William Kovel offers up a consolidated version of his a la carte menu for Easter brunch, with smaller plates like coffee-cake with cinnamon crumble, an assortment of cheeses, and parsnip soup with Jonah crab and lemon oil, as well as heartier dishes like Panko French toast, and an egg sandwich with a fennel-sausage patty, cheddar, pickled onions, and home fries. Less breakfasty fare, like rotisserie lamb or tournedos of beef, is also available. 300 Technology Square, Cambridge, 617-576-3000, catalystrestaurant.com.

L’Espalier: Talk about local: chef Frank McClelland sources maple sap straight from his very own Apple Street Farm and slathers it amongst richly-layered foie gras munchkins. We’re also putting our money on his coddled farm egg with Iberico ham, asparagus, and spring garlic. Mains include two selections, one of which is roasted duck breast and confit leg, with mushroom-scented waffle, almond, and salted caramel. Bringing the kids? McClelland has a special $35 menu for guests under 12. 774 Boylston Street, Boston, 617-262-3023, lespalier.com.

The Beehive: The restaurant’s prix-fixe menus are most affordable: at either $35 or $26, choose from apple-cinnamon breakfast pudding, luxury scrambled eggs, old-fashioned roast spiral ham with spring peas, North-African style baked sunny-side up eggs with tomato and polenta, and more. In the midst of all this traditional fare, there’s always the Beehive Prime Cheeseburger to fall back on. Kids can order off a separate $12 prix-fixe menu. Bonus: Live music and an egg hunt. 541 Tremont Street, Boston, 617-423-0069, beehiveboston.com.

Andiamo: Simple home-style catering and delivery means staples like boneless ham with glaze ($89, feeds 10-15) served on a Pyrex dish is thankfully only a phone call away. Side-dishes of equally monstrous proportions are available, with red roasted mashed potatoes ($30), glazed carrots ($30), green beans with shallot butter ($40), and sweet potato casserole ($39). Time to call in the cavalry. 100 City Square, Boston, 617-242-7300, andiamoboston.com. For delivery, last order by April 5, 9 p.m.

Oval Room at Fairmont Copley Boston: You certainly can’t go wrong at Boston’s historic and storied hotel. This buffet-style feast includes a raw bar, as well as omelette and carving stations. Other highlights include caramelized onion and Gruyere quiche and Grand Marnier French toast, with a dessert station that has festive chocolate eggs for the kids. Dress to impress. $79, $39 (children under 12). 138 St. James Avenue, Boston 02116, 617-867-8574, fairmont.com/copleyplaza. — Jon Cheng