Easter is a great foodie feast! Lamb, pork, fish, and pies all make an appearance. So what’s appearing on tables around town this weekend?
If you prefer to dine out on Easter, the always elegant Highlawn Pavilion, 1 Crest Drive, West Orange, will be hosting a special Easter Brunch priced at $59 per adult and $29.50 for ages 4 – 13. The menu, prepared by Executive Chef Mitchell Altholz, will offer fresh burrata with grilled eggplant and roasted peppers, and Berskshire pork tenderloin, grilled Filet Mignon with truffle mashed potatoes and more. For the entire menu, click here.
Rose Mediterranean, 435 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, is a great BYOB option for Easter. In addition to the regular menu, Chef Joe Albergo is preparing two special Easter soups, Andalusian Gazpacho, a chilled tomato soup with cucumber, bell peppers, pimentos and garlic with a hint of jalapeno, as well as Rose’s Straciatella, a riff on the traditional Italian egg drop soup. The menu will also feature orange and fennel salad, lamb meatballs, lobster ravioli, rack of lamb, and more.
I checked in with my favorite local foodies on Summit Avenue, the gastro-mechanic Lou Palma, the founder of Cooking With Friends Club, Alison Bermack, and Christina O’Neill. This year, Lou will be serving guests appetizers, including Curried Chicken Empanadas, which he made with the help of Alison and Christina. Also on the Palma menu will be an outstanding homemade porchetta- pork belly filled with homemade sausage, fresh fennel, garlic, rosemary, ground fennel. Lou will also be preparing a home smoked Turkey. If you want to take a peek at the smoker, click here.
Lou Palma and the SmokeIf you’re still shopping for you Easter meal, head down to Mastriano’s Butcher Shop, 1058 Broad Street, Bloomfield. According to Eddie Milano, co-owner of Mastriano’s, the big seller is leg of lamb. Mastriano’s has domestic Colorado lamb, bone in, at $8.99 per pound and boneless for $14.99 per pound. For the hard-core buona pasqua, Mastriano’s also has whole baby lamb, with head, (that’s right, Capozzelli Di Agnelli), at $8.99 per pound. Mastriano’s will be open every day this week until Sunday.
So what are your foodie plans for Easter?
