Michele StuevenAccording to the Farmer’s Almanac, Easter and the other religious holidays related to it like Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday and Good Friday, are called moveable feasts, meaning that they aren’t fixed dates on the calendar. Instead, these holidays are assigned according to a lunisolar calendar, which aligns the moon’s phases and the sun’s position in the sky. Passover and other Jewish holidays also subscribe to the lunisolar calendar.
If it feels early this year, it’s not. The almanac says that according to a fourth-century ruling, the date of Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first full Moon of spring. It occurs on or shortly after the spring equinox. March 22 is the earliest Easter can occur in any given year, and April 25 is the latest. If the first spring full Moon happens to fall on a Sunday, Easter Sunday will be observed on the following Sunday.
Here are our moveable feast picks for Easter:
Parkers’ Lighthouse in Long Beach will host its annual Easter Brunch on Sunday, March 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The buffet will feature traditional breakfast favorites, a chilled seafood and sushi display, carving stations, a mac and cheese station and an omelet station. Brunch will include complimentary champagne, mimosas, fresh-squeezed orange juice, coffee, tea and soft drinks. Prices are $89 for adults and $30 for children ages 5 to 12. Reservations for the brunch buffet are open now.
Courtesy Parker’s Lighthouse
The San Pedro Fish Market – Long Beach San Pedro Fish Market Easter and Holy Week special features The Family Favorites Tray with an assortment of seafood delicacies accompaniments, now through Sunday, March 31. The World Famous Shrimp Tray includes fresh swordfish, tender baby octopus, black mussels, sweet corn and sausage. For a limited time, guests can enjoy the seafood bonanza at a special sale price of $109.99.
The Gourmandise School at Santa Monica Place will offer an Easter cookie-decorating class on Saturday, March 30, from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., to learn how to decorate cookies with egg, carrot, tulip, chick, bunny and sheep designs.
This year, Toca Madera will offer Easter specials all weekend long, Friday, March 29 through Sunday, March 31. Available for brunch and dinner, offerings include a Wagyu carne relleno with roasted poblano, charred scallions, queso chihuahua, sunchoke purée, and a Black & White Napoleon made with almond sponge cake, amaretto mousse, white chocolate cherry mousse and almond tuile, $22. Reservations can be made here.
Observe Good Friday or celebrate Easter at Water Grill with a variety of fish dishes including farmed New Zealand king salmon served with heirloom carrots and vadouvan curry butter; wild Chilean sea bass, complete with butternut squash gnocchi and sage brown butter or wild Mexican swordfish, featuring a la plancha with spaghetti squash and tapenade.
Chilean sea bass (Courtesy Water Grill)
Ardor by Chef John Fraser at The West Hollywood EDITION will feature a multi-course, vegetable-forward brunch, inspired by the flavors and produce of spring, in the greenery-filled dining room and jungle-esque outdoor patio. The Easter brunch will feature a dessert garden, a carving station, an omelet station, and a series of shareable starters for $130.
The menu features a selection of starters for the table including the famous milk bread, oysters and seafood, local cheese and charcuterie, and farmers market fruits and vegetables served with Ardor’s signature hummus and paprika vinaigrette. The brunch will continue with selections from the chef’s table, including local hen eggs prepared to your preference and a carving board of hibachi grilled lamb and charred local carrots. Entrees include short rib fried rice, sweet potato curry, king crab pasta, steak frites, Aleppo crusted shrimp, waffle fried chicken, WeHo Goddess salad and the Ardor burger. The dessert garden is a feast of indulgent confections like chocolate Easter eggs, macarons, carrot cakes, assorted cookies, pineapple upside-down cakes, fruit tarts, and more.
As the sun sets, The Georgian’s cozy basement Italian steakhouse, The Georgian Room, will open for a special Easter edition of its weekly supper series, Spaghetti Sunday. The series by Chef David Almany consists of red sauce Italian favorites for the whole family to enjoy in a setting of dark green leather booths and red gingham tablecloths. The $85 coursed menu begins with shareable portions of garlic bread, marinated artichokes alla Romana, Caesar salad and burrata. The main course features a family-style serving of spaghetti, with an individual choice of protein, from branzino filet, chicken parm, sausage and peppers, prime filet mignon and eggplant parm. Finally, each family can share an array of seasonal desserts. Book your reservation on Resy.
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