A recent RetailMeNot survey found that Americans will spend an average of $55 on Easter celebrations this year, and most plan to spend their budgets on candy, 79%; food and beverage, 67%; flowers, 37%; greeting cards, 30%; and home decor, 26%. 

Here are some Easter ideas for going out, as well as a list of deals for those last-minute shoppers who plan to celebrate at home.

Cork Dork, in Thousand Oaks, will be hosting its first Easter brunch on Sunday, April 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day will include an all-you-can-drink champagne bar and exclusive off-menu dishes like challah French toast with mixed berries, whip cream and Rivendale farms maple syrup, and the “it” breakfast dish of the moment, shakshuka with roasted tomatoes and peppers, farm eggs, Drake Farms feta cheese and toasted flatbread. The Sunday meal will be finished off with a choice of three desserts –  Thyme for Cookies, vanilla panna cotta with berries, and peanut butter chocolate custard.

Easter

“It” breakfast dish of the moment, shakshuka (Courtesy Cork Dork)

Hop into  brunch with the Easter Bunny at 21 Square Bar + Kitchen in Torrance on Sunday for an action-packed Easter egg hunt and selection of waffles, breakfast potatoes, chilaquiles, bacon and chicken apple sausages, a watermelon feta or caesar salad, chicken breast, grilled salmon, grilled vegetables and desserts. Book your table on Open Table at https://www.opentable.com/r/21-square-marriott-torrance.

The all-you-can-eat Sofitel Los Angeles Eggstravagant Easter Brunch  will take place on the outdoor garden patio with Easter favorites including lamb, crab cakes, traditional egg dishes, and chocolate desserts, as well as an Easter Egg hunt. Upon entry, the 21 and over crowd can enjoy Sofitel’s signature Easter cocktail – the Faberge Egg, which blends bittersweet and floral notes for Tanqueray Gin Sevilla Orange with the softness of a shaken egg white. It’s $65 per adult, $45 per child ages 5 to 12, and free for children under 5. 

Redbird Chef Neal Fraser and team will be preparing an Easter Sunday brunch in the open-air Main Dining Room, indoor Lounge and outdoor Garden on Sunday, April 17, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a special prix fixe menu below for $65++ per person, and children 10 and under $21++ per person. 

MENU

First choice of:

KAYA TOAST coconut custard, soy caramel, spicy cashew
WHITE ASPARAGUS yuzu hollandaise, pickled sea beans, smoked trout roe
BURRATA SALAD strawberries, pistachio, endive, basil
HERITAGE PORK CONFIT frisee, tangerine, buttermilk vinaigrette, cracklins
TARTINE cured salmon, crushed avocado, rose radish, salted cucumber

Main choice of:

RICOTTA CAVATELLI wild boar sugo, english peas, marjoram, fiore sardo
CONGEE maine lobster, soft egg, scallion, sichuan chili oil
FRITTATA smoked ham, gruyere, spring onion, fines herbes
KING SALMON leek fondue, asparagus, chanterelles, meyer lemon
DUCK CONFIT CHILAQUILES cocoa nib mole, avocado, fried egg
BASQUE BAKED EGGS short rib, morcilla, piquillos, pee wee potatoes, ossau iraty

Kids Menu choice of:

SOFT SCRAMBLED EGGS toast, fruit cup

CAVATELLI parmesan, butter, fruit cup

WAFFLE maple syrup, whipped butter, fruit cup

CHICKEN TENDERS fries, fruit cup

Easter

White asparagus with yuzu hollandaise, pickled sea beans and smoked trout roe (Courtesy Redbird)

THEBlvd Restaurant will celebrate Easter with a special brunch menu on Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17 from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The menu will include brunch favorites like French toast, crab and egg white frittata, lobster risotto, a seafood platter and caviar. On Sunday, there will be live music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and kids age 9 and under can take home a complimentary Easter basket filled with house-made goodies. 

All weekend, it will feature an instagrammable moment to take Easter photos, and pastry Chef Riccardo Menicucci has created a larger-than-life chocolate egg that will be on display in the main lobby. Next to the display will be a basket filled with house-made chocolates and delights for little (and big) hands to grab.

Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel is offering a family Easter weekend with an Easter Brunch by the Beach Room Package that includes brunch overlooking the water, an Easter egg hunt, photos with the Easter Bunny, and Seaside Cinema with movies like “Hop.” The brunch includes a waffle bar, carved leg of lamb, omelet bar, Pizza Rustica, a kids table, and mimosa bar, as well as live music and DIY Craft Bunny Ears.

Santa Anita Park will be hosting its annual Easter brunch and an Easter egg hunt featuring more than 35,000 Easter eggs, an appearance by the Easter Bunny, arts and  crafts with egg decorating and sand art, spring carnival and pony rides, a baby goats exhibit, as well as horse racing all day. Admission to the infield is $5 (includes a program and general parking). Kids age 17 and under are free with paid adults. Egg hunts will be sold the day of the event for $4 per hunt. Easter baskets are available for sale at the event location. Cash only!

The first hunt will be at 11:30 a.m. There will be 11 hunts (last hunt after Race 8). Age groups are 1-3 years old, 4-6 years old and 7-11 years old.

Looking over Santa Anita’s main track with a panorama view of the San Gabriel Mountains as the backdrop, the FrontRunner will be offering an Easter Buffet beginning at noon.

Easter

Brunch at the beach (Courtesy Loews Hotels)

For home shoppers, here are some ways to save a little green this spring from RetailMeNot:

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