One pandemic-era tradition that's worth keeping: outsourcing Easter dinner. Some of the best restaurants in the Twin Cities are offering take-and-bake meals, from kid-friendly treats and a multitude of egg-bake options to meals fit for Grandma's wedding china. Being able to carefully unwrap all the goodies instead of spending hours in the kitchen leaves more time for nibbling chocolate bunnies and hunting for that one last hidden egg.
Chef/owner Jon Wipfli's smoker is fired up for the holiday weekend. Meal kits include a ham-brined, smoked coppa pork shoulder, slow-cooked mayacoba beans, a pound of roasted asparagus with champagne vinaigrette, fresh hot-cross buns and an orange coriander pound cake with strawberries and cream ($125, serves five). Order via Tock for pickup on April 16.
Bauhaus Brew Labs, 1315 Tyler St. NE, Mpls., exploretock.com/animalesbbq/
A brunch of French finery, Gavin Kaysen's Bellecour Bakery in the North Loop will prepare the entire meal to serve two to three ($60) or four ($100) with a spinach and cheese quiche, green salad and a choice of pastries. Add-ons are available, as well, including a towering strawberry and lemon crêpe cake ($95) that's also available by the slice ($9.50). Order for pickup April 15, 16 or 17.
210 N. 1st St., Mpls., 612-223-8167, exploretock.com/bellecourbakery
Chef Mike Rakun's Minnetonka eatery is known for its fabulous breakfast fare. Choose from three flavors of egg bakes: ham and Gruyère, crab and asparagus, or spinach with bacon and goat cheese. Each dinner comes with cream cheese hash browns, ham, monkey bread, strawberry spinach salad and a fruit plate. Serves up to six for $125. Pick up April 16 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
845 E. Lake St., Wayzata, 952-923-1903, benedictswayzata.com
Chef Alex Roberts and his crew are preparing mustard- and cider-glazed ham, smothered pulled chicken, smashed red potatoes, glazed carrots and sweet peas, spinach salad, dinner rolls and pineapple upside-down cake. Serves two ($60) or four to six ($120). Pick up from 3 to 6 p.m. April 16 at Brasa's catering kitchen.
620 E. Hennepin Av., Mpls., brasa.us
Go with brunch or dinner — or both. Brunch is brown butter-cinnamon streusel coffee cake, orange-honey glazed ham, fresh fruit, bacon and sausage, mixed green salad with lemon vinaigrette, vegetable-cheese quiche and baby red potatoes ($165). Dinner is Berkshire ham or roasted leg of lamb, mixed green salad with berries, deviled egg salad, grilled broccolini, potato gratin, baguette and Key lime blackberry pie ($185-$215). Meals serve up to six; order by April 12 for pickup from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 16.
8700 Edinbrook Crossing, Brooklyn Park, or 5418 Wayzata Blvd., Golden Valley, 612-238-4444, order.damicocatering.com
Get both sweet and savory with this take-and-heat meal for four, which includes a spring greens salad; thick-cut French toast; Gouda hash; an egg bake with cheese, onions, peppers and a croissant crust; brown sugar-glazed ham and cinnamon rolls. Preorder online by April 13 for pickup April 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $79.95.
5028 France Av. S., 952-927-7933, edinagrill.com
Get both sweet and savory with this take-and-heat meal for four, which includes a spring greens salad; thick-cut French toast; Gouda hash; an egg bake with cheese, onions, peppers and a croissant crust; brown sugar-glazed ham and cinnamon rolls. Preorder online by April 13 for pickup April 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $79.95.
701 Washington Av. N., Mpls., 612-339-7011, freehousempls.com
Fill out your Easter dinner with several a la carte options. Start with small bites — charcuterie and cheese board ($150) or sea smoke fish board ($150). Pick up the main dish, including a 6-pound smoked apricot- and herb-stuffed leg of lamb ($165), beef Wellington ($220) or a 7-pound spiral, bone-in hickory smoked ham ($80). But don't forget sides, which include a 10-layer cheesy potato gratin ($35) and roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta ($35). Or brunch fixings such as quiche ($38) and French toast bake ($38). Order by April 12 for pickup on April 15 and 16.
326 S. Broadway, Wayzata, 952-466-6100, thegrocerstablemn.com
Take a cue from the city of lights for this Easter brunch. Chef Jamie Malone and crew are artfully boxing up beautiful dishes, including mortadella and black truffle eggs en cocotte, bibb salad with sherry vinaigrette, pea Madeleines with delice butter and sticky buns ($45 per person; order for up to 12). Some of Malone's signature dishes are also available as add-ons, including the foie gras custard in an eggshell that was so popular at Grand Cafe. Order by April 12 at 10 a.m. for pickup or delivery on April 15.
Paris Dining Club, 414 3rd Av. N., Mpls., parisdiningclub.com
Get both sweet and savory with this take-and-heat meal for four, which includes a spring greens salad; thick-cut French toast; Gouda hash; an egg bake with cheese, onions, peppers and a croissant crust; brown sugar-glazed ham and cinnamon rolls. Preorder online by April 13 for pickup April 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $79.95.
2990 West River Pkwy., Mpls., 612-721-2711, longfellowgrill.com
Get both sweet and savory with this take-and-heat meal for four, which includes a spring greens salad; thick-cut French toast; Gouda hash; an egg bake with cheese, onions, peppers and a croissant crust; brown sugar-glazed ham and cinnamon rolls. Preorder online by April 13 for pickup April 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $79.95.
2112 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., 612-341-2112, thelowryuptown.com
Get both sweet and savory with this take-and-heat meal for four, which includes a spring greens salad; thick-cut French toast; Gouda hash; an egg bake with cheese, onions, peppers and a croissant crust; brown sugar-glazed ham and cinnamon rolls. Preorder online by April 13 for pickup April 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $79.95.
12690 Arbor Lakes Pkwy., Maple Grove, 763-425-3330, 3squaresrestaurant.com
Infuse your holiday with some of that Travail fun via a big ol' hunk of meat and a sweet. Order ahead for a 3-pound ham with Ron Burgundy glaze (smoky and probably a little Scotch-y) with a strawberry rhubarb torte that feeds four ($115). Order ahead for pickup on April 16 from noon to 2 p.m.
4134 Hubbard Av. N., Robbinsdale, 763-535-1131, travailkitchen.com
Red Cow or Red Rabbit restaurants are offering a heat-and-serve Easter brunch, dinner or both. Brunch includes biscuits and gravy egg bake, Duroc ham, bacon, breakfast sausage, roasted breakfast potatoes, fruit and pecan caramel rolls ($89). On the dinner menu: local Duroc ham with glaze, grilled asparagus with spinach, smoked Gouda hash browns, carrot and squash casserole, artisan bread with herb butter, lemon berry salad and carrot cake ($189). Both meal kits serve five to seven. Order through April 13 for pickup on April 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Uptown Red Cow location only. Bonus: meet the Easter bunny at pickup.
All orders picked up at Red Cow Uptown, 2626 Hennepin Av., Mpls., redcownmn.com or redrabbitmn.com.
All three Revival fried chicken restaurants are offering a Southern-tinged take-and-bake option. A feast of a whole bird or brown sugar-glazed ham, German potato salad, mac and cheese, Southern green beans, buttermilk biscuits and a butterscotch pie will serve four ($120). Order online (or by calling the restaurants) for pickup on April 15 or 16.
4257 Nicollet Av., Mpls., 612-345-4516; 8028 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, 952-303-4125; 525 Selby Av., St. Paul, 651-340-2355; revivalrestaurants.com
Get the whole day taken care of with Easter brunch and dinner. Brunch is hot and ready to be picked up between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Easter Sunday. Packed inside are banana nut muffins, apple fritters with honey butter, spring salad, egg strata with asparagus, tomato, mushrooms and a Parmesan béchamel. For dinner, there is a honey-glazed ham with gravy and raisin sauce, garganelli Bolognese, roasted carrots, crushed red potatoes, sweet potato purée with crème fraîche and a blueberry pie with lemon whipped cream. $96, serves two.
4453 Lake Av. S., White Bear Lake, 651-407-7317, acqua-restaurants.com
Classic Buttered Tin eats and sweets are available to bake at home. On the menu: egg bake (choose from veggie or meat), a berry bowl, house salad and dinner rolls ($95, serves eight to 10). Don't forget to order a pie ($34.04); a la carte items, including ham ($9 a pound) and freshly frozen pumpkin cinnamon rolls ($9 a dozen), are available, too. Order by April 9 for pickup on April 16.
237 E. 7th St., St. Paul, 651-224-2300; 2445 NE. Marshall St., Mpls., 612-234-4224; thebutteredtin.com
The full traditional brunch takeout is available at both the Grand Avenue and Como locations. Fischer Farms ham is glazed and sliced ($11 per pound), leg of lamb ($22 per pound) is served with gremolata, an egg bake ($14) is studded with spring peas and asparagus. On the sweet side, there's carrot cake ($9), monkey bread ($8), biscuits and jam ($9) and more. Order by April 14 for pickup on April 16.
1340 Grand Av., St. Paul, 651-414-0543; 2315 Como Av., St. Paul, 651-797-4027; colossalcafe.com
Get both sweet and savory with this take-and-heat meal for four, which includes a spring greens salad; thick-cut French toast; Gouda hash; an egg bake with cheese, onions, peppers and a croissant crust; brown sugar-glazed ham and cinnamon rolls. Preorder online by April 13 for pickup April 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $79.95.
771 S. Cleveland Av., St. Paul, 651-690-1173, highlandgrill.com
Brunch, lunch or dinner? Tailor your Easter dinner to your tastes. Start with herb-roasted strip loin and honey-glazed ham, au gratin potatoes, green beans, Caesar (or garden salad) and dinner rolls. Serves four to six, $149. Add-ons include a cheesy egg scramble ($35), cinnamon or caramel-pecan rolls ($16), Atlantic salmon ($55), mac and cheese ($40), Key lime pie ($19), a macaron six-pack ($12) and more. Order by 5 p.m. on April 15; pick up on April 17, hot and ready to go.
1565 Cliff Road, Eagan, 651-340-7809, masonjar.kitchen
Knock out a doubleheader with order-ahead brunch offerings and whimsical treats to tuck into the Easter baskets with Rose Street Patisserie's a la carte offerings. There's vegetarian quiche, French toast kit, strawberry rhubarb Danish, spring salad, or a full Easter basket kit with chocolate bunnies and sunny-side up eggs. Prices range from $6 to $60. Order before April 14 for pickup on April 15-17.
171 N. Snelling Av., St. Paul, 651-556-4488, patisserie46.com/rose-street-patisserie
This Lowertown restaurant is known for its upscale takes on classic comfort fare. For Easter brunch takeout the menu includes ham and Gruyère egg bake, cheesy hash browns, and baked French toast with Chomeur and a yogurt parfait. $60, serves two. Order ahead for pickup on April 16 from 2-3 p.m.
261 E. 5th St., St. Paul, 651-800-1415, saintdinette.com
Nicole Ploumen Hvidsten is the Star Tribune's Taste editor and senior editor of Star Tribune Magazine. In past journalistic lives she was a reporter, copy editor and designer — sometimes all at once — and has yet to find a cookbook she doesn't like.
Joy Summers is a food and drink reporter for the Star Tribune.
© 2022 StarTribune. All rights reserved.