Chocolate-dipped Peeps from Compartes Chocolatier

Seems like everyone is eggcited (sorry) about Easter this year what with all the Easter brunches around town. But I thought I’d narrow things down to Easter brunches with a twist, with something other than the usual holiday fare. And I’ve also included cocktail and sweet treat options.

Big Deal: Henry’s Hat in Studio City — Give your server the password “bunny hop” and you will score half off your food order! Also, it’s bottomless mimosas and sangrias and 2-for-1 Bloody Marys and mojitos every weekend brunch.

• Henry’s Hat, 3413 Cahuenga Boulevard, Studio City (map). (323) 512-2500.

High Tea and Easter Activities: Royal/T Cafe in Culver City — A la carte menu or $25 high tea. A la carte menu with $9 Sunday scramble, $7 brioche French toast and $8 breakfast sandwiches and more. Plus a special Easter high tea set for $25 that includes Easter-themed treats and a carrot cupcake. Kiddies can be busied with three free different workshops: bunny ears-making, yarn flowers and egg-decorating. LA artist Lyman Sebastian Tillinger will also be on hand from 12 to 3pm to create Ukrainian-inspired Easter egg art.

• 10am-5pm. Royal/T Cafe, 8910 Washington Boulevard, Culver City (map). (310) 559-6300.

South of the Border: Fuego at the Maya in Long Beach — $26.95/person; $12/child. Enjoy a caliente brunch on the sunny patio of this Long Beach hotel restaurant. Fill up your plates from the salad bar, taquito station, ceviche bar and dessert tables. And choose from entrees like the Chilaquiles Divorciados, Cerveza-Braised Pork Carnitas and Baja Lobster Platter. Menu.

• 10am-2pm. Fuego at the Maya, 700 Queensway Drive, Long Beach (map). Reservations: (562) 481-3910.

Old Hollywood: Hollywood Roosevelt’s Dakota Chop House — $39/person. An elegant buffet brunch at Marilyn Monroe’s old haunt. Here, you get access to an all-you-can-eat continental buffet as well as an entree like Eggs Benedict, Huevos Rancheros, lemon ricotta pancakes or Colorado lamb rack. For an additional $12, it’s bottomless Bloody Marys and bubbly cocktails, including the “Some Like It Hot” Mary with poblano-infused tequila and Marilyn’s Favorite Mimosa of champagne, peach puree and sauternes. Free parking and Sunday papers.

• 11am-3pm. Dakota Chop House, 7000 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood (map). Reservations: Click here or call (323) 785-3037.

Poolside: The Backyard at W Los Angeles in Westwood — $42/person; $19/Child. So LA, Easter brunch by the pool. Executive Chef Monique King crafted a fresh menu of watermelon and pink grapefruit salad, brioche French toast and a basket of scones. There will also be an Easter egg hunt at noon.

• 10am-4pm. The Backyard at W Los Angeles – Westwood, 930 Hilgard Avenue, Westwood (map). Reservations: (310) 443-8211.

En Italiano: Locando del Lago in Santa Monica — 3-course menu $49-$55; 4-course menu $69; or a la carte.  The Italian wine pairing is an additional $24/person. This Santa Monica restaurant features an Easter menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Northern Italian dishes include lamb sirloin, Alaskan halibut and vegetable roulades. For dessert, you can order Easter chocolate chunk sweet bread with bitter almond sauce.

• Locando del Lago, 231 Arizona Avenue, Santa Monica (map). Reservations: (310) 451-3525.

In the Garden: Descanso Gardens in La Canada — $50/person; $20/child. Brunch in the gardens, make sure to take your Claritin first. Here, you get seasonal Ratatouille, a build-your-own waffle bar and for dessert a chocolate croissant bread pudding. Menu.

• Seatings at 9am, 10:30am, noon, and 1:30pm. 1418 Descanso Dr., La Canada Flintridge (map). Reservations: (818) 790-3663.

LA View: Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood — $85/person. Take in the views of Sunset Strip while visiting the sushi bar, risotto station, omelette station and a carving station with wild salmon and beef tenderloin. Best part has gotta be the free-flowing champagne, mimosas and Bloody Marys. Menu.

• 11:30am-3pm. Gordon Ramsay at The London, 1020 N. San Vicente, West Hollywood (map). Reservations: (310) 358-7788.

Organic: Akasha in Culver City. No prix-fixe here but lots of yummy specials like goat cheese gnocchi with fava beans ($12), herb-crusted leg of lamb with creamy polenta ($25) or sea bass with English pea and green garlic puree ($25). For booze there’s no corkage for wine or you can toast the holiday with a local sour orange mojito or blood orange and tangelo margarita.

• 4-9pm. Akasha, 9543 Culver Boulevard, Culver City (map). Reservations: (310) 845-1700.

COCKTAILS:

Cabo Cantina on Sunset Boulevard has bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys for $9.95 til 3pm.

Hungry Cat in Hollywood boasts half-priced specialty cocktails, draft beer and bottles of wine all day on Easter Sunday. Reservations: (323) 462-2155

Napa Valley Grille in Westwood may have a fab Easter brunch buffet ($49/person; $19/child) but I’m liking its tableside, made-to-order Mojitos or Bloody Mary cocktails ($12) with a choice of Grey Goose or Ketel One vodka, fresh juices, savory ingredients, and garnish options. Reservations: (310) 824-3322.

SWEETS:

Buttercake Bakery has a selection of holiday desserts, like flower cupcakes and daisy petit fours for Easter and Matzah toffee brownies and flourless chocolate cake for Passover.

Compartes Chocolatier offers special treats to make your Easter basket extra chic: chocolate dipped peeps and hand-painted chocolate bunnies.

Crumbs Bake Shop has pretty pastel Easter chocolate and vanilla cupcakes decorated with sprinkles, bunny sugar cookies or jelly beans. Or for Passover enjoy the Raspberry Red Sea nut cupcake, Holy Moses chocolate cupcake or Chocolate and Vanilla Commandments. (FYI, none are kosher for Passover.)

Simon LA in West Hollywood has a brunch that stands out because of its dedicated dessert buffet, under a tree no less, which features chocolate eggs, carrot cupcakes, coconut macaroons, house made marshmallows, assortment of cookies and more.

Sprinkles is featuring brown sugar praline and carrot cake cupcakes through April 4 as well as Passover chocolate cupcake through April 6. Or you can impress the hostess of your Easter brunch with a HOP box of the spring selection of dark chocolate, red velvet, brown sugar praline and carrot cupcakes decorated with pink and green bunnies.