Don't Have Egg On Your Face Come Easter: Book Your NYC Brunch In Advance

by CARSON GRIFFITH · April 10, 2009

    With Easter coming up this weekend, many of us will be having house guests and out of town visitors to entertain. Maybe like me, your parents will be visiting, and expecting brunch on Sunday, something that has become practically a religion here. Being the easy-going/slacker daughter that I am, I suggested my parents pick the location and make a reservation for the Holiday meal. Being the procrastinating type of parents they always have been, of course they didn't. So this week I tried to make reservations - and failed miserably. So you don't suffer next year like I did, we thought we'd give you a word of advice to what some of the hardest brunch spots are to get a table on Easter...

    Hardest Places To Get A Table Easter Sunday: In Order of Potential Humiliation

    10. Norma's 118 West 57th St, Parker Meridien

    Great idea - that me and the rest of New York City had. I'm surprised I didn't get a busy signal. I did, however, get put on hold.

    9. Mercer Kitchen 147 Mercer Street

    I can't really see my Rush-Limbaugh-loving father brunching at the Mercer, but I thought I'd give it a try regardless. I shouldn't have even bothered.

    8. Artisanal 2 Park Avenue

    A choice between prix fare and a la mode seemed nice. My only option of eating at 3pm did not.

    7. Payard 1032 Lexington Ave

    This one was for my mom. I think it would have been easier to book a ticket to Paris to get pastries.

    6. The Ritz 50 Central Park South

    A true New York institution - that refused to cut this New Yorker a break.

    5. Jean Georges 1 Central Park W

    Ok, I was desperate. Price wasn't an issue at this point. And apparently it wasn't to anyone else - because nothing was available.

    4. Four Seasons 57 east 57th street

    Apparently Asian cuisine is the trendy thing for Easter brunch nowadays, and I almost missed the memo.

    3. Tavern on the Green W 67th Street and Central Park W

    Tourist trap, but so are my parents - tourists, that is. Should have called earlier - by 3 months.

    2. Balthazar 80 Spring Street

    The girl snorted in amusement at me on the phone when I told her what I was calling about. I asked for a reservation, not The Holy Grail.

    1. The Boathouse Cafe 72 Central Park W

    If it's any indication of how hard it is to get a table for brunch for 4 here the week before Easter, I'm on a WAIT LIST for a reservation. That I was told I probably had NO chance of getting off of.

    If you need me on Sunday, I'll probably be at Corner Bistro. And remember to make your Easter brunch reservations early next year - I'd suggest oh, around New Year's.

    Happy Easter and Happy Brunching from all of us at Guest of a Guest!