Easter time is here. Why not spend it at the Children’s Museum of Memphis’ Breakfast with Benny the Bunny on Saturday, April 15th, from 10 a.m. to noon? Children, ages 2 to 8, will be able to pet live rabbits, decorate Easter hats and bags, and make “surprise eggs.” Admission is $7 for members and $12 for nonmembers. Space is limited. To make reservations, call 458-2678.
Children’s Museum of Memphis,
2525 Central Avenue
Looking for something more grown-up? How about Easter Sunday brunch? The Inn at Hunt Phelan is now open for Sunday brunch, and its patio will make a nice spot for that Easter-morning mimosa, followed by lobster crepe with mushrooms, poached eggs with paneed veal and Creole sauce, and strawberries and cream.
The Inn at Hunt Phelan, 533 Beale (525-8225)
Easter also kicks off Sunday brunch as a permanent feature at Wally Joe restaurant. The Easter brunch will feature a three-course menu for $29. A regular Joe-style menu — duck confit hash, Gulf shrimp and grits, the “wj” burger, vanilla crepes — will be offered every Sunday thereafter. The trade-off? Starting the week after Easter, the restaurant will no longer serve lunch.
Wally Joe, 5040 Sanderlin (818-0821)
For a traditional Greek Easter meal, Jim’s Place is your place. The restaurant will be open for lunch on Easter, serving roast leg of lamb and souflima (a savory pork entrée) as well as your favorite Southern dishes, such as pecan-crusted catfish.
Jim’s Place, 5560 Shelby Oaks (388-7200)
If you’re craving Asian, check out some of the new Asian restaurants that have opened around town. Lobster King (Nha Hang) offers Cantonese-style food, with an emphasis on seafood and dim sum. The menu includes sesame jellyfish, fried intestines, Peking duck, lobster, and conch in a variety of preparations. You can also get dim sum with afternoon tea or for dinner seven days a week. Taro almond roll, steamed barbecue pork buns, chicken feet, and turnip cakes are just a few of the dim sum choices.
If you are in a hurry, you can get your fix at the Lobster King Buffet, which is housed in the adjacent Viet Hoa Food Market. You can also get carryout items such as Vietnamese sandwiches for $2, a cup of fried rice for 99 cents, and a box of three buffet items for $3.99.
Lobster King, 32 N. Cleveland
(725-5990); Viet Hoa Food Market,
40 N. Cleveland (726-9388)
A little farther north from Lobster King is another hidden treasure: My-Thanh Oriental Food Market & Restaurant. The Tran family has owned and operated the business since 1992. Just recently, they expanded the restaurant to add a lunch buffet, which is open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and costs $5.95.
Or, if you’re really hungry, you can get the whole thing: Van and My Tran are ready to retire and are looking for someone to take over the business.
My-Thanh, 306 N. Cleveland (725-5079)
On Union, Pei Wei Asian Diner is scheduled to open in May. Pei Wei, a chain restaurant based in Scottsdale, Arizona, offers a mix of influences from Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and China. That translates into Pei Wei spicy chicken salad, Dan Dan noodle bowl, and signature dishes such as Asian coconut curry and Mandarin Kung Pao.
Pei Wei Asian Diner, 1680 Union (725-5142)
