Pioneer Valley restaurants ready for Easter

CELEBRATORY meals are, for many families, no longer athome affairs. Whether the motivation is lack of time, deficit of cooking skills, or just a desire to relax and enjoy, holidays like Easter have increasingly become a dining out must for many families.

Up and down the Pioneer Valley, restaurants have recognized the opportunity and are this year capitalizing on it with distinctive Easter dining experiences. What follows are just a few of the many possibilities on offer.

Already known for its elaborate Sunday brunches, the Delaney House in Holyoke will be hosting a special Easter brunch on Sunday, with seatings starting at 10 a.m. and continuing through midafternoon.

The brunch is a threecourse, plated meal affair, with starter choices ranging from Fresh Fruit Parfait to Smoked Salmon.

A brunch main course at the Delaney House can be breakfast-focused, taking the form of Fried Chicken & Waffles or a Lobster ’n’ Crab Omelet. Those opting for something more dinner-oriented will be able to choose from the likes of Rack of Lamb, Braised Short Ribs, Roast Turkey, and more.

The brunch is $59.95 per person with a discounted price for kids from 3 to 10 years of age. Reservations can be made at DelaneyHouse. com.

Also on Sunday, the Student Prince Cafe and Fort Restaurant in Springfield will be serving an Easter brunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with carved ham, prime rib, and a create-your-own omelet option taking center stage.

Traditional breakfast dishes and German specialties will be on the menu, as will a selection of Student Prince favorites for dessert.

Brunch is $48 for adults and $19.99 for children. Reservations can be made by calling 413-734-7475.

The Table 3 Restaurant Group in Sturbridge will offer several Easter Sunday options, with the Duck and Avellino both serving a traditional a la carte menu from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations can be made at 508-3472321.

A brunch menu will be featured at the Cedar Street Grille, while the Group’s function venue, The Barn at Wight Farm, will be offering a brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cedar Street Grille answers nel Bar, has been opened for the event, which will incorporate an extensive buffet and a Viennese dessert table. at 508-347-5800, while reservations for the Barn at Wight Farm buffet can be secured by calling 774-241-8450.

More details are available by calling 413-341-3161.

Johnny’s Tavern in Amherst will be serving an Easter Prix Fixe on Sunday, April 9. A three-course offering, the Easter menu will be priced at $50 and is available for dinein only.

Reservations can be made by calling 413-253-8000.

Hanna Devine’s Restaurant in Ware is doing a buffet-style brunch menu on the holiday, with service commencing at 8:30 a.m. and continuing until noon. An omelet station, a carving station, and waffles-to-order will be part of this buffet presentation, which is priced at $25.50 per person.

The Roosevelt Room at Union Station in Northampton will be presenting an Easter brunch on Sunday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The entire Union Station complex, including the Tun-

An Easter dinner menu featuring ham and prime rib takes over at 12:30 p.m. and remains available until 6 p.m. Reservations, which can be made by calling 413-277-0707, are strongly recommended for both brunch and dinner.

The Yarde Tavern in South Hadley Center is promoting an Easter brunch this year.

WEDNESDAY

Polish American Citizens Club 355 East Street, Ludlow, 583-6385

Bingo Wednesdays 6:30-9:30pm

Doors Open at 4pm.

Minimum Admission $50

1 - 1199 Progressive w/ Climbing Consolation Prize

2 - $500 Cover Alls

3 - $200 Special Games

All Games will be $100 with 90 People or More

All Cards are included with Admission

THURSDAY

Fairview Knights of Columbus 1599 Memorial Drive, Chicopee (413) 532-2011

DOORS OPEN 4:30PM

MASKS OPTIONAL Progressive Jackpot 6:15pm Early Bird

6:20pm Start Min. Entry Package $15

Electronic Bingo Aval. Snack Bar, Open Seating, Handicap Restrooms

CALL TODAY 413-788-1250 TO LIST HERE

Wine

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• Syrah: Sometimes called shiraz, this wonderful, full-bodied red wine grape can often be found in many outstanding wines either on its own (especially in France’s Northern Rhone region) or blended with other grapes like grenache and mourvedre (especially in France’s Southern Rhone region).

Popular wine regions that start with S

• Saint-Emilion: Outstanding wine region on the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux region famous for making elegant red wines that age gracefully for decades.

• Santenay: Village in the southern part of Burgundy in France best known for its affordable yet complex red wines made with pinot noir grapes. You can read more about this village soon based on my trip to several wineries there earlier this year.

• Sonoma County: Amazing wine region in California wedged between Napa Valley and the Pacific Ocean famous for making a wide range of terrific wines, from earthy pinot noirs to complex chardonnays.

Letter T

• Table wine: I’ve never been a fan of this term since it implies that the wine is simply an ordinary, everyday wine. But what the term technically means is the wine simply doesn’t adhere to certain strict rules that some wine regions have, especially in some Euro -

Menu

CONTINUES FROM PAGE E6

Three seatings, at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m., will be available, and the buffet will be stocked with a range of breakfast and lunch specialties, including chef-carved turkey breast and glazed ham.

Reservations are required, and can be made by calling 413-315-4339.

The Easter celebration at the Munich Haus German Restaurant in Chicopee is pean countries.

• Tannin: Chemical compound sometimes found in the skin, seeds and stems of a grape, which often gives a sharp taste to certain wines, especially some red wines. In general, tannins are a great thing in many red wines since these wines age well, thanks to the tannins.

• Terroir: French word that refers to where a wine is grown and how a specific place makes a particular wine taste a certain way. Many winemakers in France talk about terroir in terms of how the soil and climate of a specific place give a wine its unique character. Some people dismiss the overemphasis on terroir. But let me tell you — terroir is real and certain wines from certain places taste absolutely magical.

• Tokaji: A delicious, distinct dessert wine from Turkey made with furmint grapes.

Popular wine grapes that start with T

• Tannat: Red wine grape best known for making elegant, hearty wines from Uruguay. However, wines made with tannat grapes can also be found in parts of southwest France and northern Spain.

• Tempranillo: Red wine grape often used to make many outstanding wines in Spain and Portugal.

• Trebbiano: White wine grape used to make a wide range of wines in Italy and also sometimes used in France, where it’s called ugni blanc and it’s best known for making cognac.

Popular wine regions that start with T going to be a two-floor affair.

The main level of the Munich Haus will be offering a four-course prix fixe menu with choices such as Roasted Stuffed Pork, Lamb Shank, Baked Ham, and Prime Rib. Appetizer, salad, and dessert are part of the menu package as well. The restaurant’s regular a la carte menu will also be available.

Upstairs in their banquet hall, a brunch buffet will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Selections on the buffet will

SEE MENU, PAGE E12

• Tuscany: There might not be many wine regions that start with the letter T, but this one’s easily one of the best known and best loved wine regions in Italy. Odds are if you love Italian red wine, you love wine from Tuscany.

Letter U

One of the reasons why I include four letters this week instead of three partly has to do with the letter U. I’m sure if I really tried I could come up with a wine word that starts with U but it would be a real stretch.

Popular wine grapes that start with U

• Ugni blanc: French term for trebbiano grapes, which are described above in more detail. Popular wine regions that start with U

• Umbria: Wine region in central Italy best known for making white wine in Orvieto and red wines in Torgiano.

• Uruguay: South American country best known for its red wines made with tannat grapes, which you can read about

Beer

CONTINUES FROM PAGE E5 some consideration of putting it on nitrogen for carbonation, but she decided not to. different years), that’s the wine’s vintage and that refers to the year the grapes were grown and picked to make wine.

“I don’t know why I decided that. Maybe next time,” she said with a shrug.

I hope she does, as I’d love to experience how the tighter bubbles, creamier mouthfeel and more stable head would work with this beer. Either way, I’ll be drinking plenty of it whenever it’s on tap.

Popular wine grapes that start with V

• Verdicchio: White wine grape often used to make many outstanding wines in central Italy.

• Viognier: White wine grapes used to make dry, aromatic wines throughout the world, but especially in France’s Northern Rhone region.

Popular wine regions that start with V more above and in a recent wine column I wrote about six tannat wines from Uruguay.

Letter V

• Vat: Large container often used to store wine during the blending and fermentation process before bottling.

• Vielle Vigne: French term that simply means the wine that the wine comes from old vines.

• Vineyard: The place where wine grapes are grown and where all the magic happens.

• Vinho Verde: Type of wine, often white wine, that comes from Portugal’s Vinho Verde region. These delightful wines are affordable, refreshing, dry and distinct.

• Vinification: Term used to describe the process of turning grape juice into wine.

• Vintage: This term refers to what year the grapes were harvested to make a particular wine. If you see a year on the wine label (some wines are non-vintage wines which means the grapes come from

• Valpolicella: Iconic wine region in Northern Italy best known for its elegant red wines, especially its Amarone wines and its more affordable sibling, Ripasso.

• Veneto: Large wine region in the northeastern part of Italy near Venice that includes Valpolicella and many other famous, smaller wine subregions.

• Vosne-Romanee: Small wine village in the northern part of France’s Burgundy region revered for its austere, elegant red wines made with pinot noir grapes. Some of the most expensive wines in the world come from this magical village where terroir truly matters and produces distinct, divine wines.

• Vouvray: Wine region in France’s Loire Valley best known for its crisp, mineral-rich white wines made with chenin blanc grapes.

Cheers!

Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republican’s Weekend section every Thursday.