Easter baskets

Easter Sunday falls on April 24 this year, an unusually late date for the holiday that can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25. Determining the most important Christian holiday requires using a decidedly pagan formula - the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. Only three years ago, this meant Easter was celebrated March 23. The last time Easter was April 24 was in 1859, and the next time it will fall on this date will be in 2095, so enjoy the possibility that it could be an especially sunny day for feting on lamb, spring produce and chocolates. Below, a roundup of places to pick up the ingredients and food you need to celebrate.  

La Gare

Not just a French restaurant (one The Prague Post has reviewed favorably), La Gare ia also a boutique with beautiful house-made confections, breads, patés, cheeses and smoked meats. We've spotted salmon and duck rillettes, cassoulet, duck confit and several types of house-made jams. For Easter, the store will also offer traditional Czech cakes shaped as bishops and lambs, giant chocolate bunnies filled with smaller candies, large chocolate eggs and other traditional sweets.

If you prefer savory to sweet, book a table to eat any number of frolicking animals associated with spring: La Gare prepares them especially well. Tete de veau (veal headcheese), lamb roasts and plenty of eggs dishes including eggs Benedict and silky quiches. V Celnici 3, Prague 1-Old Town. Tel. 222 313 712. Lagare.cz

Culinaria

Culinaria is an imported food shop with a catering arm that whips up seasonal treats perfect for spring and Easter. Order to-go and choose from carrot vichyssoise, minestrone or asparagus cream soups, deviled eggs, mini quiches, carrot and corn fritters with lemon aioli, or tiger prawns in pistachio crust for starters.

Salads include bright spring ingredients like green-bean salad with potatoes and goat cheese, carrot mint and raisin, mixed greens with two colors of grapefruit, red basil and citrus vinaigrette, or grilled mini Caesar salads with smoked duck crisps. Mains include leg of lamb, honey-glazed hams, orange-crusted salmons and roast pork loin, with sides of asparagus gratin, almond rice pilaf and lemon tarragon sugar snap peas. To finish up, you can choose from Easter egg cookies, carrot cake or rhubarb and strawberry tarts, among other options. Skořepka 9, Prague 1-Old Town. Tel. 775 314 955. Culinaria.cz

Robertson

At its Prague 2 and Prague 6 locations, Robertson now offers Easter eggs for sale along with a range of candies you may miss from home in the United Kingdom or the United States. These include the vaunted original Cadbury Egg, as well as also a whole range of Cadbury products including the Flake egg, Twirl egg, Galaxy egg and Dairy Milk Buttons, plus Maltesers Eggs and Bunny Bars. Robertson e-Shop is also selling fresh rack of lamb, boneless leg of lamb, bone-in leg of lamb, lamb shoulder and shanks plus mint sauce and mint jelly. Vinohradská 79, Prague 2. Tel. 222 211 459; Jugoslávských partyzánů 38. Prague 6. Tel. 233 321 142. Robertson.cz

Claire Compton can be reached at
ccompton@praguepost.com