Monday will mark the start of the springtime holidays-Passover and Easter. For those who have been blessed-or cursed-with a large family, your holiday celebration will probably consist of everyone gathering at the house of the relative with the most space. If you have little or no family, or just want to escape your oversized and overwhelming family, there are plenty of restaurant staff who are willing to spend the holidays with you.

The Upper West Side restaurant Telepan will be offering a 4-course prix fixe menu for $65 per person on March 29th and 30th, for the first two nights of Passover. On the other side of the religion spectrum, on April 4th, Saul, a contemporary American restaurant in Boreum Hill, Brooklyn, will be serving an Easter prix fixe menu for $50 per person.

Telepan
72 West 69th Street
(Btw. Columbus Ave & Central Park West)
New York, NY 10023
(212) 580-4300
www.telepan-ny.com

At Telepan's, the "Seder" starts off with a Passover Amuse, featuring smoked trout potato latke, ‘gefilte fish,' and a dried fruit chutney-apple salad. Next, move onto a refreshing spring vegetable salad with matza balls, dressed with dill oil. For the main course, choose either a wild striped bass, sided with glazed carrots, baby beets, and horseradish, or seared sirloin and braised brisket, served with caramelized cippoline onions, wild mushrooms, and mashed carrots. Finish off the meal with a cool, refreshing dessert of pineapple sorbet and pineapple salad or a rich flourless steamed chocolate cake with a scoop of coconut sorbet.

Saul
140 Smith Street
(Btw. Dean & Bergen Sts)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 935-9844
www.saulrestaurant.com

If Easter is your chosen holiday, Saul offers a menu of innovative springtime dishes and, naturally, a traditional lamb dish. Commence the Easter feast with an appetizer of spring carrot soup garnished with a dollop of herb crème fraiche, or grilled octopus with green onion, capers, fingerlings, and Meyer lemon. Tagliatelle pasta with English peas, prosciutto, and burrate comes next; for Italians, Easter is not complete without a pasta dish. Leg of lamb and roasted potatoes, spring onions, and garlic is available for those seeking a tradition element. An alternative entrée option of Scottish salmon, served with herb parmesan gnocchi, mushrooms, and a béarnaise sauce, is also offered. For dessert, indulge yourself in Saul's signature dish, Baked Alaska, or a warm chocolate gratin.

This year, let Telepan and Saul serve you a relaxing, worry-free holiday dinner. Crazy family not included.

Photos courtesy of Astrid Stawiarz