• Celebrate Easter with brunch.easter bunnies and easter basket image by Cindy Haggerty from Fotolia.com
  
  Celebrating Easter brunch is a tradition for many Christians, whether it is after Mass or before watching the children hunt for Easter eggs. For those who do not want to cook a large meal at home, several restaurant options exist in the region of Des Moines.
  
  

Feast with the Beasts

• The Blank Park Zoo provides a very different experience for their Easter dining selections. Johnny's Italian Steakhouse, located on the premises, prepares a special brunch spread for Easter Sunday. They prepare and serve prime rib, chef-carved ham, eggs Benedict, smoked salmon, assorted pastries and desserts. From their seats, guests enjoy views of the waterfall and rainforest. Reservations are strongly recommended.
  
  Feast with the Beasts
  
  Blank Park Zoo
  
  7401 SW 9th Street
  
  Des Moines, IA 50315
  
  515-285-4722
  
  blankparkzoo.com
  
  

Centro

• At Centro, they feature their regular weekend brunch menu which includes spinach frittatas, stuffed French toast, Niman Ranch ham and cheese omelets, chicken Caesar panini, chicken and prosciutto and more. Centro adds specials Easter, including an asparagus frittata, steak and eggs and a ham and cheese calzone. The restaurant is only open for a limited number of hours during the holiday, so it is best to call and check for availability.
  
  Centro
  
  1007 Locust
  
  Des Moines, Iowa 50309
  
  515-248-1780
  
  centrodesmoines.com
  
  

Iowa Machine Shed

• The motto of the Iowa Machine Shed is "Dedicated to the American Farmer," and they display that motto in their meals and cooking. They have two separate seatings; the breakfast buffet beginning at 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and the brunch buffet from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The brunch buffet is the pricier of the two options. The breakfast buffet features made-to-order omelets and waffles, while the brunch buffet includes staples like leg of lamb, chicken chardonnay, shrimp cocktail and dessert.
  
  Iowa Machine Shed
  
  11151 Hickman Road
  
  Urbandale, Iowa 50322
  
  515-270-6818
  
  machineshed.com
  
  

Chips

• Located on the water, Chips is primarily open for lunch and dinner. However, on Easter Sunday, they add some breakfast items into the mix as well. Their Easter special is more focused on lunch and dinner items though, and is open from mid-morning until mid-afternoon. The menu includes roast beef, ham, prime rib, salads, pizza, vegetables and dessert. Children younger than six years of age eat free.
  
  Chips
  
  2502 S.E. Tones Drive
  
  Ankeny, Iowa 50021
  
  515-964-2112
  
  chipsrestaurant.com