New deals

The Palm holds its own "Restaurant Week" throughout April and May, offering a three-course $39.95 dinner menu that includes among the entrees filet mignon, New York strip, pan-roasted wild Alaskan halibut and more. Phillips Place; 704-552-7256.

The Melting Pot (901 S. Kings Drive and 230 E. W.T. Harris Blvd.) celebrates National Cheese Fondue Day on April 11 by donating $10 from every cheese fondue purchase to Levine Children's Hospital.

Greek Isles hosts "Greek for a Week" the last week of each month, offering a three-course meal for $20 the last week of each month. 200 E. Bland St.; 704-444-9000.

Dyngus Day (think pierogies)

Lebowski's plans a Dyngus Day Celebration April 5. That's a Polish holiday, celebrated with great fanfare in Buffalo, New York, among other places. Here, there'll be a traditional Polish dinner of Polish sausage, pierogies and braised red cabbage ($10.95) plus live accordion music and rituals such as the ever-popular pussywillow fights. Dinner will be served 5-8 p.m. and takeout is available. 1524 East Blvd.; 704-370-1177.

Easter options abound

Monticello at the Dunhill offers a buffet, including shrimp and grits, made-to-order omelets, salads and more, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $30; $10 for children 12 and younger; 237 N. Tryon St.; reservations at 704-332-4141.

Zink's brunch is 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (with the dinner menu offered 3:30-9 p.m.), with an omelet station, carved ham, prime rib and more. $22.95; $9.95 children 3-12; 201 N. Tryon St.; 704-444-9001.

Harper's does brunch 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. with an a la carte menu including crab cakes benedict and sliced honey-glazed ham. 11059 Carolina Place Parkway, Pineville; 704-541-5255.

M5's is 10 a.m.-6 p.m. for $24.95, $12.95 for children younger than 12, and will have a carving station with prime rib, roasted Atlantic salmon, and sugar glazed ham,, seafood paella and more. 4310 Sharon Road; 704-909-5500.

Village Bistro expands its usual Sunday brunch for Easter, with made-to-order waffles, pancakes and omelets, plus a buffet with prime rib, for $18.95 ($8.95 for children). It will also serve dinner. 14815 Ballantyne Village Way; 704-369-5190.

Lava Bistro offers brunch 10 a.m.-3 p.m. for $18.95 ($5.95 for kids older than 6, free for 6 and younger). 8708 J.W. Clay Blvd.; 704-549-0050.

More for Easter

Maddi's Southern Bistro hosts an Easter buffet 10 a.m.-4 p.m., with an omelet bar, carved glazed ham and prime rib, desserts and more. $24.95, $9.95 for those 12 and younger. Birkdale Village in Huntersville; 704-987-7762.

Del Frisco's offers a three-course Easter brunch 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for $29.95, along with its usual three-course Sunday night menu for $30, and there'll be a kids' menu all day for $9.95. Among the brunch options: filet benedict, shrimp scampi and blackened ribeye. 4725 Piedmont Row Drive South; 704-552-5502.

Cosmos Cafe at Ballantyne offers brunch 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for $18.95 for adults, $5.95 for children, with a menu that includes stations: omelets, chilled seafood, carving and more. 8420 Rea Road; 704-544-5268.

Mimosa Grill will do brunch from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for $24.95 for adults, $10.95 for children, with pastries and sweet breads, farmer's market salads and cheeses, chilled shellfish, carved prime rib and lamb and more. 327 S. Tryon St.; 704-343-0700.

Global offers three Easter brunch seatings: noon, 2 and 4 p.m., and a $31 menu that includes entree choices of Western omelet, leg of lamb and shrimp and lobster grits. 3520 Toringdon Way; 704-248-0866.

(Photo from Brooklynpubliclibrary.org.)

Calif. v. France

Bonterra offers a face-off between California and France in its March 30 wine dinner: six courses and eight wines for $65. On the menu: grilled duck breast with Sobon Estate Old Vines Zinfandel and Reserve Paul's Vineyard Zinfandel; and Niman Ranch pork medallions with Chateau Lamothe Cissac Haut Medoc and Chateau Andron Blanquet. 1829 Cleveland Ave.; 704-333-9463.

Kalu brings chef Emperor to town

The upcoming Kalu (say kah-loo) in uptown is slated to bring with it when it opens in late April chef Bryan Emperor. Emperor may be best known for morphing from a Wall Street banker to a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef specializing in Japanese-and-more cuisine, with experience at Nobu and with superstar chefs Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Gray Kunz.

Kalu owner Jason Vicks says Emperor wowed him with food he prepared at Vicks' first place, Red Lion at Ayrsley, including sushi that was "unreal" and stellar presentations of things as simple as salad in a clay pot.

Emperor has been around, with stints opening a Japanese place in Beijing, at Mr. Jones in New York and, recently, Departure in Portland. Here, he'll do Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Pacific Rim cuisine in a setting, says Vicks, unlike anything else in Charlotte: a two-level, 7,500-square-foot space done by N.C. designer Giorgios Bakatsias that features bars with a frosted-glass look that can shift to 200+ colors and an intimate upstairs space with leather couches.

Kalu will be on the ground floor of the 505 Building at the corner of Sixth and North Caldwell streets, with double-story windows and a view of the Time Warner Cable Arena.

Graze these March 29 and get new info

Stop by the Art Institute of Charlotte for "Grazing with the Chefs" 6-8 p.m. March 29 and you'll get a glimpse of the fare of two new SouthPark-area restaurants not yet open: Georges Brasserie (in the former Oceanaire) and The Cowfish, which is slated to open near M5 (see earlier post for details). Also set to participate is Fig Tree, at the request of area culinary students, I'm told.

"Grazing" is the annual student scholarship fundraiser for the IFSEA, the International Food Service Executives Association, and tickets are $25. The Art Institute is at Three Lakepointe Plaza, at 2110 Water Ridge Parkway. Information: Chef Ron Ahlert at 704-375-4500.