Not up for cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year? No problem. Just get reservations at any of these restaurants, which will be happy to do the cooking for you. If you know of others, feel free to add to the list.

Two area restaurants have announced plans for a traditional Greek Easter celebration this Sunday, April 19.

Taverna Nikos

905 W. Main St., in Brightleaf Square, Durham

682-0043

http://nikosdurham.com

Spit-roasted lamb in addition to the regular menu, DJ and belly dancers, starting at 12 noon. 

Xios

800 W. Williams St., in Peakway Market Square, Apex

363-5288

www.xioscafe.com

Traditional Orthodox Greek Easter brunch including spit-roasted lamb, tsoureki Easter bread and more. Festivities from 1:30-6pm.

Great Harvest Bread Co. in Cary (1220 NW Maynard Road; 460-8158; www.greatharvestcary.com) is baking up a batch of their popular honey whole wheat bread in the shape of bunnies for Easter. They’re selling them for $12.95, with $2 going to the new Western Wake Farmers’ Market (http://westernwakefarmersmarket.org), which is slated to open on May 2.

Owners Paige and Tom Williams describe the Honey Bunnies as “adorable” and say they’re “perfect for dining table centerpieces, for hostess gifts and nestled into children’s Easter baskets.” It had better be a large basket, though, because the Honey Bunnies weigh in at a substantial two pounds, 5 ounces. Personally, I don’t care how cute they are. I’d eat ‘em.

You say the only thing you want to do in the kitchen on Easter weekend is dye eggs? Here’s a selection of restaurants that will gladly do the cooking for you. As always, reservations are a good idea. I’ll add to the list as I learn of others. Feel free to add your own.

Bogart’s

510 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh

832-1122

www.bogartsamericangrill.com

Easter brunch with jazz, 9:30am-2:30pm, $19.99 (children under 10 $7.99)

Carolina Crossroads

211 Pittsboro St., in the Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill

918-2777

www.carolinainn.com

Brunch buffet including carving station and separate kids’ buffet station

Fairview Dining Room

3001 Cameron Blvd., in the Washington Duke Inn, Durham

490-0999

www.washingtondukeinn.com

Brunch buffet, seatings at noon and 3pm, $45 (children under 12 half price, under 6 free)

Fearrington House

2000 Fearrington Village Center (8 miles south of Chapel Hill on Hwy. 15-501), Pittsboro

542-2121

 www.fearringtonhouse.com 

Four course prix fixe lunch, $65.

Hilton North Raleigh

3415 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh

872-2323

http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/RDUNHHF/index.do

Brunch served 11am-2pm.

Il Palio

1505 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill

918-2545

www.ilpalio.com

Three course prix fixe lunch, 11am-3:30pm, $45; four course prix fixe dinner, 4-7pm, $55.

J. Betski’s

10-120 West Franklin St., Raleigh

833-7999

www.jbetskis.com

Homemade pierogis ($9 per dozen) and fresh kielbasa ($10 per pound), available for takeout.

La Résidence

202 W. Rosemary St., Chapel Hill

967-2506

www.laresidencedining.com

Brunch buffet, seating inside and on the patio, 11:30am-2:30pm, $28 (children 4-10 $15, students with ID $22)

Margaux’s

8111-111 Creedmoor Road, in Brennan Station, Raleigh

846-9846

www.margauxsrestaurant.com

Four course prix fixe brunch, 11am-3:30pm, $34.95 (kid’s menu available)

Michael Dean’s

6004 Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh

790-9992

www.michaeldeans.com

Serving 9am-3pm, $19.99 (children under 10 $7.99)

The Old Granary

2000 Fearrington Center, in Fearrington Village, Pittsboro

542-2121

www.fearrington.com/village/granary.asp 

Brunch served à la carte. 

Parizade

2200 W. Main St., Durham

286-9712

http://www.ghgrestaurants.com/parizade/parizademaster.html 

Brunch buffet, 11am-2:30pm.

Posta Tuscan Grille

500 Fayetteville St., in the Marriott City Center, Raleigh

227-3370

www.postatuscangrille.com 

Brunch buffet, 11am-3pm, $29.95 (seniors $26.95, children 5-12 $13.50, 4 and under free)

Revolution

107 W. Main St., Durham

956-9999

www.revolutionrestaurant.com

Brunch served 11:30am-3:30pm, $39.99 (children under 10 $19.99)

Savoy

7713-39 Lead Mine Road, in Greystone Village, Raleigh

848-3535

www.restaurantsavoy.com

Three course prix fixe brunch, 10am-2pm, $29 (children under 12 $12)

Twisted Fork

3751 Sumner Blvd., in Triangle Town Center, Raleigh

792-2535

www.thetwistedfork.com

Restaurant open 11am-9pm, brunch served 11am-2pm , kids eat free with a paying adult

Watts Grocery

1116 Broad St., Durham

416-5040

www.wattsgrocery.com

Sunday dinner specials added to the brunch menu for Easter Sunday.

Xios

800 W. Williams St., in Peakway Market Square, Apex

363-5288

www.xioscafe.com

Traditional Orthodox Greek Easter brunch including spit-roasted lamb, tsoureki Easter bread and more. NOTE: This meal will be not be served on April 12 but a week later on Orthodox Easter Sunday, April 19.

According to WSL Strategic Retail, a few retailers did a better-than-average job this holiday season at luring us in by making their stores more inviting.

Here's who wins in their book ... What do you think? Did you shop at any of the following or spend more than you thought you would at one of the stores?

* Apple’s entertaining window display of Santa with an iPhone and Elf with an iPod

* Williams-Sonoma’s seductive food smells and Build-A-Bear cakekits

* Sephora’s beauty in the window beckoning shoppers into the store

* J. Crew’s color coordinated fashion and accessible gifts for all

* Anthropologie’s in-store recycled wood splashed with gold paint Christmas tree topped with a wonderful cardigan.

Wondering just how far you've walked while you're roaming the malls getting your holiday shopping done?

I did some research a few years ago, finding out what kind of mileage you're putting in when you walk end to end of some of the area's regional malls.

Here's how they stack up:

The perimeter of one level at Triangle Town Center in Raleigh is three-quarters of a mile.

At The Streets at Southpoint in Durham, the lower level, both inside and out, totals just under a mile. The inside lower level is about a half mile.

It's a mile around Northgate Mall in Durham. Walking around all of Cary Towne Center is seven-eighths of a mile. And at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, from Hudson Belk to Macy's and back is half a mile.

Just in time for the last-minute gift-giving nuttiness, Holly Aiken has knocked 25 percent off the price of all her bags in stock. And she's offering free shipping on bags sold through her Web site (hollyaiken.com) through the end of the year. Order before today, and she'll do her best to get it under the tree by Christmas.

What more does a man need to get his holiday shopping done?

Ciao Bella clothing boutique and neighbor Kristen’s Shoe Boutique at the Arboretum in Cary are offering all of that are more during their men’s shopping night on Wednesday. Ciao Bella’s event runs from 5 to 8 p.m., while Kristen’s is from 6 to 8 p.m.

If you want to make this a Christmas filled with locally made gifts, check out The Rock & Shop Market, which returns 1-5 p.m. Saturday at Tir Na Nog in downtown Raleigh.

Look for more than 30 new and established local designers who were picked as vendors to sell their work during the show. Among the goods: graphic print T-shirts by Adam Peele; jewelry by Ashley Brodie and children's clothing by CuckooBoo.

And while you shop, listen to performances by The Whistlestop & The Tender Fruit.

Admission is $3. Find out more at rockandshopmarket.com.

Did you see our all-local gift guide in the Weekend section of the paper this morning?

Well, if you're yearning for more ideas, check out the list from Michelle Smith, a local jeweler in our guide and the organizer of the Rock & Shop Market in downtown Raleigh (next Saturday). She came up with her own guide of North Carolina-made products on her new blog, blog.indieNC.com. Check out the items here.

I love this knitted cap from Chapel Hill's emknits!