Mother’s Day Dining Guide: 2016
While a single restaurant meal hardly covers the bases when it comes to truly honoring your mom, well, it certainly doesn’t hurt. So if you’re angling to express just how much you appreciate her, through conspicuous consumption of top shelf alcohol and food, you’ve come to the right place; as we’ve got eight, great suggestions for that all-important reservation — from a upper crust tasting at Gabriel Kreuther, to a classic French prix fixe (complete with all-American Bloody Mary bar!) at Rebelle and Italian brunch courtesy of Mario Batali himself!
La Sirena
We’re willing to bet that your mom just loves Mario Batali. And if our intuition proves correct, we bet she’d be tickled to attend brunch at his new, plus-sized hotspot, La Sirena, where they’re offering a Mother’s Day brunch of breezy Italian dishes such as Insalate Primavera with a poached egg, Ramp Tortellini with hen brodo, Oil Poached Salmon with snap peas, and a Strawberry Crostata with vanilla gelato, for $49 per person.
Read MoreGabriel Kreuther
The hottest edition to New York’s fine dining scene, Gabriel Kreuther’s eponymous Bryant Park restaurant will fete mom in style, by way of a three-course prix fixe for $145 per person. She’ll be able to sample all of the refined, internationally-inspired creations that have had critics unilaterally raving; think Sturgeon & Sauerkraut Tart, Compressed Hamachi, and Squab & Foie Gras Croustillant, followed by handcrafted chocolates from talented pastry chef Marc Aumont.
Read MoreLe Coq Rico
Provided you can’t fly mom to Paris, a trip to this Montmarte import is pretty much the next best thing (being tended to by the dashing, French-accented staff certainly doesn’t hurt). And the menu — dedicated to farm fresh eggs and sustainably sourced poultry — is custom-made for sharing. 2-4 people can partake of Westermann’s Baeckeoffe; a 110 day-old Brune Landaise chicken, baked in traditional Alsatian earthenware with artichokes, potatoes, tomatoes and riesling jus.
Read MoreCafé Boulud
While trendy restaurants may come and go, there’s a reason that the venerable Daniel Boulud — and his mini dynasty of unimpeachable French restaurants — remain New Yorker’s go-to special occasion spots. And since mom only gets better with age, why not treat her to brunch at this Upper East Side institution, serving a three-course prix fixe for $105 per person (or $45, for children under 12 years) with luxe options like Foie Gras Terrine, Asparagus and Morel Omelettes, Wild Herb Ravioli with fiddleheads, Seared Duck Breast with rhubarb and Striped Bass “en Paupiette.”
Read MoreRebelle
As if Rebelle’s all-day, three-course prix fixe didn’t sound appealing enough (we’re talking French classics like Fluke with brown butter and capers, Leek Vinaigrette with soft boiled egg, Chicken with potato, sorrel and lemon preserve, and Steak with fried eggs and bordelaise for $50), Wine Director Patrick Cappiello is curating a Bloody Mary & Champagne Cart, offering three different styles of bloodys for guests to mix & match, as well as a rotating selection of champagne, such as Vilmart & Cie “Brut-Grand Reserve,” Veuve Fourny “Brut-Rose”, and Robert Conceit “Blanc de Blanc.”
Read MoreBrushstroke
David Bouley’s Michelin-starred Japanese eatery will be offering a Mother’s Day Kaiseki brunch menu for $95 (five courses include Scallop and Uni with Strawberry Lemon Foam, Morel Mushroom Chawanmushi, Kampachi Sashimi Salad and Soft Shell Crab Tempura) as well as an eight-course dinner for $135 — expect exotic additions such as Smoked Salmon Chimaki-Sushi, Alaskan Black Cod Saikyo-Yaki, and Stewed Fuji Pork with Black Rice.
Read MoreKat & Theo
This Flatiron spot is adding a touch of class to the bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Mary brunch bit. For $40, mom can supplement unlimited drinks (crafted by Jim Kearns protégé, Michael Timmons) with all-you-can-eat options from Per Se and Momofuku alum, Paras Shah (think Smoked Pork Loin, Shrimp & Grits, Moroccan Pancakes and Vegetarian Paella), plus an assortment of desserts from former Eleven Madison Park pastry chef, Serena Chow.
Read MoreBara
While its next-door neighbor, Prune, will undoubtedly be booked for brunch, you should hardly consider Bara a second-tier option. Taking its moniker from the Japanese word for rose (which is also the chef’s mother’s name), this inventive izakaya provides family-style dinners for $50 per person, comprised of one-of-a-kind courses like East Coast Oysters with water kimchi mignonette, Mackerel Tataki with ponzu and trout roe, Flat Iron Steak paired with smashed Fingerling Potatoes paved with bonito flakes, and delicate Financiers, draped in calvados crème fraiche.
Read More
Check out My Book – Try This
