Another Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching, which for many of us translates to brunch out. Whether your plan is to go large (Eleven Madison Park is featuring a one-off Sunday lunch on May 14 consisting of items from their upcoming spring menu, “plus a couple of special surprises”) or small, you’ll want to reserve a table soon. Here are some options you might want to consider.
If the sky’s the limit when it comes to fêting the special lady in your life, book a table at Peak, located on the 101st story of 30 Hudson Yards. A three-course prix fixe lunch priced at $85 delivers such enticements as steelhead trout with beets, fennel, and buttermilk and a New York strip with bok choy, mushroom, and cippolinis. Peak, 30 Hudson Yards, 332-204-8547.
For a slightly more modestly priced room with a view on Mother’s Day, opt for brunch at Ophelia, on the 26th floor of Beekman Tower. After Mom drinks in the view, she can proceed to one of the house’s signature cocktails such as the watermelon refresher — the fresh juice of the fruit blended with honey, lemon, Buffalo Trace bourbon, ginger beer, and mint. Smoked salmon on a potato fritter graced by crème fraîche and chives is a popular menu choice. Ophelia, 3 Mitchell Place (49th St. and First Ave.), 212-980-4796.
For a touch of whimsy take Mom to brunch at David Burke Tavern in Midtown. Options from the three-course $75 prix fixe menu include Burke’s signature clothesline bacon and pretzel crab cake benedict napped with a chipotle hollandaise. For dessert there is a cake lollipop tree adorned with cotton candy and finished with bubble gum whipped cream. David Burke Tavern, 135 E. 62nd Street, 212-988-9021.
Instead of dining on dry land, escort mom on a brunch cruise along the Hudson and East Rivers this year aboard the glass-enclosed Bateaux. Live DJ entertainment will be provided during the two-and-one-half-hour trip. The Bateaux departs from Pier 61, Chelsea Piers at West 23rd Street and 12th Avenue. Boarding time is 9:30am, with the cruise running from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Veteran French bistro La Goulue will host a two-course prix fixe Mother’s Day Brunch that Mom is sure to remember. Dining options include French toast crafted using home-made brioche and garnished with mascarpone cream and blueberry jam and a roasted beef tenderloin blanketed with Madeira jus and accompanied by creamed spinach, tarragon, and shoestring potatoes. The per-person cost is $72. La Goulue, 29 E. 61st Street, 212-988-8169.
Down-home favorites such as cornbread and gravy with chorizo and fried egg make up the brief but appealing and moderately priced à la carte brunch at Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster Harlem. But you can make the meal something Mom truly won’t soon forget by adding in the the gospel experience on Opentable for an additional $12. Be mindful that the shows book rapidly on Sunday and space is limited. Red Rooster Harlem, 310 Lenox Avenue, 212-792-9001.
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