Mother’s Day falls on May 9 this year, and while we’ve journeyed far since last year’s pandemic-hampered celebration of all things Mom, many New Yorkers still have one foot in and one out when it comes to dining au restaurant. Accordingly, the following eclectic assortment of dining possibilities is intended to cover all contingencies.
If your plan is to take Mom out for her special day, albeit not out to a restaurant, caterer Great Performances is partnering with Wave Hill Public Gardens in the Bronx to arrange for a special al fresco celebration. For their standard Mother’s Day picnic (there is also a vegetarian alternative), they will be featuring lemon-rosemary roast chicken with baby red bliss potato salad; a swiss chard, scallion, and goat cheese quiche; strawberry rhubarb Linzer torte, and more. Coffee and sparkling water are included, as are large reusable and insulated plastic picnic pouches with cutlery kits. The picnic, priced at $99, serves 2 to 3. Wave Hill members receive a 10% discount on all food and beverage. Your order, which needs to placed here by May 6, will be available for on-site pick-up between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Hortus NYC, the Michelin-recognized contemporary Asian restaurant that applies European and Mediterranean techniques to the flavors of South East Asia has created a $60 three-course prix fixe menu for Mother’s Day with an option to add a wine pairing for an additional $40 per person. Highlights of the menu, also available for takeout and delivery via Tock, include a Wagyu sando (the Holy Grail of steak sandwiches), sea urchin arancini, and yellowtail crudo sauced with tiger’s milk, finger lime, chili oil and charred spring onion. Delectable dry-aged duck breast, which we sampled on a recent visit, is featured among the main course options. Reservations for Hortus NYC’s Mother’s Day special can be made on Resy. Hortus NYC, 271 Fifth Avenue (bet. 29th and 30th Sts.), 646-858-3784.
If it’s brunch that Mom craves, consider le brunch at La Goulue, the fabled classic French bistro, which has held court on the Upper East Side for nearly half a century. The experience, which commences with complimentary fresh baked croissants, chocolatine, lemon cake, and pain au raisin, features a choice of appetizer and main course priced at $59, the latter culled from among options that include a croque monsieur with crispy rock shrimp and lime mayo. A 7-ounce entrecote Parisienne is paired — naturellement! — with arugula, hand-cut fries, and horseradish butter or béarnaise. La Goulue, 29 E. 61st Street, (212) 988-8169.
Kitchen at Cobble Hill, the delightfully homey Court St. boîte which recently applied a slight Eastern European accent to its food as a nod to owner Olga Potap’s Russian roots, will stand out from the “Other’s Day” pack by sticking with its regular à la carte brunch menu, one of the city’s larger. To lend a luxe celebratory touch to Mother’s Day, the restaurant will present six Blue Point oysters with a half-bottle of Pommery Royal Brut Champagne and sautéed foie gras on a nest of asparagus drizzled with vinaigrette, also complemented by the half bottle of Pommery Royal Brut. Both will be priced at $49 and will be available as standalones or to further enhance the brunch offerings. And to keep the atmosphere jubilantly bubbly throughout the afternoon, after 3. p.m. mimosas will be half price. The Kitchen at Cobble Hill, 254 Court Street, Brooklyn, 347-689-4279.
Talk about your timing. Limani, the Greek Taverna in Rockefeller Center, which had closed briefly, has reopened in time for Mother’s Day. The restaurant has been dispensing reliable renditions of Mediterranean fare for the past dozen years. Consider starting your lunch or dinner with the house’s ceviche: lavraki cured with lime, perfumed with fresh herbs, paired with gigantes beans and feta. Sashimi-grade octopus from Tunisia is grilled and piled high, dressed with virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Branzino in a salt crust is served tableside. Limani, 45 Rockefeller Plaza, 45 Rockefeller Plaza, 212-858-9200.
Balade, an East Village staple specializing in Lebanese food, will fête Mom with a complimentary glass of sparkling rose water and a complimentary dessert of her choice. For the indecisive there is a supreme mixed grill served tableside that features beef kafta, lamb kabab, chicken tawook, and lamb chops. This carnivore’s dream is rounded out with chargrilled vegetables covered with the house’s freshly baked bread. At $60, it will feed the entire family. Don’t miss the Lebanese pizza (manakeesh). Balade, 208 First Avenue (nr. 13th Street), 212-529-6868.
