Mother's Day Reservations

One day a year, you have to get your mom out of the kitchen and treat her to a great meal, cooked by someone other than herself.  Considering Mother’s Day is less than three days away, you might want to make a reservation quickly.  But where to go?  Whether your mom is fond of fondue or dim sum, or a fan of Top Chef Masters, we’ve got a few ideas that will impress her this Mother’s Day…

Ai Fiori
Address: 400 Fifth Ave., between 36th and 37th Sts
Phone: 212-613-8660
Website: www.aifiorinyc.com
Ai Fiori is Michael White’s newest, New York venture and an excellent option for Mother’s Day dinner.  The menu can be tackled two ways, a la carte or in a $79, four-course set menu.  It’s a pretty safe bet your mom will be impressed with both the elegant setting (pictured above) and White’s exceptional cooking.  You might consider starting with poached oysters and sturgeon caviar or risotto, scattered with black truffle.  For dessert, sample the rum cake with tropical fruit.

Red Rooster Harlem
Address: 310 Lenox Ave., between 125th and 126th Sts
Phone: 212-792-9001
Website: www.redroosterharlem.com
Mother’s Day is the perfect occasion for a trip to Red Rooster Harlem.  Marcus Samuelson won Top Chef Masters plenty of reasons and you can taste many of them for yourself at this new, uptown restaurant with creative American cooking, heavy on the flavor, like a killer mac and cheese and fried yard bird. For Mother’s Day, Red Rooster is offering a special Smorgasbord Buffet, which is code for gorge yourself silly on everything from fried chicken and corn bread to pecan waffles and even his mother, Helga’s famous meatballs with lingonberry jam.

Kajitsu
Address: 414 E.9th St between First Ave and Ave A
Phone: 212-228-4873
Website: www.kajitsunyc.com
Sometimes moms just want some peace and quiet. So, where should you take them for a totally relaxing meal?  Kajitsu, of course. The serene, East Village spot specializes in vegetarian kaiseki, which is a traditional, Japanese tasting menu with dishes that are as beautiful to look at as they are to eat.  The menu changes according to the seasons and luckily,  cherry blossoms happen to be season this Mother’s Day.  To give you an idea of what to expect, past menus have featured  mountain yam dumplings in consomme and crispy fried soba noodles.  You can even have a sake pairing with each course because mom deserves it.

Bosie Tea Parlor
Address: 10 Morton St between Bleecker St and Seventh Ave South
Phone: 212-352-9900
If your mother woke up early in the morning last week to catch the Royal Wedding, chances are she’ll appreciate a Mother’s Day tea party.  At Bosie Tea Parlor in the West Village, you can nibble on exotically flavored macarons, like rose, pistachio or Darjeeling as well as scones and other freshly baked pastries.  And it wouldn’t be a tea party without tea sandwiches and salads, like curry chicken salad.

Heartbreak
Address: 29 E. 2nd St., at Second Ave.
Phone: 212-777-2502
Website: www.heartbreakrestaurant.com
Moms who were around in the 70’s are most definitely familiar with fondue.  The fondue at Heartbreak in the East Village is some of the best in the city. This new German/Austria/Swiss restaurant offers lots of variations on the dish, including fondue spiked with dark beer,  and another with white truffles.  Make sure to order the smoked trout and maultaschen (oxtail stuffed ravioli) appetizers to start. They’re fantastic.

Valentino’s on the Green (formerly Caffe on the Green)
Address: 201-10 Cross Island Parkway, Queens
Phone: 718- 352-2300
Website: www.valentinosonthegreen.com
If you’re looking for a unique setting this year, try this Italian spot, which overlooks both a golf course and the waterfront. And for Mother’s Day, Valentino’s is doing it up with a three-course prix fixe that features dishes, like a filet mignon carpaccio, seafood salad and osso bucco. Or consider splurging on a whopping, 5 pound lobster for two to share with mom.

Nom Wah Tea Parlor
Address: 13 Doyers St., between Pell and Bowery Sts
Phone: 212-962-6047
Website: www.nomwah.com
Family owned and newly renovated, Nom Wah Tea Parlor is a great place for a family meal over fun, finger foods. The dim sum-oriented menu is concise, but extremely well-edited with hits like char siu roast pork buns, scallion pancakes and scallop dumplings. For more adventurous dim sum goers, the chicken feet are a must.  The only downfall is the décor (checkered tablecloths, tiny bathrooms), but the food and tea easily make up for the atmosphere.

Lincoln
Address: 142 65th St between Amsterdam and Broadway
Phone: 212-359-6500
Website: www.lincolnristorante.com
What better excuse to try Jonathan Benno’s upscale Italian, set in Lincoln Center?  This Sunday, Lincoln is offering a Mother’s Day brunch with spring dishes, like fava bean soup with delicate ricotta dumplings and lamb chops with peas and carrots just for the special occasion. You’ll be treating her to first-class food in a first-class setting for only $28 dollars a person, but you don’t have to tell her that.

The Mermaid Inn
Address: 96 Second Ave between 5th and 6th Sts; 568 Amsterdam Ave between 87th and 88th Sts
Phone: 212-674-5870; 212-799-7400
Website: www.themermaidnyc.com
Just in time for Mother’s Day, The Mermaid Inn will begin serving brunch in both their East Village and Upper West Side locations this weekend.  In addition to oysters and a terrific lobster roll, there’s a “tres leches” challah french toast and Mermaid Benedict, with spinach, hollandaise and a bonus choice of bacon or lobster. 

The Mark
Address: The Mark Hotel, 25 E. 77th St at Madison Ave
Phone: 212-606-3030
Website: www.themarkrestaurantnyc.com
Tucked inside The Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side, Jean-Georges restaurant is a great place to take mom any time of year, but it’s particularly well-suited for special occasions.  This Sunday, you can take your pick of  brunch for a standout Croque Madame, afternoon tea, or dinner.  There will even be a special, 3-course prix fixe menu, created just for the occasion.

RG Writer: Lauren Bloomberg
Photo Credit: Melissa Horn