Celebrated this year on Sunday, May 9, Mother’s Day 2021 happens to coincide with the almost universal rebirth of the Foodservice industry. Restaurants across the metropolitan area are welcoming guests back to indoor dining, with capacity numbers on a steady trajectory toward 100 percent.
As customers make their way back to the routine of “eating out,” restaurants are answering the call on Mother’s Day with special menus, multi-course meals, cocktails, and more. But it’s not just for dine in, as some eateries are still accommodating customers who’ve gotten used to meal package deliveries.
Let’s take a look at what five Sam Tell clients are offering this Mother’s Day!
Photograph: The Ribbon
Pinned to the west side of Central Park, the Ribbon offers a Mother’s Day package for $64.99. The package, which can be delivered for two or served family style in the restaurant, comes with a Ceasar salad, choice of a main course (the famous fried chicken is only available for indoor dining) and choice of dessert, as well as a bottle of prosecco and a chocolate rose for mom. Indoor guests get the added bonus of live music between 1 and 5 p.m., with the songs of Lennon and McCartney performed by Marissa Mulder.
Photograph: Tavern on the Green
One of New York City’s most beloved restaurants, Tavern on the Green, recently reopened its Central Park spot and presents a three-course Mother’s Day prix-fixe for $115 per person. Available in both brunch and dinner versions, the meal includes a basket of Madeleines with whipped strawberry butter, an appetizer like cream of wild mushroom soup or roasted black fig and goat cheese flatbread, an entree such as Maine lobster eggs benedict or brick-oven roasted beef tenderloin and eggs, and dessert like a lemon meringue cheesecake or molten black-and-white chocolate cake.
Photograph: Alfies Bar & Kitchen
Mother’s Day doesn’t always have to be exquisitely refined. Alfie’s Bar & Kitchen in Hell’s Kitchen stages a deliciously casual meal for momma and her family. The restaurant offers two brunch specials—banana walnut pancakes with dulce de leche and southern biscuits with sausage gravy and eggs—along with $9 Aperol spritz.
Photograph: Aquavit
Count Aquavit as one of the restaurants offering a go-to option along with indoor dining for Mother’s Day. The Midtown-located, Michelin two-star Scandinavian restaurant celebrates Mother’s Day with a three-course lunch menu from noon to 2:30 p.m. For $135/person, it comes with shared starters for the table, followed by a choice of main course and dessert. Dishes include Matjes herring tart, venison tartar to start, roasted duck, poached halibut, rhubarb clafoutis, and creme brulee. You can also get this menu as a two-person to-go “Mother’s Day Kit” for $195.
Photograph: American Brass
Across the East River on the Long Island City waterfront, American Brass provides a Mother’s Day brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The meal, at $45, includes a choice of a bloody mary or mimosa, an entree, such as crispy pork belly benedict or a 28-day dry-aged burger, and a choice of one side, like sesame sourdough or duck fat hash browns. American Brass also has an outdoor dining setup with 34 individually heated greenhouses.