Mother's Day Dining Guide

Mother's Day brunch is a serious matter. You can't just serve toast on a plate and call it breakfast-in-bed. As the biggest brunch holiday of the year, it's vital to get Mother's Day brunch done right. Fortunately, you can't walk one block without hitting a Mother's Day brunch menu in Chicago. But since the task of finding that sweet spot can be a tad overwhelming, allow me to whittle it down for you to some of the best options for a variety of tastes and needs.  

 

City Winery
City Winery



You love your mom. Moms love wine. You and your mom will love Mother's Day brunch at City Winery. The West Loop destination is offering a quirky wine-inspired twist on traditional English breakfast for the holiday, aptly dubbed the "CW Vintners Breakfast" made with egg, roasted tomato, housemade merguez, housemade boudin blanc, toasted ciabatta, stewed legumes, and dolmades. Other Mother's Day specials on deck for the day include a smoked salmon platter, salmon en croûte, a pastry plate with scones and coffee cakes, and more. To drink, sip a pink-hued mimosa splashed with housemade grenadine, or the Vin Marie, a riff on a Bloody Mary made with Malbec, 42 Below vodka, a Chandon sparkling back, and garnishes of cheese, charcuterie, grilled olive oil ciabatta, and Spanish olives. As an extra nicety, all moms will take home a complimentary 375ml bottle of City Winery-produced and Mother's Day-labeled Chardonnay, plus cookies from pastry chef Angelica Rangel. 

Guess what? Mom's disappointed in you for never taking her to France. After all, she raised you. No big deal. Save a little face this holiday by brunching with her at Paris Club Bistro & Bar. It's the closest you'll get to Parisian brunch without the airfare, served from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The bill of fare for the holiday is a prix fixe menu that includes a Parisian buffet and choice of entree, with items like sweet pea risotto, steak frites, and salmon au poivre. Brunch costs $50 per person and reservations can be made by calling the restaurant.  

Or if your mom prefers Italy, whisk her away to RPM Italian. Wine, cocktails, and classic Italian flavors take shape starting at 11:00 a.m. and run through midnight, making it the perfect destination for all your Italy dream needs. The dinner menu is served all day long, featuring dishes like lobster caprese, spaghetti carbonara, and whole grilled branzino for two. Call the restaurant to reserve. 

Speaking of Italian cuisine, Balena is offering brunch for the first time ever in honor of moms. To mark the occasion, the Lincoln Park bastion is offering a three-course prix fixe showcasing seasonal Italian-inspired cuisine sure to delight the matriarch in your life. To start, each table receives an assortment of sweet breads and a bowl of lemon zepploi with strawberry and rhubarb crostata alla panna. Next is a spread of housemade foccacia with spring antipasti, and then guests select their entree of choice, from ramp and potato frittata to chilled pasta Nero with sea urchin and crab or smoked trout with marinated endive. Brunch is $39 per person and reservations can be made by calling the restaurant. 

Nothing says, "I love you mom" quite like free meatballs. The newly minted Mondo Meatball in Wicker Park is a fun, tasteful alternative this Mother's Day, especially considering moms receive a free meatball dish on May 10. Options include meatball bowls, meatball subs, meatball salads, and mini-mondos, aka three meatball sliders. There will also be $6 Prosecco and mimosas. 

With Mike Sheerin newly at the helm, everyone is watching with curiosity to see what direction Embeya will go in and how it may change. Get a taste for yourself on Mother's Day as Sheerin and co. host a Mother's Day pop-up brunch from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The three-course menu will be Asian-inspired, offering an early look at what's to come when brunch launches in the fall. The menu costs $39 per person. 

Here's an epic brunch to take note of: the five-course Mother's Day brunch at Tru. When one of Chicago's most esteemed fine dining restaurants does brunch, you take notice. And you take mom there. Served at the bargain price of $85 per person and $58 per child (with juice pairings aww), expect lots of pomp, circumstance, glamor, and caviar. For reservations, call 312-202-0001 ext. 230 or email truparties@leye.com. Brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. 

Enjoy brunch with a ravishing downtown view at South Water Kitchen. Here, chef Roger Waysok has cooked up a three-course Mother's Day affair filled with vibrant takes on classic flavors. Each course comes with options, such as deviled eggs with white truffles, lobster, and chives, or Greek yogurt parfait to start; followed by crab cake Benedict, citrus-ginger glazed salmon, asparagus and wild mushroom omelet, or oven-roasted prime rib. For dessert, there's marble pound cake or berries and cream. The brunch menu runs from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and costs $26 per person. Reservations can be made online or by calling the restaurant. 

- Matt Kirouac

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