Mother's Day is on Sunday, May 12, this year -- that's about two weeks away -- and this is one occasion where you can't put off reserving a table (or special take-home dinner) until the last minute. Whether your mom prefers fine dining or a simple steak, a lavish outdoor brunch or a stay-at-home gourmet dinner, one of these Valley restaurants will ensure she feels like queen for a day.
See also: - Mother's Day in Phoenix: Moms Eat Gluten-Free at Tryst Café (With Bottomless Mimosas) - Crudo and Noca Team Up for a One-Night-Only 5-Cour Cocktail Dinner Tour on May 9
The Farm at South Mountain Underneath the Canopy in the Grove, there will be a beautiful spread of brunch selections available at The Farm at South Mountain's Mother's Day buffet, with seating times between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. There will be an omelet station with gourmet cheeses and meats, chorizo quiche with sautéed onions and red skin potatoes, pecan French toast with caramelized bananas, sweet potato salad, grilled herb chicken with lemon-basil beurre blanc, braised beef short rib with oven-roasted shallots, and fresh-baked pastries and breads including pecan caramel buns and coffee cake muffins. Brunch is $49.95 per person, $16.95 for children ages 8 to 10, and $8 for those ages 2 to 7. Reservations can be made online or by calling 602-243-9081.
Province For Mother's Day, Province will serve a customizable prix fixe brunch from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Locally sourced, seasonal ingredients are featured in the menu, including as fillings and toppings at the eggs Benedict and build-your-own golden waffle stations. Options include smoked salmon, chorizo, bacon, avocado, piquillo peppers, seasonal fruits, housemade dulce de leche, and assorted hollandaise sauces. Sides include fingerling potato hash, mixed green salad, and fresh fruit. Adults eat for $29, kids up to 12 years old for $12. Moms will receive a complimentary glass of sparkling wine, and Bloody Marys and mimosas are $5 each. There will also be a limited a la carte menu available. Reservations are required; call 602-429-3600.
The Palette at PAM Have an art-minded mama? Take her to the Phoenix Art Museum to see upcoming exhibitions, including "From Above: Aerial Photography from the center of Creative Photography" and "Hidden Meanings of Love and Death in Chinese Painting," and then stop by the museum's restaurant, Palette, for a decadent brunch, served from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. The holiday menu is $50 per person and features dishes like local organic carrot and ginger soup with toasted coconut; organic kale salad with pomegranate, golden raisins, local goat feta, and ginger-lime vinaigrette; Arizona merlot-braised osso bucco with griddled polenta; Maryland lump crab benedict with roasted vegetable hash; and a gourmet dessert buffet with selections like pecan pie and strawberry shortcake with basil-infused syrup. Arizona wine pairings are also available. Reservations are available; call 602-257-2191.
The Stockyards Steakhouse Some moms don't need anything too fancy -- a simple, all-American steak dinner will make her day. Take her to Arizona's original steakhouse for a local infusion of flavors you won't find at Outback or even Ruth's Chris. Mother's Day dinner will be served from 4 to 8 p.m., including the full menu of steaks, prime rib, fresh seafood like tortilla-crusted rainbow trout with chile pepper relish ($24), and signature dishes like chateaubriand for two ($85) and buffalo meatloaf ($28). The evening's special will be Gold Coast seafood gratin with lobster, shrimp, and scallops in a garlic cream sauce ($35), which will be served with poblano cornbread muffins and prickly pear honey butter. Moms will also receive a $25 gift certificate to redeem at a later date as well as a salted caramel truffle pop. Gina's Homemade If the super-mom in your life is always busy, running around town with the kids or working non-stop to bring home the bacon, she might prefer a nice, quiet meal at home for Mother's Day. But if no one else in the family can hack it in the kitchen, you might think that's not an option. Gina's Homemade has you covered with Italian dinners of veal or cheese cannelloni, lasagna with meat sauce, panzanella salad, and a silky vanilla panna cotta with blueberry reduction. This take-home dinner for four is $79, or $99 including a bottle of Liocco chardonnay or Evodia Granacha, a Spanish red. Call 480-882-0787 by noon on Friday, May 10, to place your order for holiday pickup. Gina's Homemade is notable for being the only Arizona finalist in the San Francisco-based 2013 Good Food Awards, nominated in the cheese category for ricotta.
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess There are multiple ways to give mom the royal treatment at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. All four of the resort's restaurants will be open, and Willow Stream Spa will be offering two pampering packages with moms in mind, both of which include a healthy lunch. Holiday specials at the resort will include banana leaf-wrapped shrimp and cheese tamales and an agua frescas station at La Hacienda and Kobe beef sliders and duck fat fries with smoked paprika aioli at The Grill @ TPC. A Mother's Day brunch will be served from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ironwood American Kitchen for $75 for adults, $29 for children 6 to 12. Each of the restaurants will be contributing dishes, including seared crispy skin wild salmon with blood orange reduction, a morel and asparagus risotto station, octopus and compressed watermelon salad with chayote squash and jicama, and a mac and cheese bar with options like truffle gruyere and prosciutto. There will be a vast selection of desserts by executive pastry chef William Schultz, including hazelnut lemon cake, brownie Napoleon, and maple, espresso, and cream cheese shooters.
The Salty Sow Does your mom wake you up on birthdays and special occasions with the irresistible aroma of bacon sizzling on the stove? Show her how much you appreciate it by returning the favor with a Mother's Day meal at Salty Sow. The buffet-style brunch, served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will bring on the swine with dishes like milk-braised pork shoulder with pecorino and white beans, truffled deviled eggs with salty sow bacon and chives, housemade breakfast sausage, molasses-cured bacon, smoked ham hocks with collard greens, and candied pork belly with eggs and white corn cheese grits. Other items include carved-to-order turkey with neck bone gravy, garlic-crusted halibut with lentils, Brussels sprout Caesar salad with candied almonds, roasted organic beets with whipped goat cheese and pistachio vinaigrette, and assorted pastries and desserts like dark chocolate pudding. This holiday special is priced at only $25 per person, with cocktails available for an additional $5. Call 602-795-9463 for reservations.
