Ah, Mother's Day -- the one day of the year that actually surpasses the restaurant dog and pony show that is Valentine's Day. According to the National Restaurant Association, it's the busiest restaurant day of the year. If you don't believe them just ask anyone you know who works in the industry if they have off this Sunday. Then watch their eyes roll.
My inbox is full of Mother's Day brunch deals from restaurants around town. As restaurants try to cater to more customers than they will have on any other day of the year, keeping up with quality of service is always more difficult. Restaurants don't have it easy, you know. So special holidays like these pressure them to pack in as many tables as possible, turn over tables as quickly as possible, and make up for the following Monday, which I'm willing to bet is one of the slowest days of the year for the industry.
Why would you subject your mother to this? I can't personally attest to the pains of childbirth, but I've heard much about them. (Hi, Mom!) The least you could do is fry your mother an egg in the morning. Maybe even make her a nice mimosa with fresh pressed juice and real Champagne. Mark Bittman at The New York Times has this complete guide to a Mother's Day dinner if you're feeling extra inspired, and if you're not a cook there are still other ways to impress Mom without picking up a spatula.
How about a picnic? Have you seen the weather report for this Sunday? I've lived in Dallas for only two years, but that's long enough to know that a Sunday in May that's 80 degrees with a breeze is something to be celebrated.
Why not head to Scardello and pick up one of those handy baskets they already have thrown together for you? The Oak Lawn cheese shop will rent you the basket, fill it with cheese and wine and send you on your merry way.
If you already have a basket ,Bolsa Mercado strikes me as a store that's perfect for picking out a wide assortment of prepackaged treats. They also throw together some Mother's Day worthy sandwiches.
If your mom likes wine, both the stores I just mentioned have plenty for you to choose from, and if she's a beer drinker you can go to Craft and Growler and purchase a number of smaller growlers to fill with an assortment of local beers.
Throw out a blanket for Mom and tell her you blew off brunch because you wanted some peace and quite so you could actually enjoy her company. It will beat the heck out of hollandaise sauce made hours before you eat it.
