Tara FinleyMother’s Day is this weekend, which means we will be seeing local dining and gifting options blooming throughout the week. We love a good brunch and we also love a cozy meal at home, especially when either is paired with good wine. And don’t forget the gifts and Mother’s Day activities. With so much to choose from in our creative city, we’ve narrowed down a list of 10 ways to celebrate Mother’s Day, to help you navigate the best way to tell the mothers in your life that you love them.
There’s something about this year’s spring that we can’t quite put our finger on. The season feels more magical than ever, with all of L.A.’s gorgeous flora blooming accentuating our enchantment even further. We’ve become obsessed with spring-inspired menus, which makes Caldo Verde one of our top picks for enjoying Mother’s Day brunch this weekend. Caldo Verde’s chef Suzanne Goin used her own mother as inspiration to curate this year’s selection of fresh, spring-forward Mother’s Day brunch specials. The entirely a la carte menu includes a selection of oceanic-inspired dishes including a delicate lobster chopped salad with fava beans, cherry tomatoes, avocado and smoked bacon; a crab cake benedict served with pancetta, crispy potato, poached eggs and Calabrian hollandaise; and bright spring pea pancakes complete with smoked salmon, crème fraîche and pea tendrils. And of course, a decadent variety of confections, desserts and treats to feast upon.
Primo’s Donuts ( Erica Mae Allen)
Often making it to our list of favorite donut shops in L.A., Primo’s Donuts is a local staple that has been keeping the community sweet since 1956. It never ceased to impress us with its humble mastery of pastry, and its Mother’s Day offerings this year prove its humble expertise. In honor of mom, Primo’s has baked up a limited-edition menu of both raised and cake donuts (in an assortment of flavors) all topped with pink chocolate shavings. It has partnered with Goldbelly to ship nationwide and is running a special Mother’s Day discount code to celebrate it.
Code TREATMOM20 unlocks $20 off an order of $50+ to first-time Goldbelly customers, exclusively on https://www.goldbelly.com/primos-donuts. The offer runs through midnight on Monday, May 9.
Los Angeles culinary darling République is helping you plan ahead with its inventive and charming Mother’s Day gift boxes. Available for pick up now through May 9, each limited-time République gift box includes a half-bottle of Billecart Champagne, Black Pearl kaluga caviar, house-made potato chips, and crème fraîche with chives. You can customize your order to mom’s preferences and order signature add-ons like a half-bottle of Krug champagne, their famous baguette with Rodolphe Le Meunier Normandy butter, fresh market fruit, house-made jam and the finest quality smoked salmon.
The Caker (Jenna Baydee)
If you’re in need of a useful, yet unique gift for Mother’s Day, The Caker just may be the perfect way to say “I love you” to mom this year. Founded by New Zealand native Jordan Rondel, and joined shortly thereafter by her sister Anouk, The Caker was created in 2010 as a made-to-order cake business that quickly transformed into something much larger. In 2013 the brand launched its line of Cake Kits, built from a desire to be able to share The Caker’s signature style with people everywhere in a new way, beyond the traditional published recipes and made-to-order cakes. With so many taking up hobby baking over quarantine, these kits have become an online sensation lauded for their use of all natural ingredients. Tasty, gorgeous and fun, The Caker’s Cake Kits make a delightful gift.
Urban Plates is the fast-casual, chef-driven restaurant of our dreams. While pregnant, Urban Plates’ mashed potatoes were a top craving, so we had to include them in our list of Mother’s Day culinary favorites. And we’re glad we did, because it looks like Urban Plates loves moms as much as we love them; the first 180 moms who dine on Mother’s Day at any Urban Plates location will receive a complimentary chocolate pudding. The first 50 moms also will receive a bouquet of roses. Known for its organic ingredients and inclusive menu options (including gluten- free, vegan and vegetarian), one of Urban Plates’ L.A. locations is a perfect way to celebrate mom with a fresh, tasty and affordable meal. Check out its new lunch and dinner spring menu options, including a Wild Ahi Nicoise Salad and Roasted Barramundi Sea Bass plate. Don’t forget the Hummingbird Cake (and mashed potatoes, of course)!
IntoMeSea Mother’s Day Package
Okay, you got us. This may not be a culinary-related option, but we’d argue that it’s very much culinary-adjacent. Taking advantage of IntoMeSea’s Mother’s Day Package is a great pre- or post-brunch option that’ll benefit you just as much as it does mom. From now until Wednesday, May 11, IntoMeSea is offering a special Mothers Day Package; The Divine Feminine Sweat + Soak includes one 60 minute Infrared Sauna Session + one 60 minute Galactic Crystal Intention Tub Soak. Valued price of $198, for a limited time it’s $154. The Divine Feminine Sweat + Soak also includes one galactic crystal intention tub kit for sublime intention setting. You can purchase the package online or in person with promo code “mama154,” and it’s redeemable until Dec. 31. IntoMeSea is a state-of-the-art Quantum Wellness Studio in Santa Monica that offers unique integrated wellness therapies designed to ground, balance and heal, through harnessing the powers of water, salt, light, sound, sweat and energy. We think we’ll be buying a package as a gift to ourselves this year, because there’s no better gift than the one of (child-free) relaxation.
Gift box (Courtesy République)
Malibu Beach Inn’s Carbon Beach Club
Enjoy a gorgeous weekend oceanside while dining on a delicious Mother’s Day brunch at Malibu Beach Inn’s restaurant, Carbon Beach Club. Priced at a friendly $85 per person (not including tax, gratuity or valet), menu highlights include the Dossant Benedict with poached eggs, ring shaped fried croissant dough, spinach, hollandaise sauce, capers, chili oil and mixed greens; its Stuffed Vegetable Trio with ground lamb, tomato, eggplant, zucchini, pomodoro sauce and saffron rice; as well as the decedent Strawberry Charlotte, complete with ladyfingers, strawberry mousse, red berry coulis and honey ice cream. Amplify the experience by entering to win Malibu Beach Inn’s Mother’s Day giveaway: a two-night stay at Malibu Beach Inn, dinner for two at ocean-front terrace Carbon Beach Club, three boxes of assorted artisanal Vosges Haut Chocolat, and a gift set of luxurious body wash and lotion from Bamford in its signature geranium scent.
A family run Puerto Rican restaurant from Chef Omayra Dakis, Rumba Kitchen will be serving both Mother’s Day brunch and Mother’s Day dinner. Chef Omayra’s teenage daughter, Maria, a chef in her own right, will be gifting mamas in attendance at either meal with delicious homemade sweet mallorca bread. Brunch from noon to 4 p.m., consists of a four-course menu ($58 per person, not including tax + gratuity) featuring menu items like the San Juan Benedict (with pork belly or lobster medallions), Churrasco Montado A Caballo, and a Plantain Waffle with Chicharrones De Pollo and Sunshine Mofongo. Guests are invited to add bottomless mimosas to their dining experience for an additional $23 per person. Dinner will be available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will feature Rumba Kitchen’s a la carte menu.
Breakfast in bed (Courtesy Polly’s Pies)
Founded in Fullerton in 1968, Polly’s Pies has grown to 13 locations – all of which will be offering a Breakfast In Bed and Brunch In Booth promotion. For the breakfast-in-bed option, Polly’s offers an array of breakfast items to-go, from scrambles and pancakes to avocado toast. The Breakfast Quiche Bundle will feed a family, featuring a choice of savory breakfast quiche or spinach and feta quiche, plus homestyle breakfast potatoes, seasonal fresh fruit and a four-pack of house-made muffins. For those that prefer to eat out, you can enjoy a full brunch menu while relaxing in one of Polly’s famous booths.
What better way to celebrate mom than to gift her with a bouquet she can drink? Unfined Wines has curated specialized Mother’s Day wine “bouquets” complete with the best local wines for all palettes. Delivered straight to your door (or hers) it will include three delicious bottles of natural wine (one red, one rose and one white) in a gift box for $75. Easy! As an online natural wine shop that curates organic, biodynamic wine and delivers exclusively all over Los Angeles, Unfined Wines is a local treasure that we love to support.
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