Palm Beach restaurants offer specials, luxe dining settings for Mother's Day
Considering the huge amount of restaurant patronage it prompts, one particular day in May could be called the mother of all dining days on the island.
That would be Mother’s Day, which this year falls on May 12.
Who can resist treating mom to a delicious meal amid the singular ambiance that is Palm Beach, whether that means dining in style at a Worth Avenue via restaurant, say, or a hot spot with an ocean or Intracoastal Waterway view or sidewalk-side patio perch for people-watching?
Nearly every restaurant in town will be open on Mother’s Day. Depending on where you dine, advance reservations are either required or strongly recommended; prices do not include tax and gratuity.
Some Palm Beach restaurants will serve their regular a la carte menus, but others will also feature daily specials, complimentary cocktails and/or prix-fixe menus aimed at delighting moms and their families.
Here’s a taste:
ACQUA CAFÉ
2875 S. Ocean Blvd.
With the ocean a stone’s throw to the east, Acqua Café is set to celebrate Mother’s Day in its dining room, plus its bar area with an underlit aqua-hued bar-top and its expansive covered outdoor patio.
Along with its regular brunch and dinner menus, Acqua has daily specials planned thanks to executive chef Pierangelo Badioli.
Among them: roasted sea bass ($42) with carrot velouté, sauteed broccoli and crispy lardons; and lemon risotto with shrimp and Ikura ($35). Look for $10 bellinis, mimosas and glasses of rosé.
ALMOND
207 Royal Poinciana Way
In its dining room and along its sidewalk-side covered patio, one of the ways Almond is toasting moms is by offering them a complimentary blood-orange mimosa to enjoy with the restaurant’s Mother’s Day brunch.
Almond brunch favorites will be featured, including lobster omelet ($39) with avocado and bacon, and chicken tamales ($26) with poached egg and Hollandaise sauce. Raw-bar fare as well as house-baked granola ($21) with yogurt and honey are among lighter options that will be served.
The restaurant is closed on Sunday evenings.
BICE
313 Worth Ave.
The Italian hot spot, “where love and fine dining come together” at the north end of Via Bice, is set to celebrate Mother’s Day with its a la carte brunch and dinner menus featuring longtime Bice favorites and daily specials.
Live acoustic music will be featured during brunch.
Popular brunch and dinner dishes and specials include vegetable frittata ($19) with balsamic-drizzled mixed greens; beef carpaccio ($29) with shaved parmesan; grilled branzino ($46) and veal scaloppini ($46).
BRANDON’S
2842 S. Ocean Blvd.
Located in an oceanfront resort boasting a recent multi-million renovation, Brandon’s will feature a special three-course Mother’s Day brunch menu ($65) by executive chef Gary Mawu.
Guests can indulge in two appetizers from the Zensai & Dim Sum section of the special brunch menu, with options such as brussels sprouts with truffle miso, pancetta and goat cheese; and pork-belly pao buns with edamame purée, tahini and kimchi slaw.
Diners also can choose one item from the Greens menu section, which offers, among other things, Caesar salad with parmesan and seaweed salad with ginger dressing.
For the main course? Choose from such selections as shrimp fried rice, coconut French toast, and miso-glazed salmon. To complement the menu, unlimited mimosas, bellinis and spritzes can be enjoyed for two hours for $42. Sushi will be available in the adjacent Mizu sushi bar.
THE BREAKERS’ CIRCLE AND PONCE DE LEON BALLROOM
1 S. County Road
One of the most sought-after Mother’s Day reservations is for brunch at The Breakers’ historic Circle dining room.
With a copious buffet and floor-to-ceiling arched windows, the brunch is $285 for adults and $100 for children 12 and younger. Mother’s Day reservations for The Circle have reached capacity, but a wait list is being taken. Guests at The Circle can enjoy unlimited Champagne cocktails, Bloody Marys and glasses of The Breakers’ custom-blended wine.
A harpist will play throughout Mother’s Day brunch at The Circle.
Nearby, The Breakers’ chandelier-accented Ponce de Leon Ballroom will feature a brunch buffet for $275 for adults and $100 for children 12 and younger.
Unlimited Champagne cocktails and The Breakers’ custom-blended wine will be offered at the Ponce de Leon brunch.
CAFÉ BOULUD
301 Australian Ave.
The French-American restaurant by Daniel Boulud will feature a three-course prix-fixe brunch menu for Mother’s Day.
At dinner, the regular a la carte menu will be served.
The brunch menu ($155 adults; $75 children younger than 12) features such appetizer selections as gazpacho; jumbo shrimp with cocktail and tartar sauces; tuna tartare with Osetra caviar; and a charcuterie board.
Waffles, a lobster omelet, seared diver scallops, Florida pompano, grilled heritage chicken and a bavette steak are among the entrée selections.
For dessert, choose between peach Melba; profiteroles with almonds and chocolate sauce; raspberry macarons with vanilla ice cream; and chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream.
CAFÉ L’EUROPE
331 S. County Road
Along with its regular menu of Continental cuisine prepared by executive chefs Alain Krauss and Benoit Delos, Café L’Europe on Mother’s Day will feature a special dessert: vanilla soufflé ($28).
The longtime Palm Beach restaurant has become known for its dessert soufflés — and vanilla is a new flavor for the restaurant.
Dinner guests on Mother’s Day also will be served a special gratis caviar amuse bouche and moms will be treated to table flowers with a pink vase. Resident pianist David Crohan will play tunes throughout the evening.
FLAGLER STEAKHOUSE
2 S. County Road
Golf course-view Flagler Steakhouse (which also offers seafood and Italian specialties) on the second level of The Breakers’ golf-and-tennis clubhouse will feature on Mother’s Day an all-day prix-fixe menu for lunch and dinner.
The menu ($160 adults; $75 children 12 and younger) will feature steaks, fish, shellfish and more.
Guests can sit in the dining room areas or outside along Flagler Steakhouse’s terrace overlooking the resort’s Ocean Course.
Elsewhere at The Breakers, look for a complimentary glass of Prosecco for moms on Mother’s Day at The Italian Restaurant and a complimentary grapefruit rose martini for moms at The Seafood Bar.
The Breakers’ Henry’s, 229 Royal Poinciana Way, will feature a complimentary mimosa for moms at brunch, plus daily specials.
FLORIE'S
2800 S. Ocean Blvd.
At Florie’s, a bountiful brunch will be featured ($215 adults; $75 children) with a raw bar, Hawaiian poke-bowl station, salads, charcuterie and more.
Miso-glazed Faroe Island salmon, dry-aged roasted rib-eye steak and Colorado rack of lamb are among the buffet’s entrée selections.
Side dishes and pastas from which to choose are set to include eggplant parmigiana, ratatouille, potato gratin with truffle and onion, and paccheri pasta with black truffles, mushrooms and parmesan.
Pork-belly sliders, pizza, seafood paella, pancakes, omelets and other items are also part of the brunch, plus numerous desserts, such as orange-blossom crème brulée, citrus pavlova, chocolate bonbons, chocolate profiteroles and more.
LA GOULUE
288 S. County Road
In addition to its regular menus, the French bistro on Mother’s Day will feature brunch and dinner specials.
At brunch, look for such specials as wild mushroom-and-goat cheese quiche ($32) with a petite salad; Maine lobster salad (market price) with avocado, watercress and rhubarb vinaigrette; and a poached-pear dessert ($18) with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and roasted almonds.
Among the dinner specials, guests can choose prawns with “beggar’s purse” ($36), braised leeks and light Champagne sauce; and Maine lobster saffron risotto ($75) with baby tomatoes and parmesan crisp; and the poached-pear dessert ($18).
LE BILBOQUET
345 Worth Ave.
A lavish special Mother’s Day brunch menu ($120 a person) will be served at this indoor-outdoor French bistro situated in the courtyard of Via Encantada.
If the weather is nice, many moms and their families will seek courtyard tables, where they can start their brunches with a choice of zucchini blossom with clams and basil-beurre blanc; scallop crudo with honeydew and cilantro; or asparagus risotto with saffron and artichoke.
Main-course selections are set to include artichoke barigoule with basil and Meyer lemon; lobster and green cabbage, corn espuma and maitake mushrooms; and le poulet Cajun with frites, among other choices.
For dessert: white chocolate mousse with raspberry ice cream.
A few items on the brunch menu at Le Bilboquet carry an upcharge, such as the restaurant’s popular holiday raspberry Charlotte cake for six to eight people, which carries an upcharge of $15 for a table.
LOLA 41
290 Bradley Place
The signature restaurant with an expansive patio at the White Elephant boutique hotel is offering a Mother’s Day menu with items “just for her,” along with a cocktail that celebrates moms “like a queen.”
Specials will include a pan-seared heart-of-palm crab cake ($48) topped with yuzu-accented bacon aioli and paired with a dandelion green salad.
On tap for sushi specials on Mother’s Day: toro tartare and crispy rice crackers ($45), which combines truffle aioli and poke sauce.
The specialty cocktail is called the Queen's Gambit ($20) with Belvedere or Hendrick’s Gin, St. Germain, Aperol, grapefruit juice, muddled grapes and lemon.
All Mother’s Day specials at Lola 41 will be served throughout the weekend, including May 10 and May 11 for dinner (beginning at 5 p.m.) and all day on May 12.
PB CATCH
251 Sunrise Ave.
At this seafood restaurant and raw bar, moms will be treated to a complimentary drink of their choice during Mother’s Day dinner service.
Popular cocktails include the Conniption Martini and the blackberry-mint gin and tonic.
PB Catch will feature daily specials, plus its regular menu with such items as steamed mussels with Merguez sausage ($25); cioppino ($43), pan-seared Chilean sea bass ($58) and a Prime-grade burger ($25).
RENATO’S
87 Via Mizner
Often voted the most romantic restaurant in Palm Beach in area dining surveys, Renato’s normally isn’t open for lunch on Sundays, but it will be on Mother’s Day.
One of the chief reasons why is that reservations for Mother’s Day dinner routinely reach capacity, so having lunch available is an option for Renato’s patrons who want to score time there to celebrate mom in historic bougainvillea-laced Via Mizner.
If you can’t snag a reservation for dinner, lunch offers such dishes as beef carpaccio ($22), antipasto dello chef ($26), or Maine lobster risotto ($34), are among other selections.
SWIFTY’S
155 Hammon Ave.
Daily brunch and dinner specials aimed at pleasing moms will be served along with Swifty’s regular menus on Mother’s Day; guests can sit inside or outside under covered seating bordering the colorfully appointed pool area.
Specials include appetizers, entrees and desserts.
Chilled vichyssoise ($32) with lemon crème fraiche, caviar and crispy leeks; and mussels mariniere ($28) with shallots, white wine and grilled focaccia are among the appetizers.
Entrée specials are set to include lemon fettuccine with blue crab ($42), zucchini blossoms, peas, basil, parmesan, cucumber and pesto; and Murray’s chicken Milanese ($44) with tomato, asparagus salad, parmesan, cucumber and pesto.
Dessert specials at Swifty’s: Lemon and white-chocolate mousse ($18) and “The Colony Knickerbocker Glory” ($18) with vanilla and chocolate ice cream, Florida orange semifreddo, strawberries, hazelnuts, caramel and whipped cream.
TREVINI
223 Sunset Ave.
Mother’s Day at Italian restaurant Trevini will feature seating in its cozy dining room and along its expansive outdoor patio canopied by a blue- and white-striped awning.
Along with daily specials celebrating Mom, look for such longtime favorites as burrata Pugliese ($29) with tomatoes and house-made roasted peppers; octopus carpaccio ($26) with fennel, arugula and citronette; orecchiette with crab ($34), asparagus, baked cherry tomatoes and bottarga; and veal scallopini ($44).
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best restaurants in Palm Beach for Mother's Day
