Mother's Day Lunch In NYC Like The Boathouse?

April 18, 2015 2:20 PM

I'm taking my Mom out for lunch on May 23rd. Normally she'd like to just eat at the bar around the corner when visiting but it's the 'Mothers Day' lunch so I'd like to go up a few notches. Ideally I'd take her to the Central Park Boathouse but they don't do reservations on the weekends. Where can I take her in town that's sufficiently 'nice' to be a special occasion but not overly fancy/exotic/hip and has a full lunch-y lunch menu, not just an egg- brunch?

In Manhattan, will consider other boroughs if they're subway close. She's partial to Italian-American and BBQ. Outdoor/Garden spaces ideal.

posted by The Whelk to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

I don't know about their brunch menu, but the first place I'd look is Isabella's, right near the Museum of Natural History.
posted by ocherdraco at 2:46 PM on April 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

I love the back room at 100 Acres. Full of flowers!

The rooftop restaurant of Sleep No More is also beautiful. No idea on menu though.
posted by functionequalsform at 2:49 PM on April 18, 2015

You should memail Mefite JPD. They know their shit and have given amazing foodie suggestions on multiple occasions.
posted by functionequalsform at 2:51 PM on April 18, 2015

My mom really likes Riverpark. We went there for a Mother's Day brunch once.
posted by ferret branca at 3:10 PM on April 18, 2015

Isabella's is perfect. Cafe Tallulah is also delicious.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:13 PM on April 18, 2015

Bar Boulud is very nice; I took my mother there for Mother's Day last year.
posted by holborne at 4:21 PM on April 18, 2015

Gallow Green (the rooftop garden) at Sleep No More does brunch on Sundays but not Saturdays. (And it's a brunch buffet.)

Riverpark is a good suggestion but it tends to get very windy due to proximity of the highway.

Broadly speaking, I would be looking at:

Minetta Tavern
Maialino
Laduree (Soho)
The NoMad (not the East Village one)
North End Grill
Montmartre
Lafayette
Blue Smoke for upscale-ish BBQ?
posted by kathryn at 4:38 PM on April 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

River Cafe in Brooklyn might be a nice splurge.
posted by vrakatar at 8:45 PM on April 18, 2015

I took my mom to Almond and that worked well. I agree Isabella's is a good choice though especially with the outdoors requirement.
posted by sweetkid at 9:57 PM on April 18, 2015

I went to Victor's Cuban with my cousin between performances of Wolf Hall.
posted by brujita at 10:30 PM on April 18, 2015

Response by poster: Blue Smoke in Flatiron was the best, mostly cause there are lots of chairty or secondhand stores walking to it and we went to al of them after
posted by The Whelk at 10:01 PM on May 26, 2015