Total spending for Mother’s Day is set to reach an all-time high of $23.6 billion. The National Retail Federation finds in addition to greeting cards and flowers, 59 percent of us will take mom to brunch or dinner.
Coincidentally it’s also National Burger and National Strawberry Month, and you’ll be able to find options for both when celebrating mom locally this Sunday, May 14.
At Trinity, 1117 Decatur St., you’ll find Executive Chef Michael Isolani’s wagyu burger and fries with Swiss, house made pickles, sautéed onions, iceberg lettuce and special sauce on a sesame semolina bun all month long. At brunch, from 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., diners can also enjoy other brunch specialties including baked Harbison from Jasper Hill Creamery served on toast with seasonal fruit; duck egg and Cajun caviar; a warm Brussels sprouts and frisèe salad with crispy prosciutto, pickled red onions and a spicy sesame dressing; and French toast a la mode with brioche, vanilla ice cream and Ponchatoula strawberries.
Brunch cocktails include a variety of Bloody Marys, as well as champagne cocktails.
Broussard’s Restaurant & Courtyard’s Mother’s Day Brunch, at 819 Conti St., include complimentary “Mom-osas.” From 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., enjoy starters including turtle soup and crispy shrimp toast; southern fried chicken and waffles; steak and eggs Broussard; and the Broussard burger, which consists of an half pound of ground Angus brisket and chuck with melting smoker cheddar, haystack onion crisps and smashed potato salad.
Courtyard seating is available.
For more information: www.broussards.com
Compere Lapin, located in the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery at 535 Tchoupitoulas St., will serve up an array of a la carte brunch items by renowned Chef/Owner Nina Compton from 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – featuring zucchini and corn fritters with green bean remoulade; chilled shrimp with coconut curry and tostones; coconut French toast with a pecan rum sauce; chicken and smoked mushroom hash with a poached egg; and goat Bolognese with potato gnocchi and egg.
Additional specials for the day include deviled Scotch eggs; baccaola agnolotti; and passion fruit crème brûlée.
Signature brunch cocktails include the Southpaw Swizzle with Oloroso sherry, aged cachaça, honey and local citrus; and Chin Music, an elegant combination of Irish whiskey, dry vermouth, ginger liqueur, absinthe, lemon, topped with a sprig of fresh thyme.
The Mother’s Day Brunch at Degas House, 2306 Esplanade Ave., features seasonal fruit salad; eggs Benedict waffles with crawfish tasso hollandaise; eggs and bacon; a chef's selection of vegetables; seafood gumbo; baked chicken; baked fish; and assorted cakes, pies and ice cream.
Also included from 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. are iced teas, soft drinks, one mimosa or one Bloody Mary. Additional mimosas and Bloody Marys may be purchased for $5 each.
Adults pay $35 and children pay $15.
Walk-in guests will be welcomed.
DTB’s newly launched brunch, from 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at 8201 Oak St., will include blue crab toast with cauliflower, Brie, shaved fennel and pickled lemon; banana beignets with bacon, strawberries and pecan cane syrup; ricotta frittata with charred broccoli rabe, marinated tomatoes and pickled chiles; crawfish pie Benedict with oyster mushrooms, poached egg and crystal mash hollandaise; and its signature mushroom boudin balls with eggplant, smoked mayo and collard pickles.
Brunch libations, created by award-winning cocktail director Lu Brow, include the Dude’s Delight – vodka, coffee liqueur, Luxardo Sambuca, whole milk and cold coffee; Oak Street Spritz – Peychaud’s aperitif, Cathead Honeysuckle vodka, simple syrup, club soda and sparkling wine; and the Bloody Mary Morning – vodka, DTB Bloody Mary mix and Creole seasoning, crackling and a pimento cheese stuffed olive for garnish.
An elegant brunch buffet will be served at Marche, 914 N. Peters St., from 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. There will be a chilled seafood station with spicy boiled shrimp, Cambridge smoked salmon and marinated crab fingers; a traditional breakfast station with made-to-order omelets, eggs benedict and cinnamon raisin brioche French toast; salads; carved roasted boneless rib of beef and rosemary honey glazed pork loin; crawfish fusilli; pan roasted gulf fish; side dishes; and miniature pastries and white chocolate bread pudding.
Adults pay $59, kids aged 12 to six pay $19, and kids six and under eat for free.
Windsor Court, 300 Gravier St., is celebrating Moms with a Mother’s Day Package, valid for one-night stays on May 13 or May 14 in a guestroom or suite, a Mother’s Day four-course feast for brunch for two people in The Grill Room, two welcome glasses of sparkling wine and a 20 percent discount on spa services.
Brunch takes place from 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and costs $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
Menu highlights include:
• Louisiana shrimp and crawfish crepes with roasted tomatoes and brandy cream sauce
• Asparagus and truffle salad with shaved asparagus, parmesan, sous vide egg and truffle vinaigrette
• Painted Hills beef filet with gnocchi, morels, ramps, white asparagus, English peas, leek jus
• Hummingbird cake with Greek yogurt icing, coconut sorbet and dehydrated pineapple
If you want to pamper your mom with a luxurious spa experience without having to leave the house, The Spa at Windsor Court is featuring a new line of small-batch, organic spa products, which hit its shelves last December. Windsor Court Spa Director Sharla Martin led the development of the new product line and spa reps said there is a body oil, a shower spray and two sugar scrubs with intense moisturization benefits that help to fight the signs of aging, treat acne and diminish dark circles:
• SWC Coconut Oil is so 2016 Body Oil, $40 for 4 oz. – This custom blend of eight essential oils, a popular add-on for massages in The Spa, seals in moisture to leave your skin soft and smooth without an oily residue. The mixture contains sunflower, grapeseed, apricot kernel, sweet almond, shea, argan, evening primrose and jojoba oils.
• SWC Pour Some Sugar on Me Body Polish, $28 for 4 oz. – For deep down exfoliation and moisturization at the same time, you can’t beat this white sugar scrub.
• SWC Is Brown Sugar a Carb? Body Polish, $28 for 4 oz. – This brown sugar scrub offers the same exfoliating and moisturizing benefits of the white version, but with more nutrients that are gentler on the skin.
• SWC Flowering Trees Signature Shower Spray, $30 for 4 oz. – The best seller of SWC Signature Body Products line offers the benefits of having a steam room at home.
The gals at FestiGals think the best Mother’s Day gift could be a FestiGals Ultimate Diva Package.
The first and only New Orleans festival that inspires, connects and celebrates women while supporting causes important to their well-being, will take place on the weekend of June 22-24 at the JW Marriott, 614 Canal St.
Buy a Ultimate Diva Package by Wednesday, May 17, and you’ll get a gift of bubbly upon check-in and be entered into a drawing to win a complimentary 20-minute aqua massage and 30-minute light relaxing massage from the Serenity Spa at JW Marriott.
The Ultimate Diva Package includes:
• Opening reception at The Presbytere’s “Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana” exhibit.
• New Orleans Women’s Leadership Conference featuring 26 inspiring women in seminars on professional development, personal enrichment and New Orleans culture. The Keynote speaker, Linda Alvarado, presented by Morgan Stanley, is the co-owner of the Colorado Rockies and president and CEO of Alvarado Construction.
• Culinary dinner demo experience at Sac-A-Lait with Chef Samantha Carroll.
• “Bodacious Bras for a Cause” brunch with a Bloody Mary mixer, live auction, Thriver fashion show and entertainment by the Jailhouse Rockers.
• Stiletto Stroll through the French Quarter featuring Grand Diva Robin Barnes and go to the After-Glow Party at Harrah’s New Orleans Casino Theater with Groovy 7.
• Exclusive private home tours, shopping, networking, food and cocktails all weekend long.
Starting a Mother’s Day meal with a cocktail is customary. In honor of the strawberry, the official state fruit – Ponchatoula is considered the strawberry capital of Louisiana, and there are more than 83 growers in the state – Bayou Rum came up with a way to combine two favorites – the strawberry and the daiquiri.
Its Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri recipe includes:
- 1 ½ parts Bayou Silver
- ¾ part lime juice
- ¼ part simple syrup
- 1 part fresh or frozen strawberry puree
- Combine all ingredients in blender, and add ice.
- Blend until smooth, pour into glass and garnish with a beautiful strawberry.
