On Mother’s Day, New Yorkers are bombarded by brunch offers to celebrate the women who have given us their all from day one.
The holiday is the most popular day of the year to dine out, which comes as no surprise, because everyone wants to give his or her mom a break from slaving over the stove.
Here’s the problem: The prices for prix-fixe brunches can be obscene, and you will likely spend most of the morning pushing through crowds. It’ll run you $75 for a three-course menu at Colicchio & Sons in Chelsea, $85 for four courses at Lincoln Ristorante in midtown, and $95 to try the buffet at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center.
If you think brunch is bad, just take a glance at lunch and dinner menus. Prices are even steeper.
Despite being a social, single 25-year-old dance teacher, I am fundamentally anti-brunch. My mom raised me to know better than to spend any Sunday morning waiting in line to pay $25 for eggs and weak mimosas when I could make better cocktails at home. Even in Harlem, people are practically dressing in tuxedos and top hats to eat $19 “Caribbean bacon” at Red Rooster.
Of course, our mothers deserve to be indulged a little on the one day reserved just for them. But let’s resist repeating history, and go beyond what’s expected. It’s easy to make restaurant reservations, as perhaps many moms themselves have done, but surely many of them would enjoy a homemade picnic in the park or a festive meal at home.
Last year, I learned to make the perfect shrimp risotto (for less than $7 a serving!) and spent time making a beautiful card for my mom, who visited from Kansas City. My younger sister made her a photo album and sent her cookies that she made in her dorm room for just a few dollars.
Since I can’t be with my mom this year, I gifted her a three-month, $30 subscription to Birchbox, which will send packages of beauty supplies to her in May, June and July. It’s something different that will keep delivering after the holiday is long past, and most important, she will know I chose it just for her.
This Mother’s Day, keep your mom away from the crowds. Boycott expensive brunches. Even skip the flowers that can run you upward of $100. This year, make an effort to do something really different for mom. She deserves it.
