You love Mom — which is why you’re not doing the cooking this Sunday. Here’s where to treat her to a fun and delicious Mother’s Day brunch.
The cash-strapped option
You may be broke, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take mom out. At Kips Bay gastropub HandCraft Kitchen & Cocktails, moms eat free all day! Be the hero without skimping with a brunch menu packed with options like the Eggs Benny Ranchero with pulled pork and crispy polenta topped with a chipotle Hollandaise or the American take on the croque madame that is the Croaker (toasted brioche, gruyere, bacon bechamel, smoked ham, eggs). Late brunchers can catch live jazz by Zebster & Trio from 4-6 p.m. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. 367 Third Ave., handcraftnyc.com
All the mimosas for Mom
Flatiron’s Greek steakhouse Merakia is throwing a brunch party with a three-course prix-fixe menu that includes unlimited mimosas for mamas (everyone else gets one or a Bloody Mary, too). Your meal begins with a strawberry salad with shrimp chiotikes, mains like the Eggs Benedict with a choice of keftedes or crab cake and baklava pancakes — or save your sweeth tooth for a dessert of chocolate baklava? $39, through 4 p.m., 5 W. 21st St., merakia.com
Shopping pitstop
If your idea of a good time with Mom is trying on shoes at Bloomie’s (they have a glam new floor devoted entirely to footwear) and then laying waste to your credit cards all down Fifth Avenue, make your brunch pit stop at Rock Center Cafe’s Summer Garden & Bar. Rockefeller Center has transformed into an al fresco oasis where three-course feast of prosecco-macerated berry parfait and soft shell crabs on brioche with ramp aioli. $45, 20 W. 50th St., patinagroup.com
Japanese cuisine with French flair
Chef Yuu Shimano is a veteran of Guy Savoy in Paris, now making seasonal Japanese cuisine with French techniques at Mifune. Relax in the warm nature-inspired dining room and indulge in the surprisingly affordable Mother’s Day tasting menu, which features five courses that include the restaurant’s signature rolled zucchini with king crab tartare and Miyazaki Wagyu steak. End with a perfectly balanced cocktail by 2017’s International Bartender of the Year, Shingo Gokan. $50, noon-8:30 p.m., 245 E. 44th St., mifune-restaurant.com
One last chance at cherry blossoms
A late bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden means the entire Cherry Esplanade remains in full bloom for Mother’s Day weekend. Stroll the blooming grounds and take all the selfies mom will indulge, then dine at the garden’s Palm House where an unlimited buffet with items like basil soufflés, leg of lamb with porchetta and Southern-style banana pudding plus a brunch cocktail bar await. $69 adults, $25 kids under 12, includes garden admission, seating at 5 p.m., 1000 Washington Ave., Prospect Heights
Get nostalgic
We wouldn’t tell you to take mom somewhere scene-y without good reason. For Mother’s Day, chef de cuisine Derrick Prince at Lower East Side hang Stanton Social channels his favorite recipes growing up to create special dishes for brunch and dinner. Try his family’s Sunday morning special Crab & Spring Vegetable Frittata (blue claw crab, asparagus, ramps, cherry tomatoes, caviar), or his nostalgic Baked Clams Oreganata (littleneck clams topped with mom’s secret bread crumbs) for dinner. 99 Stanton St., thestantonsocial.com
For the bragging rights
Even your mom has heard about Black Tap’s oversized, overdecorated and definitely necessary milkshakes by now. Treat her to one at its Lower East Side location, which launches weekend brunch starting May 12. There are no reservations needed — so you get a pass for procrastinating this time — to dig into dishes like the Croissant Burger (Swiss, bacon, egg, arugula, truffle mayo) and The Southern Dip, a chicken sandwich with bacon sandwiched between maple-dipped blueberry waffles. 177 Ludlow St., blacktapnyc.com
Catch some cider
Normally, Brooklyn Cider House only offers its Basque-style cider-catching experience — you hold your glass under the barrel as it’s tapped — during dinner service, but they’re making an exception for mom (aaaw). Swing by on Sunday for a three-course brunch ($30) with options like prawns in creamy grits and a Cowboy steak & eggs, and add on two cider catches from their towering barrels for $9. 1100 Flushing Ave., Bushwick, brooklynciderhouse.com
Fun and games at sea
Mom will be greeted with a free mimosa or flute of Champagne aboard Spirit of New York. Fun-loving moms will enjoy the casual party atmosphere, with a DJ and dancing as you sail down the Hudson on a two-hour sightseeing trip. A buffet of breakfast or brunch favorites is included, depending on which cruise you choose. 10a.m.,-noon, 2:30-4:30 p.m., $61.90-$79.90, Chelsea Pier, spiritcruises.com
