This year will be as close to normal as you’ve seen since Mother’s Day 2019. You’ll be sitting in a restaurant with Mom and the wife or the hubby or the partner, and the kids or no kids, and you’ll all be together, dining and celebrating.
It’s going to feel like a fond memory come true, so why not make it special?
This year, of course, there are any number of great restaurants to visit for Mother’s Day in Pasadena, but we’ve expanded the circle a bit this time to include some restaurants close by, as well as some not so much.
You can tell mom you’re “going out of town.”
First, let’s talk about The Raymond 1886. Their Mother’s Day Brunch includes blueberry and pistachio pancakes, eggs your way, eggs benedict, breakfast burrito, chilaquiles, breakfast sandwich, Mediterranean frittata veggie hash, avocado toast, smoked salmon toast, and much more. For dinner, mom can The Raymond 1886’s signature Mother’s Day Dinner Menu, along with their award-winning wine list or enjoy an 1886 Bloody Mary or any one of their handcrafted cocktails.
The Raymond 1886 will be open on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8th, 2022, for Mother’s Day Brunch from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and for Mother’s Day dinner from 4 pm to 9 pm. 1250 South Fair Oaks Avenue; Pasadena, CA 91105. (626) 441-3136.www.TheRaymond.com
How about some gourmet Italian at Celestino Ristorante? Let owner and Executive Chef Calogero Drago prepare a Mother’s Day dinner on either of their outdoor patios or in the main dining room.
Chef Drago celebrates Mama by featuring his full Classic Menu showcasing signature items like the ravioli filled with duck, mushrooms, and porcini blueberry sauce, tortellini stuffed with pumpkin cream, butter and sage, risotto with red beets and goat cheese, Osso Buco, bistecca, and a special tasting menu for Moms who might want something created just for them. Then, let her savor the Tiramisu, panna cotta (vanilla custard with strawberries), or perhaps the Torta Al Ciocolato (Flourless Chocolate Cake).
Celestino Ristorante will be open on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8th, 2022, for from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm; 141 South Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105. (626) 795-4006. www.CelestinoRistorante.com
Mi Piace is here because, well, it’s Mi Piace! This longtime Pasadena favorite brunch spot features a Mimosa, Bellini, or Mi Piace Classic Bloody Mary made with Absolut Vodka and house-made spicy Bloody Mary mix, garnished with a crisp celery stalk and celery salted rim.
Or Mom can rock out with Bar Manager Nikos Baltas’s “Smoke on the Water,” with Wheatley vodka, Aperol, St-Germain, and special aromatic fog, or the passion forward Purple Rain cocktail made of Empress 1908 Gin, Fever-tree Mediterranean tonic, grapefruit peel, Juniper berries, pink peppercorn, and Rosé.
That’s just to start.
Executive Chef Gille Saulnier will create Mi Piace Mother’s Day Specials throughout the day. For lunch or an early Mother’s Day Dinner, there are appetizer specials—seared diver scallops in brown butter, San Daniele prosciutto with fresh figs and melon, and bone marrow with bacon marmalade and persillé.
Chef Gille’s entrées include his crusted black pepper bluefin tuna niçoise salad, a steelhead salmon made with truffled green peas purée, Yukon potatoes and wild mushrooms, Maine lobster mascarpone saffron risotto, Chilean sea bass, or prime bone-in filet mignon and pommes anna.
Moms can also indulge in Mi Piace’s desserts, such as the chocolate cake with Swiss bittersweet chocolate fudge and raspberry purée, tiramisu, or New York cheesecake with a creamy graham cracker crust, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream.
Mi Piace will be open on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8th, 2022, for lunch from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, and for Mother’s Day Dinner from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm; 25 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91105. (626)795-3131; www.MiPiace.com
Ready to think about traveling a little further out this Sunday? The Original Farmers Market Los Angeles is always a captivating and fascinating place, holiday or not.
Mom can enjoy Mother’s Day Brunch on El Granjero Cantina’s lively patio as Executive Chef Jenni Sklar will be serving a Mother’s Day brunch menu showcasing pancakes with brown butter and agave syrup, chilaquiles prepared with house-made chips tossed in salsa verde, fried egg, cotija cheese, lime cream, cilantro and guests choice of protein (chorizo, soyrizo, beef or steak); a breakfast burrito made with a flour tortilla, scrambled eggs, crispy potatoes in burrito sauce, shredded cheese, refried black beans, served with salsa Negra and guests choice of protein (chorizo or soyrizo), and Crispy Potato Hash prepared with sofrito, fried egg, burrito sauce, pickled red onions, cilantro and guests choice of protein (chorizo or soyrizo).
Just for Mother’s Day Dinner, Chef Jenni will serve her innovative Mexican menu all day and evening, featuring a selection of antojitos, ensaladas , quesadillas, tacos, tazones, burritos, acompanantes, and dessert.
Mom can also enjoy El Granjero Cantina’s Specialty List of Tequilas y Mezcal, Mezcal List and specialty cocktails created by Tobin Shea’s including their classic margarita with a choice of tequila or mezcal, Cointreau, fresh lime and citrus agave, Rasp-Hib Cocktail with tequila, italicus, raspberry hibiscus tea, lime and soda, Paloma prepared with tequila, grapefruit, lime and salt on draft, Bottomless Mimosas , Wine, Beer, Soft Drinks, Espresso, Tea, and more.
El Granjero Cantina at The Original Farmers Market Los Angeles will be open on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2022, for Mother’s Day Brunch from 10 am to 2 pm, and for Mother’s Day Dinner from 2 pm to 8:30 pm; 6333 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90036. (323) 879-9324. www.CantinaLA.com
Or perhaps head east on Foothill with Mom to nearby San Gabriel for some serious Tay Ho action, “to go.” Tay Ho Restaurant is serving up all their specials, such as their Tay Ho Bánh Cuốn Set, presented with a choice of the classic rice crepes; a pork and mushroom roll set featuring pork and mushroom rolls, Vietnamese ham, and a shrimp and sweet potato fritter, or grilled pork rolls set with grilled BBQ pork rolls, Vietnamese ham, and a shrimp and sweet potato fritter, Garlic Shrimp or Garlic Steak Noodles.
There are also Tay Ho’s Specialty Drinks including Tay Ho’s signature Vietnamese Iced Coffee, just a little different from Mom’s morning mug.
Tay Ho Restaurant will be open on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2022, from 10am to 6 pm.529 East Valley Blvd., Suite 118B, San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 778-1000; www.TayHo.com.
It’s not exactly the beach, but the beach is close by. Georgia’s Restaurant at the Long Beach Exchange will be celebrating Mother’s Day with savories such as the fried egg sandwich, with choice of cooked egg, mayonnaise and bacon, the sausage, bacon, and eggs served with blackened country potatoes and toast, or co-owner Nika Shoemaker-Machado’s personal favorite, steak and eggs, featuring top sirloin steak and a side of blackened country potatoes.
There is grilled french toast topped with powdered sugar and strawberries, a cinnamon apple waffle topped with warm sautéed apples in a cinnamon syrup, and a dollop of whipped cream.
Mom can also have both sweet and savory with the chicken and waffles, which stars Georgia’s signature fried chicken, a process that begins with Co-Owner Marlon Machado’s Brazilian buttermilk brine and ends with a seasoned crispy cornmeal crust courtesy of Nana Gretchen’s very own grandmother, served on a Belgian waffle with creamy honey butter, and maple syrup.
Soul-delicious Southern staples also include the fish and grits featuring Creole seasoned cornmeal-crusted fried catfish, or the classic Shrimp and Grits made with Creole seasoned shrimp over a bed of savory grits.
There is the vegetarian-friendly Mardi Gras Omelet, featuring green and red bell peppers, onions, and cheese, or indulge in Georgia’s new Eggs Benedict. It’s the weekend, so spoil Mom with some soulfulSides such as the healthy and hearty Oatmeal, quintessential Southern Grits with the cheesy option, or the blackened country potatoes.. For a lighter bite, Mom can opt for a light and refreshing Fruit Bowl.
Georgia’s Restaurant also features mimosas, a Signature Peach and Seasonal Sangria, red and white wine by the glass or the bottle, and craft bottled Beer to complement each dish. And of course, the Bloody Mary might make a perfect Mother’s Day treat.
Georgia’s Restaurant at the Long Beach Exchange will be open for Mother’s Day Brunch, Sunday, May 8, 2022, from 9 am to 2 pm; 4104 McGowen Street, Suite 155, Long Beach, CA 92630. (562)420-5637.www.Georgias-Restaurant.com
