Food

Mother’s Day 2011: Brunch Specials in Washington

Because mom always had a hot meal waiting—or at the very least takeout—make sure her Mother’s Day meal is on you. These Washington restaurants have special menus for the holiday.

For moms with a sweet tooth: the French-toast s'mores at Co Co. Sala.

About Brunch Around DC

All our brunch suggestions in one handy location.

Addie’s
À la carte brunch (11 to 3) and dinner (5 to 9), entrées range from $12 to $19.
Dishes at this upscale-American-comfort restaurant menu include cured salmon with potato pancakes; lamb hash with poached eggs, sweet peppers, and curried-carrot emulsion; shrimp over herb grits and grilled ham; and a soft-shell-crab sandwich on toasted ciabatta. Strawberry shortcake ends the meal.

Mother’s Day Planner

Ardeo + Bardeo
Three-course brunch, $39; available from 10:30 to 3.
Bottomless Champagne or mimosas is $10 per person.
First course: mixed greens with a smashed-raspberry vinaigrette; new-potato soup, with green garlic, spring onions, and house-cured bacon; a salad of bitter greens, duck confit, blue cheese, and cherry vinaigrette; or beef carpaccio, chopped Caesar, and Parmesan crackers; salmon rillettes with toast points; local asparagus with a poached egg, chanterelles, and black-truffle emulsion; flatbread with roasted garlic, sundried cherries, and Parmesan; and spinach salad with braised fennel, gnocchi, and truffle vinaigrette.

Second course: pork cacciatore, poached eggs, and toasted bread; French toast with bananas, walnuts, and maple syrup; eggs Benedict on an English muffin with Canadian bacon and hollandaise; a buttermilk biscuit with sausage, gravy, and eggs; barrel-cut New York strip with roasted potatoes and eggs; Scottish salmon with English peas, farro, and carrot purée; and rock shrimp with grits and lobster emulsion. 

Dessert: carrot cake with cream-cheese mousse; chocolate-hazelnut crunch cake with chocolate ice cream; vanilla-and-orange panna cotta with vanilla wafers; and seasonal sorbets.

Art and Soul
Three-course brunch (11 to 4) and dinner (4:30 to 9); $50.

First course: house-made pastries with Devonshire cream and seasonal preserves (brunch only); marinated beetroot salad with toasted almonds, Pipe Dreams goat-cheese fritter, and local-honey dressing; house-smoked-trout frittata with shaved asparagus, spring onions, and watercress; or roasted Carolina white shrimp with country ham, soffrito, shaved fennel, and radish.

Second course (brunch): house-made-brioche French toast with preserved rhubarb, tarragon, and crème Chantilly; Maryland crabcake Benedict with English muffins, poached eggs, and Hollandaise; house-made pork-and-garlic sausage with Anson Mills Sea Island red peas, spinach, and smoked-pork jus; cast-iron-roasted New York strip with ruby-red chard, confit potatoes, and compound butter; and pan-roasted diver scallops with English peas, carrots, and lemon-thyme velouté.

Second course (dinner): “dirty rice” with Carolina gold rice, mushroom Bolognese, Grana Padano, and Frantoia olive oil; arctic char with smoked artichokes, preserved lemon, pearl onions, and barigoule emulsion; house-made pork-and-garlic sausage with Anson Mills Sea Island red peas, spinach, and smoked-pork jus; pan-roasted diver scallops with English peas, carrots, and lemon-thyme velouté; and New York strip steak with confit potatoes, ruby-red chard, and compound butter.

Dessert: includes blueberry “ripple” cheesecake with macerated blueberries, crispy lemon, and graham crust; chocolate brioche bread pudding with hazelnut custard and vanilla-bean ice cream; and white-chocolate semifreddo with local strawberries and almond crumble.

Bastille
Three-course brunch, $49; available 11:30 to 2:30.

First course: chilled English-pea-and-mint soup; a salad of baby arugula, goat-cheese panna cotta, cherries, almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette; a trio of duck, chicken, and pork rillettes; asparagus salad with butter lettuce, brioche croutons, and Parmesan vinaigrette; or New England rock-shrimp beignets.

Second course (most are served with sauteed potatoes, salad, and crispy pancetta): two eggs sunny-side up with grilled flat-iron steak; eggs Benedict with Virginia country ham and Hollandaise; brioche French toast with two sunny-side-up eggs; mussels with white wine, piquillo peppers, and Spanish chorizo served with fries; chicken with spring vegetables; poached Scottish salmon with citrus-and-lavender broth, pearl couscous, and baby artichokes; beef burger on a brioche bun with Vermont cheddar and fries; and spring-pea-and-asparagus risotto with truffle froth.

Dessert: Madagascar-vanilla crème brûlée with biscotti; apple tatin with Saint-Germain sabayon; Valrhona Manjari-chocolate pot de crème with cherries and almonds; passionfruit crème caramel with chocolate crunch; Valrhona-chocolate truffle and cherry bread pudding; or a ginger-poached pear with raspberry coulis and pistachios.

Bibiana
Three-course brunch (11 to 3), $45; three-course dinner (5:30 to 9), $55.
First course: seasonal-vegetable salad with fresh herbs and citrus; chilled cucumber-and-celery soup with pickled shrimp; a poached egg with grilled bread, tomato, Parmesan, and broth; fried artichokes with lemon, parsley, and fennel dipping cream; sopressata and prosciutto with sheep’s-milk ricotta and country bread; ricotta agnolotti with marjoram, lemon, and spinach; and buffalo mozzarella with spring salad and extra-virgin olive oil.

Second course: bucatini carbonara with guanciale, egg, and Pecorino; black spaghetti with Alaskan Dungeness crab ($5 supplement); French toast with pancetta-honey glaze and potatoes; seared Tasmanian trout with spring vegetables; Mediterranean sea bass with potatoes; roasted lamb leg with eggplant; pan-fried soft-shell crabs with English-pea purée and pea-shoot salad ($5 supplement); and grilled flat-iron beef with steak-fried potatoes and egg.

Dessert: milk-chocolate mousse with chocolate cake; vanilla-skewered pineapple with rum-raisin gelato and hazelnut dacquoise; and candied strawberries with strawberry semifreddo and almond macaroon.

Black Market Bistro
À la carte brunch (10 to 2:30) and dinner (5 to 8), brunch items range from $6 to $14, and dinner items range from $7 to $26.
On the menu at this restaurant, housed in a Victorian building, is orange-and-vanilla-bean French toast; eggs Benedict with grilled asparagus; grilled skirt steak with scrambled eggs, Cajun potatoes, and mixed greens; and barbecue shrimp with sweet-corn-and-scallion grits.

Blue Duck Tavern
Three-course buffet brunch, $90 ($45 for kids ages six to 12); available 10:30 to 3:30.

Menu items at this farmhouse-chic restaurant include scrambled eggs with rock shrimp and potato roesti; sunny-side-up eggs with cod cakes and buttermilk sauce; jumbo-lump crabcakes; mustard-seed-crusted wild Alaskan salmon with Champagne cream and cardamom oil; Szechuan-pepper-roasted beef tenderloin with foie-gras sauce; braised lamb shank with garlic jus and fava beans; garlic polenta with blue cheese; potato purée with fresh garlic; arugula with lemon vinaigrette; and roasted mushrooms.

 
Bo
urbon Steak

Three-course brunch, $80 ($40 for children); available 10 to 3.

First course: asparagus tart with ricotta, ham, and vinegar; oysters on the half shell; spring-garlic soup with black-garlic gnocchi, Marcona almonds, and frog legs; a salad of ruby-red grapefruit, hearts of palm, and gem lettuce; iceberg-wedge salad with bacon, avocado, and blue cheese; a crabcake with caviar cream, baby sorrel, and a fried quail egg; and Ahi-tuna tartare with Ancho chile, Asian pear, mint, and sesame oil.

Second course: maple-glazed salmon with English-pea risotto, lemon air, and tarragon; pistachio French toast with Bing cherries, vanilla butter, and amaretto syrup; prime-steak burger with Cabot Clothbound cheddar; skirt steak with eggs, fingerling potatoes, and horseradish cream; halibut with snow peas, mushrooms, and sake-clam broth; roasted chicken with morel mushrooms, asparagus, and fava beans; and lobster pot pie ($40 supplement).

Dessert: blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream and lemon curd; chocolate pot de crème with spiced pecans, white-chocolate ice cream, and bourbon caramel; a root-beer float with sassafras ice cream, root-beer sorbet, and chocolate-chip/walnut cookies; or seasonal ice creams and sorbets.

Brabo by Robert Wiedmaier
Brunch buffet with five stations, $55 (kids’ buffet $15); available 10:30 to 2:30.
Stations at this Old Town restaurant will have charcuterie, salads, fruits, eggs Benedict, breakfast meats, rockfish, and carved prime rib. The kids’ station will have corn dogs, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, Belgian waffles, and fruit salad. Bottomless mimosas are an additional $10.

 

Co Co. Sala
Three-course brunch with a Champagne cocktail, $50 ($30 for kids ten and under); available 10:30 to 3.

First course: zucchini-blossom tempura with feta cheese, kalamata olives, peppers, and a roasted-red-pepper sauce.

Second course: citrus-ricotta pancakes with white-chocolate/lemon cream and caramel-passionfruit sauce; cheese soufflé with leek sauce, and tomato marmalade; cinnamon brioche stuffed with marshmallow, dark chocolate, graham shortbread, banana compote, and milk-chocolate mousse; flatbread with cheddar hash browns, chicken sausage, scrambled eggs, bacon, Hollandaise, and pesto; artichoke tart with tomato confit and truffle-and-tarragon vinaigrette; crabcake with mango salsa, chipotle-chocolate/tomato glaze, and avocado-cilantro emulsion; chicken-Caesar-salad flatbread with baby romaine, Parmesan, and balsamic-chocolate chards; grilled cheese with truffle-scented brioche, cheddar, and roasted-tomato soup; and Aztec cheese enchilada with guava sauce, avocado, shaved fennel, chipotle-chocolate ganache, jack cheese, and guava-lime vinaigrette.

Dessert: a buffet of chocolate sculptures and desserts. Every Mom will receive a chocolate surprise to take home.


Charlie Palmer Steak

Three-course lunch and dinner, $55 ($25 for kids 12 and under); available noon to 8.

First course: seven-vegetable salad with sherry-shallot vinaigrette; crab bisque with prosciutto; oysters with mango mignonette and caraway crackers; tuna sashimi with pickled-ginger sorbet and mango tempura; and a salad of iceberg lettuce, blue cheese, and bacon.

Second course: filet mignon with roasted shallots; New York strip with confit garlic; rockfish with tomato and PEI mussels; chicken with morels and polenta; and a duo of lamb with bulgur wheat and cucumber.

Dessert: cheesecake with strawberries; brownie bread pudding with orange panna cotta and crème anglaise; berry shortcake with honey-lavender ice cream; or chocolate-hazelnut mousse. All mothers get complimentary macaroons. 

 

Dino
Three-course brunch (11 to 3), $35, and dinner (3 to 8:30), $39.

Pick any two of the following courses, plus a dessert or two-selection cheese course from the regular menu.

Small plates: greens with garlic, balsamic and Pecorino; scallops with mâche, lime juice, red onion, and thyme; prosciutto-wrapped asparagus; fried baby artichokes with lemon; burrata with tapenades; beets with balsamic onions, oranges and grapefruit, ginger vinaigrette, and ricotta salata; and house-made terrines with tangerine mostarda.

Pasta: pappardelle with wild-boar ragu; seasonal risotto; pasta with kale and chard and three-cheese pomodoro; and pasta carbonara.

Large plates: lamb sausage with lentils; mushroom bruschetta with balsamic and Tuscan bacon; crabcake with greens; breakfast bread pudding with sausage, roasted chanterelles, and cheeses; French toast with cherry-vanilla maple syrup; eggs Benedict with orange-and-rosemary butter and prosciutto; fennel-and-garlic-rubbed pork leg with onions and fried eggs; lamb chops with anchovy salsa verde and roasted potatoes.

 

Oval Room
Three-course brunch, $45; available 11 to 3.
First course: white-asparagus soup with lemon and herbs; coffee-cured hamachi with fennel salad, blood orange, and ginger oil; tandoori-spiced foie gras with tamarind and yogurt; roasted-garlic-butter-poached shrimp with pistachio; or fried soft-poached egg with chorizo cream.

Second course: goat-cheese ravioli with artichokes, Meyer lemon, and green olives; miso-glazed salmon with lemongrass broth and sesame-flavored rice; lamb shoulder with smoked raisins, nori yogurt, and mustard greens; beef short ribs with fennel, tarragon, and blood orange; and Pacific halibut with fava beans, hedgehog mushrooms, and smoked-ham broth.

Dessert: chocolate-peanut cake with peanut-butter ice cream; carrot cake with sweet-pea ice cream; coconut custard with lemon-lime sherbet and candied mint; “cinn-e-bun” and vanilla ice cream.

 

701
Three-course brunch (11 to 4) and three-course dinner (5 to 9:30), $50.
Brunch: the menu includes vanilla French toast with strawberries; country-fried steak with cheddar grits and poached eggs; and a shellfish omelette with spiced tomato sauce.

Dinner: the menu includes almond-crusted sea scallops with squash and bacon-sorrel sauce; strip steak with sweet-potato gratin and chipotle sauce; and butter-poached Maine lobster with fava beans, salsify, and rhubarb.

Dessert: chocolate cake with guava-and-passionfruit sorbet as well as strawberry shortcake with strawberry-basil sorbet.

 

The Source
Dim sum brunch, $65 ($32.50 for kids under ten); available 11:30 to 3.

This family-style tasting at Wolfgang Puck’s Asian-inspired restaurant starts with asparagus soup and Maine lobster. Appetizers include pork-belly dumplings and shrimp-and-lobster spring rolls. For entrées, there are Singapore chili prawns with roasted bao or Shanghai street noodles with Kobe-beef short ribs. End with chocolate-and-green-tea layer cake or turtle
cheesecake.

 

2941
Three-course brunch, $68 ($25 for children under 12); available from 11:30 to 8. (A $50 per-person deposit is required when making reservations.)
First course: tuna tartare, Provençal fisherman soup, or burrata cheese.

Second course: salt cod with peas, bacon, and rock shrimp; beef strip loin with Parmesan-gnocchi puff, haricots verts, and broken jus; or green asparagus, preserved lemon, scallion-tomato vinaigrette, and ramps.

Dessert: caramel macchiato, espresso sponge, and vanilla gelato; chocolate rice pudding with Champagne mango, Thai basil, and coconut sorbet; a 2941 Chocolate Hat with chocolate mousse and vanilla cream; or strawberry-ricotta tart.

Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter

More>> Best Bites Blog | Food & Dining | Restaurant Finder