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Looking for other things to do with Mom?
Show Mom a great time: 10 things to do with Mom on Mother’s Day
IN AND AROUND PORTLAND
Five Fifty-Five
555 Congress St., Portland | 207-761-0555 | fivefifty-five.com | $$$$
At Steve and Michele Corry’s acclaimed Portland restaurant, both an a la carte and 3-course prix-fixe brunch will be served from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. On the prix-fixe menu ($35 per person), starters include a choice of cinnamon roll, simple greens salad or spring mushroom soup. Mains courses are French toast with blueberries and mascarpone whipped cream; a traditional plate of scrambled eggs and bacon; “traitor’s eggs” with Maine lobster, kale and lemon-herb hollandaise on English muffin; and braised beef short ribs. For dessert: a cheese plate, chocolate mousse cake or spring Pavlova with lemon curd and berries. The same items, plus others, are on the a la carte menu. MENU
Eve’s at the Garden, Portland Harbor Hotel
468 Fore St., Portland | 207-775-9090 | portlandharborhotel.com | $$$$
In the heart of the Old Port, Eve’s will be serving a buffet from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a long list of choices that include a raw bar, prime rib, scallop and shrimp Mornay, vegetarian stir-fry, and for dessert, blueberry swirl cheesecake and limoncello panna cotta. $49 per person; kids 6-10 $19.95; kids under 5 free. MENU
Timber Steakhouse & Rotisserie
106 Exchange St., Portland | 207-805-1469 | timberportland.com | $$$$
Yes, you could grill a steak at home, but then it wouldn’t come with Timber’s delicious French fries. Starting at 4 p.m. Mother’s Day, the steakhouse has a special menu: wedge salad with tomato, bacon and blue cheese dressing or Caesar salad, prime Black angus hangar steak or half a rotisserie chicken with French fries, and for dessert, chocolate mousse with bourbon strawberries and a ginger snap cookie. $35 per person.
Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea
40 Bowery Beach Rd., Cap Elizabeth | 207-799-3134 | innbythesea.com | $$$$
Take Mom to brunch in the recently redesigned Sea Glass dining room, which boasts a spectacular view of the ocean. New chef Steve Sicinski offers a 3-course, prix-fixe menu served between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Included are Maine mussels with chorizo, orange curry butter and tomato relish, roast cauliflower tacos, mini veal osso bucco, and strawberry-rhubarb hazelnut tart with strawberry gelato. $46 per person. Children’s menu available. MENU
SOUTHERN MAINE
Academe at the Kennebunk Inn
45 Main St., Kennebunk | 207-985-3351 | kennebunkinn.com | $$$$
Mother’s Day at Academe is a local favorite. In their warm and friendly dining room, chefs Shanna and Brian O’Hea offer a buffet menu at two seatings, 10 a.m. and noon. The spread features a carving station with roast turkey and Virginia ham, omelet station, a variety of salads, smoked salmon, fresh fruit, breads and muffins, and Shanna’s homemade desserts. Adults $34.95, kids under 12 $14.95, 5 and under free. MENU
White Barn Inn
37 Beach Ave., Kennebunk Beach | 207-967-2321 | whitebarninn.com | $$$$
One of Maine’s most spectacular inn restaurants is offering special, prix-fixe lunch and brunch menus on Mother’s Day, both served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. Lunch includes sweet corn chowder with lobster popovers; WBI fish and chips; local salmon filet in a parma ham “jacket”; and banana and milk chocolate pancakes with white chocolate maple syrup. $69 per person. Among the brunch items are strawberry french toast with rhubarb maple syrup, omelets and a frittata of potato, asparagus and leek. $49 per person. MENU
The Velveteen Habit
37 Ogunquit Rd., Cape Neddick | 207-216-9884 | thevelveteenhabit.com | $$$$
New owners have put their own stamp, and a charming new name, on the former Arrows. The interior has been updated and freshened, and the menu is more down-to-earth, but the farm-to-table esthetic is still firmly in place. On Mother’s Day, chef Chris Wilcox will serve a 3-course, prix-fixe brunch from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. The menu includes smoked salmon rillette with horseradish cream, pickled beets and sesame seed lavosh, lobster benedict, smoked chicken hash with crush potatoes, poached eggs and chimichurri, and for dessert, rhubarb newtons with Nutella ganache. $39 per person. MENU
NORTH/WEST
Brunswick Hotel & Tavern
4 Noble St., Brunswick | 207-837-6565 | thebrunswickhotelandtavern.com | $$$$
The central location of this modern New England-style inn is ideal for gathering a far-flung group. David Pendexter’s Mother’s Day brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The prix-fixe menu includes an appetizer and dessert with your choice of entree — lobster frittata, butternut squash risotto or grass-fed boneless rib-eye steak, $36 per person including a mimosa or bloody Mary. The full brunch menu is also available.
Le Garage
15 Water St., Wiscasset | 207-882-5409 | legaragerestaurant.com | $$$
Named for its long-ago life as a automotive and blacksmithing shop, Le Garage has been a local favorite since 1977. Perched on the bank of the Sheepscot River, more than half the tables are on an enclosed, cottage-style porch with panoramic water views. On Mother’s Day, the restaurant is open from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Specials include: squash ravioli with amaretto cream; local greens with strawberries, blue cheese and lemon drop/raspberry vinaigrette; crab-stuffed Dover sole with Meyer lemon beurre blanc and homemade chicken pie. MENU
Maple Hill Farm Inn
11 Inn Rd., Hallowell | 207-622-2708 | MapleBB.com | $$$
The dining room at this green-certified country inn and conference center is open to the public just two days a year — Easter and Mother’s Day. Served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the buffet brunch includes baked wild Maine blueberry French toast strata, vegetarian moussaka, sliced rosemary steak, salads, baked goods, make-your-own strawberry shortcake and more. $22.95 per person; $13.95 for kids 7 and under. MENU
Primo
2 South Main St., Rockland | 207-596-0770 | primorestaurant.com| $$$$
Celebrated chef Melissa Kelly’s acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant opened for the season on May 1, and it’s a good bet that reservations are filling up fast for Mother’s Day. The menu changes daily; you can expect dishes featuring local pork, lamb, seafood and vegetables — many ingredients sourced from the farm on the property. The serene Parlour Rooms downstairs have views of the ocean, while the lounge areas upstairs have a more casual, lively vibe and are walk-in only.
Natalie’s at the Camden Harbour Inn
83 Bay St., Camden | 207-236-7008 | nataliesrestaurant.com | $35 adults/$15 kids under 10
At sophisticated Natalie’s, chefs Chris Long and Shelby Stevens are offering a brunch buffet from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The menu lists some items you might expect — roast beef and an omelet station — and some you might not, such as asparagus tartlet with ash-aged goat cheese and strawberry pancakes with lemon cream. Desserts include raspberry and rhubarb cobbler, blueberry soda and lemon sorbet float, and cocoa macaroon with milk chocolate and cinnamon ganache. MENU
Fuel
81 Clark St., Portland | 207-774-1996 | fuelmaine.com | $$$$
If Mom enjoys wine, she might be surprised to find one of Maine’s most impressive cellars in Lewiston. Fuel has 210 bottles on its list, 30 of them available by the glass. Housed in a swanky space in the historic Lyceum Building, Fuel’s bent is classic French cuisine, but the fare is more country than Paris. The house specialty is balsamic-braised pork shank — with the cheeky note, “think wicked fancy BBQ” — fondue, soupe a l’oignon and hangar steak frites. On Mother’s Day, the restaurant will offer its full menu, with specials, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.