Whether you’re looking for ways to celebrate your own mother or you’re the mom in question, food is almost always a good answer, so we’ve rounded up 10 North Shore spots with menus and surroundings perfect for honoring the special women in your life. But keep in mind, most restaurants will require reservations, so book soon.
Davio’s
Enjoy breakfast treats like French toast with Grand Marnier-sautéed berries, lunchy options like braised beef short rib pizza with bleu cheese and chives, or dig into Davio’s regular dinner menu all day long. Complement your food with Davio’s own rosé or a spring cocktail.
1250 Market St., Lynnfield, 781-944-4810, davios.com/lynnfield
Brine, Newburyport
Brunch on lobster benedict or duck and fried oyster hash, or enjoy a later meal of lamb sirloin with green tomato mole or foie gras gyoza – this Newburyport favorite is open all day, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Credit cards required for reservations.
17 State St., Newburyport, 978-358-8479, brineoyster.com
Nathaniel’s at the Hawthorne Hotel, Salem
Elegant, historic surroundings, live music, and a luscious buffet make Nathaniel’s a perennially popular brunch destination. Select from a buffet stocked with baked goods, salads, maple-mustard pork, mac and cheese, baked haddock, and an array of tempting desserts.
18 Washington Square W., Salem, 978-744-4080, hawthornehotel.com
The Capital Grille, Burlington
The Capital Grille will greet the mom in your party with a rose, then serve up elegant brunch options like a 14-ounce bone-in dry-aged New York strip steak topped with a fried egg, or smoked salmon and caviar with Royal Ossetra caviar, crème fraîche, and blini.
10 Wayside Rd., Burlington, 781-505-4130, thecapitalgrille.com
Seasons 52, Burlington
For brunch, indulge in crab and cheddar quiche or upright French toast with applewood smoked bacon, while sipping a rosé lemonade, or stop in for dinner and feast on apricot-glazed spiral ham with sweet potato mash. Family-style to-go meals are also available for pickup a day ahead, serving four to six people an entrée, salad, sides, and dessert.
6 Wayside Rd., Burlington, 781-272-5552, seasons52.com
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Burlington
Delve into Eddie V.’s prix fixe three-course brunch menu featuring a warm cinnamon roll starter and choices including butter-poached Maine lobster quiche Florentine and roasted avocado and jumbo lump crab with lemon butter on brioche toast. A la carte options and a children’s brunch menu are also available.
50 South Ave., Burlington, 781-221-7151, eddiev.com
Appleton Farms, Ipswich
For the outdoorsy moms, Appleton Farms is the ideal no-reservations-needed Mother’s Day destination. Order homemade and farm-fresh a la carte items from the farmhouse porch, then picnic on the green lawns of this historic farmstead. The menu will include quiche options, a farmhouse salad, potato and spring garlic soup, paninis, specialty cocktails, local beer, and cookies for dessert. After your meal, visit with the farm goats and rabbits or stroll the many trails that surround the farm.
Appleton Farms, 219 County Rd., Ipswich, 978- 356-5728, thetrustees.org/place/appleton-farms
Beauport Hotel and 1606 Restaurant & Oyster Bar, Gloucester
Choose from two Mother’s Day options at Gloucester’s elegant waterfront hotel. Try a little bit of everything delicious and indulgent (think herb-crusted sirloin and custom omelets) at the buffet in the hotel ballroom from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or book a table at the 1606 Restaurant & Oyster Bar for lunch or dinner (duet of duck followed by strawberry rhubarb buckle, perhaps?) from noon to 7 p.m.
55 Commercial St. Gloucester, 978-282-0008, beauporthotel.com/dining
34 Park, Andover
Relax in the contemporary dining room or eat al fresco under 34 Park’s new tent, enjoying options from the sweet – stuffed French toast or waffles with chantilly cream and berries – to the savory – jumbo lump crab cakes or prosciutto fritatta – and even a few items that bridge the two, like chicken and waffles with honey-fig syrup.
34 Park St., Andover, 978-409-2445, 34park.com
Danversport, Danvers
Known for its lavish buffets, Danversport will be serving up brunch in its grand ballroom and its more intimate garden level venue. You can look forward to choosing from a wide range of sweets and savories, including charcuterie, homemade waffles, slow-roasted prime rib, pasta with short rib ragu, and crème brulee (plus a whole lot more).
161 Elliott St., Danvers, 978-774-8622, danversport.com