Celebrate Mom with local Mother's Day brunches

by April Lisante
Posted 5/11/23

Let’s all face the facts: We probably would not experience good food were it not for mothers.

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Celebrate Mom with local Mother's Day brunches

Posted

Let’s all face the facts: We probably would not experience good food were it not for mothers. From nightly dinners to matriarchal holidays, mothers make so many of the meals we enjoy all year long. It’s all about epic family reunion foods, bake sale goodies and late-night snacks.

Mothers pack lunches, make food when we are sick, and make it obvious that they are the ones we look to for daily meals. So it’s a no-brainer that for one day a year, we celebrate moms with a special Mother’s Day brunch, making sure it is a day – the one day - she doesn’t cook at all.

After all that moms do to make sure everyone is well-fed, the least we can do is celebrate her for one special day. Brunch is the Mother’s Day tradition that says, “Hey, she isn’t making breakfast or lunch, and figure out your own dinner!”

Chestnut Hill has so many places celebrating Mother’s Day brunch this year, from the fabulous and French Matines on the Hill to the eponymous Jansen in Mount Airy.

Here is a look at some of the venues where Mom rules this Sunday. And if it’s a BYOB, don’t forget the mimosas. Book ahead to be sure you have a reservation. Brunch on the Hill and in our local neighborhoods is kind of a big thing.

Matines Café, 89 Bethlehem Pike, Phila., Pa. 19118. 215-621-6667.   The first time you walk into Matines, located directly across the street from Hilltop Books, you might think you are at a café beside the Eiffel Tower – minus the tower, but with all the energy. With fresh croissants, baguettes and French candies and macarons, the setting is authentic and cozy with its cushioned bench seating and café tables. On Mother’s Day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., in addition to its diverse brunch menu featuring quiche, croissants and baguette sandwiches, Matines will feature French madeleines, as well as free lavender and rose sugar cubes you can pop into your BYOB champagne glasses.  End your visit with Mom by picking up a Matines tote bag or mug. BYOB.

Cantina Feliz, 424 S. Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, Pa., 215-646-1320. One of everyone’s favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurants is doing it up for Mother’s Day from noon through 8 p.m., serving brunch from noon through 3 p.m. If you don’t make it for their signature churro pancakes, well, you still have time to take Mom to dinner and grab some margaritas.

Jansen, 7402 Germantown Ave. 267-335-5041. Jansen never disappoints for holidays or special occasions, and this Mother’s Day is no different. Chef and owner David Jansen put his touch on a quintessential Mother’s Day celebration this year with a prix fixe menu starting at $75 for adults and $25 for children from 4 to 7 p.m. on Mother’s Day. Late brunch lovers can choose from four appetizers, four entrees and two desserts, with special add-ons like Jansen’s newly featured Osietra Italian caviar (he says he’s loving this caviar), foie gras with a seasonal rhubarb compote, or a Fruits de Mar, that wraps up oysters, crab, lobster and shrimp cocktail into a heavenly offering.

You can celebrate brunch from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. where everyone knows everyone’s name, at Tavern on the Hill, 8636 Germantown Ave. 215-247-9948, with a crab Benedict Florentine for $23 or a wild mushroom quiche and garden salad for $17. The best part? Complimentary mimosas or Bloody Mary’s for moms. 

If you want to stay in Chestnut Hill for the day, Adelina’s, 8235 Germantown Ave., 267-766-3431 has a brunch with complimentary mimosas or Prosecco for moms. The resto at the corner of  Southampton and Germantown created a brunch for Mother’s Day the likes of which your Italian grandmother would have rustled up –  if she was cooking that day – with filet tips, peppers, potatoes, squash, and over-easy eggs with an aioli, or some lobster ravioli with a 4-ounce lobster tail with saffron cream sauce.

Finish off the day with Bredenbeck’s, 8126 Germantown Ave., 215-247-7374. The bakery’s Mother’s Day menu features a chocolate fantasy torte, mocha cake, or a blueberry mimosa cake ranging from $35.95 to $45.95.

And if you’re looking to bring Mom a special dessert at a resto brunch or at home, The Night Kitchen Bakery, 7723 Germantown Ave., 215-248-9235, this year is debuting a selection of Mother’s Day cookies handmade by the bakery staff. Grab a cookie bouquet in a cookie-shaped mason jar for $10 or a special MOM-shaped three-cookie gift box for $28.75.

Either way, you don’t have to cook – or bake. And neither does Mom.

If you are looking for more information about Mother’s Day restaurants, go to the Chestnut Hill Business Association at www.chestnuthillpa.com