Mother’s Day—truly, the good moms deserve more than a day. Whether the mother figure in your life is a biological or adoptive mother, grandmother, teacher or person who is, for all intents and purposes, a capital M Mom, you know how indispensable this person can be. Moms are confidants, problem-solvers, and teachers—they’ve been life coaches long before those were trendy.
While we all know that Mom deserves more than one day, the second Sunday of each May is a special day dedicated to celebrating these irreplaceable humans. But how? With good food and times, of course. So the better question is: Where to? Many Hamptons restaurants are serving Mother’s Day meals that are fit for a mom. From Riverhead to Montauk, these are the best spots to celebrate Mother’s Day in the Hamptons.
The Ram’s Head Inn, 108 Ram Island Dr., Shelter Island, 631-749-0811
For a different kind of Mother’s Day option, head to the Ram’s Head for “In the Kitchen with Mother’s and Others,” for a nibble and sip of recipes from Les Dames d’Escoffier’s cookbook, Stirring the Pot, featuring the following Les Dames members live and in person: chef and “Chopped” champion Silvia Baldini, author, cocktail expert and editor-in-chief of this very magazine, Amy Zavatto, brilliant food scholar and professor Meryl Rosofsky and Saltbird Cellars winemaker Robin Epperson-McCarthy. For $50, plus tax and grat, Baldini, Zavatto and Rosofsky will do cooking and cocktail-making demos and you’ll get to try them all, along with sips of Epperson-McCarthy’s lovely wines. For $80, get a signed copy of the book (great gift for mom!). Book your spot here. Stirring the Pot will be available for pre-sale through Shelter Island’s own Finley’s Fiction. Get it while you can!
Calissa Hamptons, 1020 Montauk Highway, Water Mill, 631-500-9292
Loved for its airy digs and Mediterranean offerings, Calissa Hamptons is a chic spot to celebrate Mom. The prix-fixe menu can be upgraded to bottomless brunch featuring the restaurant’s favorite rosé picks and other libations made with bubbly. As for the food, upscale appetizers include octopus and a rocket salad that takes a sweet turn courtesy of figs. Speaking of sweet, French toast with Nutella is one of many choices for mains, and desserts include whipped Greek yogurt with berries and flaky baklava.
Elaia Estiatorio, 95 School St., Bridgehampton, 631-613-6469
Mom can choose between brunch and dinner (or both) at this Mediterranean Bridgehampton spot. Brunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner service runs from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Mums the word on the menu and specials. But it’s likely to be a well-plated feast for the tastebuds and eyes — it generally is inside Elaia Estiatorio, where the dim lighting and light-wooden furnishings provide a cozy-chic setting.
Vine Street Café, 41 South Ferry Road, Shelter Island
Chilled lobster and Maryland crab cakes with so-seasonal asparagus are just the start at this idyllic Shelter Island establishment. Vine Street Café’s Mother’s Day brunch menu will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mains include biscuits and eggs Benedict with country ham (and more asparagus), a grass-fed beef burger with bacon and tangy sauce (a rollercoaster for tastebuds) and miso-glazed salmon. A children’s menu with chicken fingers and pasta (if you know, you know) is also available.
Cove Hollow Tavern, 85 Montauk Hwy, East Hampton, 631-527-7131
At Cove Hollow, dark wooden furnishings — complete with small candles on tables — juxtapose beautifully against white walls and exposed-beam ceilings. Vine Street Café’s sister restaurant will offer the same menu with a similarly relaxed (yet sophisticated) backdrop. The food and ambiance combine to make the restaurant an ideal spot for a mom who deserves nothing less than exceptional.
Bistro Été, 760 Montauk Highway, Water Mill, 631-500-9085
This French coastal Water Mill gem will serve a la carte lunch and dinner for Mother’s Day. With asparagus at its peak in the Hamptons, diners will want to consider ordering Chef Arie’s housemade olive bread served with local asparagus and wild mushrooms. A spring pea, mint and lettuce soup is another guest-loved dish for its light, refreshing flavors. Mom’s Favorite Dessert lives up to its name — an almond raspberry tart that can only be described as “special.”
The Chequit, 23 Grand Ave., Shelter Island Heights, 631-749-0018
Head over to Shelter Island for Mother’s Day brunch on the pretty hydrangea-rimmed patio overlooking Dering Harbor. Newly installed chef Joe Smith is making a lovely $48 prix fix menu (with a special $20 menu for kids under 12) that includes happy warm-weather dishes like a watermelon, watercress, peach and ricotta salata salad, mushroom-spinach-gruyere quiche, and savory shrimp and grits dotted with smoked ham. Reservations recommended.
Main Prospect, 15 Prospect St., Southampton, 631-353-3156
A cult favorite for its lively Bingo notes, this Southampton village restaurant/banquet hall will host its annual Mother’s Day brunch. A crème brulee-stuffed French toast promises to be especially decadent. An omelet, bagel/toast and carving station will also be available. Adults cost $49.95, while kids are $24.95. Feeling festive? The 21+ crowd can upgrade to bottomless mimosas for $19.95.
Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, 290 Old Montauk Highway, Montauk, 631-668-2345
Mom has been there since the beginning, but it feels so right to celebrate her at The End — at least it will after you peep the menu (and second-to-few Atlantic Ocean vistas) at Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa. Scarpetta Beach Dining Room will host a Mother’s Day brunch in its oceanfront digs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A North From prime rib carving station and chilled seafood bar are merely two crown-jewel options. Tofu scrambles, beet and goat cheese salad with truffle honey and quinoa and blueberry salads play into Gurney’s reputation as a wellness-centric hideaway — without sacrificing taste. Speaking of wellness, a treatment at Gurney’s on-site spa on you? Now, that’ll elevate you to golden child status.
Sundays on the Bay, 369 Dune Road, Hampton Bays, 631-728-2611
This hopping summertime stomping ground with a bayfront deck has a Mother’s Day menu in the works. A watermelon and heirloom salad to start will have you craving summer days ahead. (Though a creamy, satisfying lobster and avocado toast slathered in lemon butter is a worthy alternative.) Vanilla bean French toast is an utterly decadent main course option, as are crab cakes eggs Benedict.
Nick & Toni’s, 136 N Main St., East Hampton, 631-324-3550
Never one to miss out on a holiday meal, Nick & Toni’s is giving diners options on Mother’s Day. Choose between a three-course brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ($80 per person) or dinner service beginning at 5:30 p.m. Brunch includes apps like a warm cinnamon focaccia with cream cheese frosting. Choose breakfast or lunch-style foods, like pancakes, steak and eggs, spaghetti or a rack of lamb. The dinner menu includes asparagus with Pecorino Romano and garden honey Vinaigrette, pan-seared sea scallops and free-range chicken.
Navy Beach, 16 Navy Road, Montauk, 631-668-6868
Navy Beach has reopened for the season and is inviting moms and their broods to dine with toes in the sand or at the nautical-style oceanside restaurant this Mother’s Day. Guests of honor (moms) will get a glass of rosé on the house. Navy Beach will have a three-course brunch menu ($55) and from noon to 8 p.m. An a la carte menu will also be available.
Bell & Anchor, 3253 Noyack Rd, Sag Harbor, 631-725-3400
This chic restaurant has stunning bay views and a seafood-forward menu on the regular. On Mother’s Day, Bell & Anchor will have a brunch from 11:30 to 2:30 p.m., plus dinner service starting at 5:30 p.m. The menu details are still being hashed out, but eggs Benedict, lobster Benedict, duck hash and French toast are part of the brunch plans. Reservations are recommended.
The Suffolk, 118 E Main St, Riverhead, 631-727-4343
Mama Mia! That’s not us trying to get cute with words — The Suffolk in Riverhead’s Mother’s Day event features a brunch beginning at 11 a.m. with a screening of the 2008 flick Mama Mia starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried. The movie starts rolling at noon. But first, treat the leading lady in your life to a buffet-style continental breakfast that includes scrambled eggs, quiche, pancakes, fruit salad, and croissants.
Long Island Aquarium, 431 E Main St, Riverhead, 631-208-9200
In honor of all the times Mom read you One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, opt for a nautical brunch at Long Island Aquarium. The aquarium will host its annual Mother’s Day brunch with seatings at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Bagels, a carving station with ham, and made-to-order omelets get the meal started. But save room for dessert, as there’s an entire station with puddings, cookies, brownies, cakes and Jell-O. While there are no baby seals this year, you can still visit with mama Daisy, who gave birth to a little one a few years ago to the delight of guests.
Bistro 72, 1830 W Main St, Riverhead, 631-369-3325
Moms get a complimentary bloody Mary or mimosa as part of the a la carte Mother’s Day brunch menu at this stylish eatery in Hotel Indigo. The food offerings provide something for every taste, from steak and eggs to pancakes with fresh berries or chocolate chips. Mothers in the trenches with little ones can rest easy — a children’s menu with pancakes, French toast, and scrambled eggs should appeal to even the most opinionated tiny tykes.
The Birchwood of Polish Town, 512 Pulaski St, Riverhead, 631-727-4449
This cozy, tavern-style restaurant will have a relaxed yet decadent brunch and dinner. Fresh-made sushi, the fluffiest scrambled eggs, The Birchwood’s fan-favorite penne ala vodka are among the brunch offerings. But the to-die-for dessert table is simply out of this world. A giant chocolate fountain will be the crown jewel, and bread pudding, cheesecakes, fruit, cookies, and marshmallows are just some of the made-for-sweet-tooth options. Seatings are 90 minutes from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Also, it’s BYOB — bring your (child’s) own booster seat and high chair.
The Hampton Maid, 259 East Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays, 631-728-4166
R.AIRE, the on-site restaurant at The Hampton Maid, celebrates Mom in style with a special dinner in collaboration with Bagordi Wines. From 5 to 9:30 p.m. chef Alex Bujoreanu will craft a three-course prix-fixe menu. Offerings will include fluke crudo, crispy artichokes, dover sole, wagyu beef filet mignon, Basque cheesecake and a chocolate mousse trio. The three-course prix-fixe is $75 per person and will include a complimentary glass of wine and an amuse bouche. Bagordi winemaker Luis Manuel will be on-hand offering additional wine pairings (for an additional fee). Click here for reservations.
Il Buco al Mare, 231 Main St., Amagansett, 631-557-3100
Head to this Amagansett eatery for additional à la carte specials in honor of Mother’s Day. Additions will include razor clam crudo with colatura, olive oil and chives, foccacia with fave bean sott’ollio with ricotta and lovage, grilled asparagus with green peppercorn aioli and Maine lobsters will crispy rice, Fresno chilis and basil. Specials start at noon. Book your table here.
