Dining out
Mother’s Day is No. 1 day of the year for dining out, according to the National Restaurant Association.
If you’ve waited till the last minute to make plans, here are a few area choices.
* Abuelo’s, 2102 Hamilton Place, will honor moms with greeting cards containing complimentary food offers on future visits. 855-7400.
* Back Inn Café, 411 E. Second St., in the Bluff View Art District. Special seating 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Outside seating available. The menu will feature breakfast and lunch selections along with the café’s dinner menu. 265-5033, Ext. 4.
* Bald Headed Bistro, 201 Keith St., SW, Cleveland, Tenn., will open for brunch with seatings at 11:30 a.m., 1 and 2:30 p.m. The buffet will include breakfast and dinner offerings, carving station and desserts. Price: $20 per person, $10 for children 4-12. 472-6000.
* Blue Orchid Bistro, 185 Cherry St., Dunlap, Tenn. Crepes, French toast Napoleon, Monte Cristo sandwiches and barbecue shrimp with cheese grits will be among the offerings on the a la carte menu, served 11 a.m.-2 p.m. CDT. 949-9567.
* Blue Orleans Creole Restaurant, 3208 Amnicola Highway. A new Sunday brunch begins for Mother’s Day, offering signature Creole dishes, served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 629-6538.
* Broad Street Grille, The Chattanoogan, 1201 Broad St. Brunch buffet, served 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m., features a large selections of salads and breakfast selections, as well as lunch/dinner offerings including a carving station, an omelet station and kids’ station with chicken fingers and French toast. Price: $32.95 adults, $16.95 ages 5-12. 424-3700.
* Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St. Buffet with a variety of appetizers, salads, entrees, vegetables, pasta and a dessert extravaganza will be served 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Price: $24.95 adults, $19.95 seniors 65-plus, $13.95 children 12 and under. 308-2481.
* Niko’s Southside Grill, 1400 Cowart St. A buffet featuring roast prime rib, Sequatchie Cove roasted pork loin and stations with Belgian waffles, omelets and desserts, served 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Price: $25 adults, $15 children. 266-6511.
* Sweet Gipsy Bakeshop Cafe, 1404 James Blvd., Signal Mountain. A la carte menu with Eggs Benedict, Louisiana shrimp and grits, goat cheese quiche and tomato-basil soup among the offerings, served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Phone: 886-7445.
* The Big Table, 118 Cross St. at the foot of Signal Mountain. Carving station and a la carte items, featuring breakfast and lunch/dinner items, specialty salads and vegetables, served 11 a.m.-2 p.m.. Price: $14.95 per person. 634-0772.
– Compiled by Anne P. Braly
Free gifts for mom
The most treasured Mother’s Day gifts don’t have price tags. The website www.huliq.com offers the following suggestions for cost-free gifts for Mom:
* Small repairs, light bulbs changes, yard work, garage cleanup or standard cleaning are small jobs you can do to give mom a break.
* Look for any materials sitting around the house that are waiting for an eager hand – new curtain rods, a new wall painting, floor waxing.
* Help with housework. Clean up a sewing desk, organize a bookshelf, wipe down a craft area or add some clean touches to her desk.
* Do chores she dislikes the most – mop the floors, vacuum, dust etc.
Source: huliq.com
First Mother’s Day celebrations
“We are just planning on spending it together as a family and celebrating our mothers as well. We are heading to my parents to have lunch and then to (my husband’s) parents to help with some flower planting.”
– Katie Wilson: son, Gus, 9 months
“I’m actually spending it with a lot of other mothers in my family. I’m going to lunch with my Mom and my sister, and all of our families. We’re going to spend Sunday evening with my husband’s family. I’m very lucky to be surrounded by so many other mothers who have really guided me through my first experiences as a mother.”
– Molly Cooper: daughter, Clarke, 4 1/2 months
“We are going to church, then to Bluewater Grille, which is my favorite place to go for brunch. I’m sure there’s more but (my husband) is full of surprises and he always outdoes himself. He’s really good about those things.”
– Misty Collins: son, Trent, 10 months
– Compiled by Holly Leber
Movies for mom
Here are some Oscar-worthy movies that focus on the joys and trials of motherhood:
* “Erin Brokovich” (2000): Julia Roberts stars as a single mother of three children who becomes a file clerk in a law office, where she spearheads a landmark case against a California utility company.
* “The Blind Side” (2009): Wealthy Memphis socialite and football fanatic Leigh Anne Tuohy cares for and eventually adopts Michael Oher, an athletic prodigy from the wrong side of the tracks. Sandra Bullock stars in an Academy Award-winning performance.
* “Juno” (2007): This quirky dramedy stars Ellen Page in an Academy Award-nominated performance as a teen who decides to see her pregnancy come to term and, in the process, sparks an unexpected friendship with the adopting parents. The film was also nominated for Best Director and Best Picture.
– Compiled by Holly Leber
Flowers tradition
The tradition of giving flowers to mothers on Mother’s Day originated in the United States in 1906, when Anna Jarvis promoted the wearing of her mother’s favorite flower, a white carnation, according to the online site, www.theflowerexpert.com. The following year, churches began presenting carnations to mothers on Mother’s Day. President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day a national holiday in 1914. Carnations, which are thought to represent sweetness, endurance and purity, remain the most popular Mother’s Day flower. Traditionally, wearers don a red carnation if their mother is living and a white one if their mother has died.