Mother's Day Meals 

It’s that time of year again: Time to show your appreciation to your mom and beg forgiveness for being such a nimrod all those years, while she—against all odds—tried to turn you into a functioning human being. With that in mind, you should probably be buying her a car or a trip to Europe for Mother’s Day. But, being a mom—and moms always expect so little—I’m sure a tasty Mother’s Day meal at one of Salt Lake City’s best restaurants would make your mother quite happy as she savors a little culinary love from her nearest and dearest on her special day. Here’s a roundup of places to pamper your beloved mom from the restaurants that sent me Mother’s Day event info.

At Bambara (202 S. Main, 801-363-5454, Bambara-SLC.com) Executive Chef Nathan Powers and his talented crew are offering mom an elaborate, endless Mother’s Day Brunch, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There’s a huge range of tempting foods including baked goods, eggs to order, lamb hash, grilled King salmon, custom omelets, brioche French toast, roasted spring asparagus, antipasti, truffled macaroni & cheese, mustard-glazed ham, organic turkey with caramelized gravy, a dessert station and much more. Mother’s Day Brunch is $42 for adults, $22 for kids ages 6 to 12, and $36 for senior citizens 65 and over. Reservations are strongly encouraged.

Executive Chef and co-owner Ethan Lappé of Caffè Niche (779 E. 300 South, 801-433-3380, CaffeNiche.com) is featuring an all-new buffet brunch for Mother’s Day, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Breakfast items such as huevos rancheros and jalapeño-cheddar biscuits with sausage gravy will be available along with smoked organic salmon, bread-pudding French toast with wild-berry sauces, pasta salad, organic green salad, antipasti, scrambled local eggs from free-range chickens and, of course, funeral potatoes. There will also be a sweet lineup of pastries and desserts for mom. The price for the Mother’s Day brunch buffet at Caffè Niche is $30 for adults, $15 for children under 12 and free for tots 3 or younger.

Maybe you’d like to enjoy Mother’s Day at home while ensuring that your mom gets to indulge in the finest fare. Cuisine Unlimited (4641 S. Cherry St., 801-268-2332, CuisineUnlimited.com) has the solution: a full-on brunch buffet for pick-up or home delivery. “A Mother’s Day brunch offers the opportunity to honor mothers, grandmothers and the amazing women who shape our lives. And there are all kinds of reasons to love a brunch,” says Maxine Turner, president of Cuisine Unlimited. “It is the one meal that most easily mingles family and friends.” The brunch menu is $38 per person and highlights include banana pecan-stuffed brioche, asparagus bundles, fresh-baked breads, individual egg soufflé muffins, cauliflower and ham cups, jumbo stemmed chocolate confetti strawberries, and a lot more. Orders must be placed by May 9 and can be picked up or delivered on Saturday or Sunday.

Chef de Cuisine Joe Kemp will feature a Mother’s Day brunch buffet at Faustina (454 E. 300 South, 801-746-4441, FaustinaSLC.com) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with hot and cold entrees, salads, pastries, desserts and a special $3 mimosa bar with a choice of juices, including peach, pear, pomegranate, blood orange, pineapple and others. Buffet highlights include herb-crusted salmon with honey buerre blanc, a prime rib carving station, omelets to order, chicken Marsala, Caprese salad, hummus, pesto and olive tapenade, shrimp cocktail, strawberry white chocolate cheesecake and fresh fruit and cheese platters. The cost for Faustina’s brunch is $30 for adults and $15 for kids under 12.

For Mother’s Day at Franck’s (6363 S. Holladay Blvd., 801-274-6264, FrancksFood.com), a special four-course menu will be offered and includes eggs Benedict with a sous vide egg, honey-smoked pork cheek, pate a choux and Meyer lemon-bacon Hollandaise; Wagyu short ribs with braised fennel and fingerling potatoes; and banana mousse with pistachio brittle for dessert. Franck’s Mother’s Day menu is available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is $55 for adults and $25 for kids 12 and younger.

Executive Chef Dave Jones will feature a unique multi-course meal for Mother’s Day at Log Haven (6451 E. Millcreek Canyon Road, 801-272-8255, Log-Haven.com), from noon to 5 p.m., beginning with an Oregon shrimp cocktail amuse, a choice of soup, and entrees such as cider-glazed pork chops, grilled Pacific Northwest King salmon, lemon-basil pressed organic chicken breast, New York steak au poivre, and orecchiette with pesto. For dessert there’s Slide Ridge honey-citrus creme brulee, flourless chocolate cake or vanilla bean cheesecake. The price is $43.95 for adults and $23.95 for kids 12 and under.

Treating mom to the brunch buffet in the beautiful courtyard patio at Oasis Cafe (151 S. 500 East, 801-322-0404, OasisCafeSLC.com) would be a slam-dunk, especially with tasty temptations like maple-and-mustard glazed salmon, cheese blintzes with blueberry sauce, shrimp enchiladas, prime rib, Mediterranean pasta salad, a chocolate fountain, and many more buffet items to choose from. The Oasis Cafe Mother’s Day buffet runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is $32 for adults, $18 for kids 12 and under, and free for children 3 or younger.

Tuscany (2832 E. 6200 South, 801-277-9919, TuscanySLC.com) gives mom two dining options for Mother’s Day: brunch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or Mother’s Day Grand Dinner at 6:30. The brunch buffet at Tuscany will include prime rib, roasted ham and lamb, an omelet station, eggs Benedict, waffles, seafood, salads, fresh fruit and dessert pastries priced at $45 for adults and $19 for children 12 and under. The Grand Dinner is $40 per person for a four-course menu including items like Tuscan pear salad, seared halibut with spring vegetable salad and Meyer lemon olive oil, slow-roasted prime rib with horseradish whipped potatoes, four-cheese ravioli with house pomodoro, and a Tuscany dessert platter.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful mothers! 

Twitter: @Critic1