Your mother birthed you, fed you, clothed you, and defended you from the bully down the street. She put Bactine on your skinned knees and nursed you through your first heartbreak. Her thankless job included getting up early to wake your lazy butt for school, loaning you money when you spent your rent on videogames and beer, and pretending to be happy when you turned down the medical school scholarship to work as a production intern on an all-nude comedic version of The Towering Inferno.
Sunday is payback time. So go buy the roses, spring for a nice gift, and take Mom out for a killer brunch complete with lots of mimosas. Here are the best options in Miami. Please note most prices exclude tax and gratuity, and reservations are strongly recommended.
1. 1500 Degrees at Eden Roc Miami is offering a lavish brunch for mom from noon to 3 p.m. It includes a carving station, an omelet station, hot dishes, small plates, and a homemade-dessert station. Kids can make and decorate pancakes for themselves -- and mom. $50 per adult, $20 per child 6-12. Add $16 for bottomless mimosas and bloody marys.
2. Alba Seaside Italian is showing love to mom with a "super duper" buffet, complete with shrimp, lamb chops, prime rib, waffles, pancakes, stone crabs, eggs Florentine, flowers, bloody marys, and screwdrivers. Served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., brunch is $45 per person. If mom is feeling lucky, she can talk herself into a few hands of poker.
3. Bice Bistro at CocoWalk is celebrating with free tiramisu with brunch purchase. Kids can make an "I love you mom" sand-dollar magnet at CocoWalk free from noon to 2 p.m.
4. Bongos Cuban Café is hosting a Cuban-style brunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring a breakfast station, salad station, traditional Cuban station, kids' station, and a Cuban sweet treats station. Brunch items include Cuban eggs Benedict, lechón campeón, super paella, and homemade cheese flan. Plus, all moms get a complimentary rose and a "Mami" mimosa. $40 per adult; $15 for kids 7-11; kids 6 and under eat free.
5. Cecconi's is offering a Mother's Day Italian brunch featuring an egg station, a raw bar, and a carving station, plus desserts and live music. Brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and costs $45 per person.
6. Devon Seafood & Steak is celebrating mom with a brunch buffet including carving stations, fresh seafood selections, made-to-order Belgian waffles, and a multitude of desserts. Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and cost $32 per adult, $14 per child 4-12.
Dolce Italian hails mom with a four-course Italian-inspired Mother's Day menu all day from noon to 11 p.m. Appetizers include prosciutto melone or pea soup, followed by ravioli della mamma or lasagna alla bolognese. Main dishes include orata al forno or veal scaloppine principessa. End the meal with tiramisu or torta della nona. $45 per person.
8. The Dutch is serving a special three-course family brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. First-course offerings include warm potata latka, heirloom tomato salad, corvina ceviche, and granola parfait. Entrées include the Dutch burger; soft-poached eggs with blue crab; formaggi ravioli; seared sea scallops; or roast chicken. A dessert table will offer a myriad of sweet treats. $80 per adult, $45 per child.
9. Duffy's is honoring moms with a surf 'n' turf special for $16.99. One lucky mom will also be crowned Duffy's "Mom of the Year" through a Facebook contest. To enter your mom in the contest, visit the restaurant's Facebook page and nominate her by Thursday, May 9; then get your friends and family to vote for her until Sunday, May 12. The winning "Mom of the Year" will receive a $200 Duffy's gift card and a $200 Massage Envy card.
10. Edge Steak & Bar is hosting a Mother's Day brunch for "moodies" (that's mom foodies) with unlimited mimosas, mojitos, and bloody marys. In addition to Edge's already decadent brunch spread, you'll find roasted beet salad with smoked duck breast; chocolate waffles with raspberry compote and whipped cream; strawberry pancakes with white chocolate; butter-and-herb-roasted turkey breast with sage gravy; and a host of special desserts. Plus, moms take home roses and a spa gift bag. Brunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and costs $95 for adults, $32 for children ages 5 to 12; kids 4 and younger eat free.
11. Essensia Restaurant at the Palms Hotel is having a special Mother's Day brunch featuring premium local and sustainable ingredients. Adults can order from a prix fixe menu featuring brunch favorites such as crabmeat Benedict; quinoa poppy-seed lemon pancakes with fresh blueberries; roasted lemon-herb-marinated chicken; and steak and eggs. A kids-only buffet will feature a Belgian waffle and pancake station with special toppings; scrambled eggs and bacon; pastries; and assorted fruits, cereals, and yogurts. Brunch costs $49 per person, including one mimosa and coffee. Add unlimited mimosas for an additional $20. The kids-only buffet costs $19 (kids 12 and younger only). Valet parking is discounted to $9 for brunch patrons.
12. Florida Cookery is hosting a Miami-style brunch on the patio. Mom receives a complimentary welcome mimosa, and dishes include Cookery egg sliders ($18), big bowl Miami paella ($28), and banana and rum-soaked French toast ($16). Brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
13. The Forge is celebrating with a combo buffet and entrée brunch. First, moms will enjoy an appetizer spread featuring bloody mary ceviche, Forge chopped salad, deviled eggs, granola, bacon, and turkey sausage. Then, mom can choose from entrées such as steak and eggs, eggs Benedict "Jersey Shore," grilled salmon, or lobster and basil penne pasta. In addition, there's a dessert table and unlimited mimosas. Served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., it costs $85 per adult and $35 for children under 12.
14. Katsuya by Starck is toasting mom with a special brunch featuring a whole roasted pig, assorted sushi and sashimi, yaki soba noodles, and desserts. Mom gets unlimited mimosas and bellinis too. Cost is $85 per person.
15. Kitchen 305 is offering an all-you-can-eat Mother's Day champagne brunch with breakfast favorites, a pastry station, seasonal fruits, imported cheeses, a cold bar with jumbo shrimp cocktail, Bluepoint oysters, and Scottish-style smoked salmon. Mom will also enjoy hand-carved prime rib, herb-roasted Colorado rack of lamb, chicken breast, and other delectables. Save some room for the Viennese dessert bar showcasing cakes, cookies, brownies, and tarts. Brunch costs $39.95 per person from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes champagne, bloody marys, mimosas, and kir royales.
16. Oak Tavern welcomes mom with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine or bubbling mimosa with brunch from 10:20 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Choose from favorites such as shrimp 'n' grits, blueberry pancakes, and shakshuka.
RA Sushi is extending happy hour all day from 11 a.m. to close, which means that even if you're on a budget, mom can have a nice meal. Food offerings start at $2.25, and beer, wine, sake, and cocktails range from $3 to $7.
Scarpetta will host an Italian-inspired buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. including unlimited bloody marys, bellinis, and mimosas. Items include sirloin of beef and duck and foie gras ravioli. Cost is $79 per adult, $37.50 for kids 4 to 12; children under 4 eat free.
19. Serendipity 3 is celebrating mom with some fun treats like the "Holy Huevos It's Mother's Day" ($15), "Lox of Love for Mom" (bagel and lox platter) ($15), and "Momma's Going Bananas" waffles ($15). Special cocktails for mom (and you) include a watermelon sangria and a ginger-peach bellini.
20. Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill is offering a selection of sweet and savory small plates from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Specials include crispy oyster served with greens ($14), poached Maine lobster ($16), stewed shrimp eggs Benedict ($15), and farro hash ($13).
21. SushiSamba has created a special cocktail -- Mom's Sambatini ($12) -- to start the day off right. Food specials include churrasco and eggs ($18), lobster eggs Benedict ($18), and Wagyu sliders ($16).
22. Swine Southern Table & Bar is serving some special dishes such as biscuits 'n' gravy with fricassee of smoked rabbit, fennel rabbit sausage, and morels ($15). There's also a warm spinach salad with cheese blintzes ($18) and a rose-scented caramel custard ($10) for dessert. Toast your mom with a frozen mimosa ($10).
23. Toro Toro celebrates mom with unlimited cocktails including pisco sours, margaritas, caipirinhas, mojitos, champagne, or mimosas from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with brunch. Dishes include caramelized bacon guacamole, smoked swordfish dip, pulled-pork enchiladas, and a family tray of churrasco from the rodizio for the table to share. Cost is $49 per person with drinks, $39 per person without drinks.
24. Yardbird Southern Table & Bar has some special dishes for mom. A salad of local Homestead palm hearts ($15) and Southern blinis topped with local Florida caviar ($18) are starters; a salmon Benedict ($15) or spring artichoke and goat cheese omelet ($16) are main dishes; and a strawberries-and-cream cheesecake ($10) is a sweet ending to a meal with mom.
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