11 Ideas For A Great Mother’s Day
Whether you’re looking for a brunch spot or planning a day trip, there are plenty of ways to make Mom feel loved right here in our backyard.
Your mom deserves the best every day, of course, but Mother’s Day, May 11, is a chance to go above and beyond in showing how much you care. Macaroni art and breakfast in bed meant the world when you were a kid (and she’d probably still love them now!), but you can do more than that.
How to plan the perfect Mother’s Day? Start with breakfast or brunch at one of these local favorites, all of them nods in our Readers’ Choice Awards. Make sure to call soon—reservations fill up fast!
Daily Treat Restaurant. This cozy spot offers a menu filled with every breakfast and brunch option you could want (plus some—check out the smoothies!). Keep an eye out for innovative daily specials.
*177 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, 201.652.9113
First Watch. This small chain boasts a rotating menu of seasonal items, such as a wild berry and lavender French toast and bacon cheddar corn bread.
*38 Farm View, Montvale, 551.210.1955
Just Janice. Tucked in downtown Ho-Ho-Kus, the French toast at this spot is topped with caramelized apples and its take on a classic bacon-egg-and-cheese includes scallion scrambled eggs.
*23 Sheridan Ave., Ho-Ho-Kus, 201.445.2666
Raymond’s. Over in Ridgewood, you’ll find a special brunch menu to satisfy every preference, from classic burgers to eggs benedict.
*101 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, 201.445.5125
Steve & Andrea’s. In Rutherford, you’ll find all the classics—omelets, home fries, pancakes and more.
*298 Park Ave., Rutherford, 201-939-7668
Willow and Whisk. Voted best breakfast and brunch in Bergen two years running, we recommend the lemon ricotta pancakes at this Wyckoff staple.
*319 Franklin Ave., Wyckoff, 201.425.9931
Want ideas beyond brunch? These five day trips will do Mom good, no matter what she loves:
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. A roughly half-hour’s drive brings you to this giant outlet, with more than 200 luxury and designer brand storefronts. The outlets are also designed as an outdoor, village-style shopping experience, so enjoy the warm May sunshine in between stores as opposed to the sterile AC of an indoor mall.
The New York Botanical Gardens. Whether you mom has a green thumb or just a love of beauty, there’s lots to appreciate at NYC’s most famous garden (and it’ll take only about 40 minutes to get there by car). Stop by May 10 and 11 from noon until 5 p.m. for a Mother’s Day Garden celebration on Daffodil Hill, in full, beautiful bloom, which will provide the perfect backdrop for food trucks, lawn games, live music and other family-friendly activities.
Mansion in May. We’re in luck—the state’s premier showhouse returns just in time to enjoy it with your mom. Mansion in May, the signature fundraiser for the Women’s Association for Morristown Medical Center, is back, this year at the Wildfair estate in Chester Township, less than an hour from Bergen. More than 30 interior designers and a dozen landscape designers, all New Jersey-based, join to transform this historic mansion into a sprawl of modern-day elegance, with innovative designs in every room and enchanting gardens all around the grounds.
Wave Spa at Wave Resort. Everyone deserves pampering from time to time, and this spa delivers. Tucked inside the beautiful Wave Resort waterfront hotel (about an hour from Bergen), it offers all manner of massages and body-work sessions, besides aromatherapy and treatments that include self-heating marine mud, seawater balm and black sand, all lauded for their restorative properties.
Laurita Winery. An hour-and-a-half’s drive takes you to this picturesque winery, known for sustainable practices, dessert wines and stunning landscape. It’s an ideal place to spend the day celebrating with the people you love, and it’s open every Thursday through Sunday. On May 11, the vineyard hosts its Mother’s Day Brunch with a spread that includes crepes, quiche and beef sirloin, plus a chocolate fountain for dessert.
How are you treating your mom this Mother’s Day? Tell us all about it on Instagram @bergenmagnj.
