Your Friday Food Buffet

By Laura Oppenheimer in Food on May 11, 2007 3:30PM

In this special Mother's Day edition of YFFB, we'll help you find a way to say "I love you" even if you have been the sort of child this year that your mother never wished she had. We kid, we kid. We know Chicagoist readers know how to treat their respective moms right.

Say It With: ... an e-card. Whenever we come across anything with an e-card it reminds us of the early days of the dot-com boom, when everyone marveled at the genius of Blue Mountain. If you want to really let her know you care, Clos Du Bois has set up a nifty little gimmick. Visit the Toast to Mom website, upload a picture of yourself toasting her (read, getting hammered) or use one of theirs, and send it off. For every card sent, $1 will be donated to WomenHeart. This is win-win. You send mom something for Mother's Day, it is free to you, and you help raise money for charity.

Brunch It Up: If you haven't made reservations yet, run, don't walk, to your phone and make some. Mother's Day brunching is serious business. Many places that don't normally serve brunch will be offering a special menu, and many that normally do serve brunch, will be kicking it up a notch and offering special prix fixe menus. Chicagoist is most excited about the deal at Adobo Grill, a place we normally feel sort of so-so about. Their offer is a $21 brunch with all-you-can-eat appetizers and desserts. And the appetizer buffet does include their famous guacamole. Other area restaurants with Mother's Day offerings include Boka, Le Titi De Paris, Graze, Shaw's Crab House, Heaven on Seven and Cafe Matou and a boatload of other places.

Or Cook It Up: If spending $40+ dollars a person for an all-you-can-eat affair is a little out of your price range, consider cooking mom brunch at home. Chow suggests a tea party complete with tartlets and mini sandwiches. If your mom likes butter and pork, consider cooking her up a menu designed by Paula Deen's sons.