DOWNTOWN — Mom always said procrastination could be dangerous, so give her the gift of gloating while still knocking her Mother's Day out of the park with one of many holiday-centric events and deals that still have open tables, seats or specials.
Whether Mom wants a show, a sip or a shopping trip, there's something for everyone in our roundup below.
Ditch Brunch, Do Dinner: She may love a good eggs benedict, but Mom deserves something more creative than the standby brunch this year.
- Japonais by Morimoto has a sushi-accented Mother's Day Omakase dinner, a six-course prix fixe menu that includes white chocolate ravioli with crab salad, served with champagne and a carnation. Reservations are still available by calling 312-822-9600.
- Mercadito in River North will offer a one-day shareable family special that includes guac, tacos and a Spanish-inspired dessert, and is open until 12 a.m., for the hard-partying mom. Reservations can still be made online or at 312-329-9555.
- Feed mom at home, at the Brew & View or at a picnic in Millennium Park with a Mother's Day family "to-go bundle" for six on special at the Gold Coast's Da Lobsta. The $99 bundle ($16.50 per head) includes four sandwiches, two large orders of soup, two chopped salads and two specialty dishes all featuring seafood staples like blue crab, shrimp and lobster. Available for takeout or delivery May 11.
- At mk The Restaurant, a Mother's Day dinner reservation comes with more than food and drinks. Its all-local all-star holiday gift bag includes a $25 gift card to p.45 in Bucktown, a $25 gift card to River North salon Michael & Michael, a $25 gift card to mk and a pastry to go. Make a reservation online.
Smile for a Photo-Op: Two Downtown hotels have Mother's Day specials that include a family photo shoot and other features with an overnight stay during the holiday weekend.
- Thompson Chicago's "Frameable Mother's Day" will put her at ease with an in-room mimosa or bellini bar, then local photographer Scott Thompson will get snapping to capture a timeless family photo with a portrait shoot. Don't want to worry about styling? Windy City wardrobe consultant April Francis and stylists from Pretty Quick will make a house call to her hotel room to get mom camera-ready.
- The InterContinental Hotel follows its Mother's Day brunch buffet with snapshots from Furla Studios Photography, on-site for the duration of brunch, from noon to 3 p.m. Throw on a crazy hat to compete for a $100 gift card in the hotel's Mother's Day photo contest.
Pamper with Hotel Packages: Is Mom coming in from the 'burbs — or farther — to see you for the weekend? Don't subject her to your futon: Set her up with a glam overnight stay Downtown.
- Give to more moms than your own with the Langham Hotel's "Dear Mom" package, which includes pink roses, a bottle of champagne, in-room tea service and an oil-infused bath, and donates $50 to the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" run on Sunday. Book a room online for May 9-11 for the deal.
- You can't give Mom a face-lift — this isn't Beverly Hills — but she can enjoy a less invasive, more indulgent series of treatments with Trump Hotel Chicago's Mother's Day spa package. The 120-minute, $510 package includes an exfoliating body mask, a vitamin C-infused mask and a facial serum treatment, topped off with a mimosa toast.
Add Bonuses to Brunch: If you must go the traditional route, do something more than champagne and eggs. Check out some fusion events that feature towering sights, sales and other specials, with a side of toast.
- Got a mom that loves to shop? Take her to brunch Sunday at Sophie's on the seventh floor of Saks on Michigan Avenue. Chef Ron Aleman designed the restaurant's first-ever brunch service around seasonal and local produce, available from 11:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Depending on your budget, ration out the bellinis either before or after she's eyeing the handbags.
- Serve up breakfast with a side of skyline at the Mother's Day brunch buffet in the John Hancock building's Signature Room, where all moms get a complimentary mimosa. As for a window seat — that you'll have to fight for. Reservations required. Call 312-787-9596 to set one up.
And if you were in band or orchestra ... Your mom deserves a medal for sitting through a full ensemble of preteens butchering "Jingle Bells" in unison. So take her to the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra's 2014 spring concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $20-$40, and these young musicians know their way around a viola — guaranteed.
