Last Minute Mother's Day Chicago Brunch Guide 2019

Explore the City

Take mom somewhere new and exciting for her special day or visit an old neighborhood favorite.

III Forks, Lakeshore East, a la carte or prix fixe for $45

Red Fish Bleu Fish, Hyde Park, a la carte, half priced entrees for moms

Eden, West Loop, a la carte, featuring special menu items

The Florentine, The Loop, a la carte, featuring  special menu items

Staytion Market and Bar, The Loop, a la carte, featuring special menu items

Chicago Q, Gold Coast, a la carte, featuring special menu items

Blue Door Farm Stand, Lincoln Park, a la carte, featuring special menu items

Blue Door Kitchen and Garden, Gold Coast, a la carte, featuring special menu items

Freebies for Mom

Many restaurants around the city want to pamper your mama as much as you do. Here's some that are featuring gifts, cocktails, and more for your beloved matriarch.

Bar Roma, Andersonvile, a la carte, complimentary dark chocolate hazelnut truffles for moms

Acadia, South Loop, three course prix fixe for $85 with complimentary flowers for moms

Broken Barrel, Lincoln Park, a la carte, free cocktail for moms

Safehouse, River North, a la carte, free mimosa for moms

Sunda, Rive North, buffet, $65, complimentary glass of champagne for moms

Cantina Laredo, River North, All brunch dishes include the choice of complimentary mimosa made with fresh-squeezed orange juice, or bloody maria made with Casa Noble organic tequila

The Chicago Firehouse, South Loop, buffet, $59, free sparkling cocktail for moms

True Food Kitchen, River North, a la carte, all moms will received a $10 gift card

The Albert, Gold Coast, a la carte, flowers for moms

Tortoise Supper Club, River North, buffet, $69.95 per adult, all moms will receive a freshly cut rose

Porkchop, Hyde Park, a la carte, complimentary mimosa and entree for moms

Kizuki, Wicker Park and Lincoln Park, free mimosa with purchase of any ramen

Brunch and a Show

These options offer not just a great meal, but a little entertainment to boot.

The Signature Room, Magnificant Mile, buffet, $80, featuring live music

Artango Bar and Steakhouse, Lincoln Square, 3 course prix fixe for $39, featuring live music

Punch Bowl Social, West Loop, a la carte, arcade games will be free all day

VIP Access

Chicago restaurants love moms so much that many who don't usually serve brunch open wide their doors for only one special Sunday morning a year.

Michael Jordan's Steakhouse, Magnificent Mile, a la carte

Ocean Prime, River North, a la carte

Eddie V's, The Loop, three course prix fixe, $49 per adult

Perry's Steakhouse, Oak Brook, a la carte

Weber Grill, River North, Lomard, Schaumburg, a la carte

Benny's Chop House, River North, 3 course prix fixe for $49

People Pleasing Buffets

Large family? Picky eaters in the group? Buffets are the way to go. And there are options all over the city for every budget.

I|O Godfrey, River North, $39 per adult

LondonHouse, Magnificent Mile, $70 per adult

Travelle at The Langham, River North, $175 per adult

Prairie Grass Cafe, Northbrook, $53 per adult

Burnham's at Eaglewood Resort and Spa, Itasca, $48.95 per adult

Pinstripes, River North, $36 per adult

Hubbard Inn, River North, $50 with bottomless drinks, $30 without

Parlay at Joy District, $50 per adult

Tuscany, Wheeling, $44.95 per adult

Brunch at The Craftsman by Two Brothers

I've been watching with great interest over the last few years as Two Brothers Brewing Company grew from a Chicagoland based microbrewery into a nation conquering empire, with not only an army of uniquely crafted beers under their belts, but an amazing coffee line, an artisan spirit collection, and several fine restaurants. I'd been to their flagship restaurant, The Roundhouse, once before when some friends and I attended the Two Brother's Summer Fest, but we didn't really get to sit down and enjoy a proper meal that day (though both the carnival-style food being cooked outside and the buffet offerings inside the complex were amazing). That's why when I was offered the chance to stop into The Craftsman, Two Brother's locally focused craft pub in Naperville,  I jumped at the opportunity, despite the 90 minute drive.

I managed to rope a friend with an actual motor vehicle into driving us out there one Saturday morning. I hadn't been to Naperville in about 10 years, so I was really impressed to see how much change had taken place around the river walk area, with lots of sweet little independent shops and restaurants instead of the chain stores and fast food joints I remembered. The Craftsman itself cuts an imposing figure on the quaint avenue; it's multilevel facade housing not only the restaurant, but also a buzzing coffee shop and a cocktail bar. We were taken up to the second floor of the building and given a cozy seat by the window, where we happily watched a giant group of dogs causing adorable havoc on the patio below as their owners brunched.

I was a little perplexed that the variety of coffee cocktails we saw advertised downstairs in the cafe were not also being offered upstairs, as that seemed to be to be a perfect opportunity for Two Brothers to showcase two of their signature product lines. Instead, we ordered a couple of smoothies, both of which were very fresh tasting and not overly sweet.

Speaking of sweets, we decided to kick things off with a couple of their more sugary options: The French Toast with bananas and coffee rum sauce and the Bacon Waffle with apricot jam. The French Toast was pretty good, though the highlight was definitely the coffee rum sauce (I'm assuming it was made with Two Brother's coffee), which we nearly licked off the plate. I do wish they had brûléed the bananas a little, or maybe cooked them in that awesome sauce, just to dress the dish up a little. The waffle was really fun. Not only did it have bits of bacon mixed into the batter, it came topped with more candied bacon as well as apricot jam. It was light and crisp with a very subtle sweetness. The bacon, though, was some standout stuff. This is going to sound really stupid, but the bacon had a heavy pork flavor to it, rather than a more typically smokey flavor.

Moving onto savory dishes, we picked three to share (mostly because I couldn't decide between two of them). Firstly was the Cuban Benedict, which came with shredded pork, Swiss cheese, mustard hollandaise, and ham on an English muffin. The pork was a nice touch and very tender, so I wasn't really sure if the ham was necessary.  The mustard hollandaise, though, was amazing and turned everything it touched into gold.

Next was the New England Lobster Roll. I'm not normally a huge lobster fan, but a rash of lobster rolls being posted to Instagram had put me in the mood for this summer time favorite. There was a decent amount of lobster meat on the roll, but it had been cut with a bit too much celery for my liking. The bun had actually been toasted and buttered in proper New England style, a step some restaurants sometimes forget.

Lastly was the Butcher's Burger, topped with bacon, tomato, lettuce, onion, and cheddar. This was the perfect kind of pub burger; simple, well put together, well prepared, and recognizable. As an admitted big fan of overly complicated gastro pub burgers, it was actually kind of refreshing to see just as much care and thought put into this classic burger as others put into more outlandish fare.

All in all, we spent a very pleasant afternoon at The Craftsman. Our server was very chipper and sweet despite being saddled with waiting on both the main dining room and the patio. The food was approachable and didn't take a whole lot of crazy twists and turns in an attempt to appeal to passing gourmands. But I do wish Two Brothers had put a bit more of themselves into the menu. Beer battered something would have been nice. Or the aforementioned coffee infused cocktails. Maybe even a beer mimosa, just to remind people of the restaurant's parent company. But I get that the goal may have been to carve out a niche in the dining scene that was more independent. I thought that the modern industrial decor made for a very relaxing atmosphere, and all the prices were extremely reasonable, especially when taking into consideration the quality of the ingredients.  Would I drive 90 minutes to go there for brunch again? Maybe not every weekend. But if I was in the area, it would definitely be on my list of stops to make.

I was invited to dine at this restaurant free of charge in exchange for an honest review of my experience.

Chicago's Ultimate Last Minute Mother's Day Brunch Guide 2018 Edition

Downtown Go-To's

Del Frisco’s- Gold Coast, a la carte, special hours

Maple & Ash- Gold Coast, $90 buffet plus all moms receive a complimentary glass of champagne

The Albert- Streeterville, a la carte, special menu and hours

III Forks- Lakeshore East, a la carte, special menu items

Michael Jordan's Steakhouse- Mag Mile, special menu items, special hours

The Signature Room- Mag Mile, $80 buffet, includes one glass of house sparkling wine*

Howells and Hood- Mag Mile, $39 buffet

Cantina Laredo- River North, a la carte, special menu items, complimentary drink for all moms

The Gwen- River North, a la carte, special menu items, all moms will receive a complimentary glass of rose and a box of truffles.

Benny's Chop House- River North, $39 4 course prix fixe, all moms receive a complimentary cake and a family photo

Imperial Lamian- River North, a la carte, special menu items

Portsmith- River North, a la carte, special menu items

Taco Joint- River North and Lincoln Park, a la carte, brand new menu and cocktail packages*

Nonnina- River North, special hours

True Food Kitchen- River North, a la carte, specialty mimosas*

Tortoise Supper Club- River North, $65.95 buffet, special hours

IO at the Godfrey Hotel- River North, $39 buffet

Weber Grill- River North, a la carte, special menu items*

Steadfast- The Loop, $49.99 buffet, additional $14.99 for bottomless mimosas

The Florentine- The Loop, a la carte, special menu items

Roanoke- The Loop, $33 3 course prix fixe*

Cindy's Rooftop- The Loop, a la carte, special menu items

LondonHouse- The Loop, $54 buffet

Punch Bowl Social- West Loop, a la carte or $25 buffet, complimentary mimosa for all moms*

Mercat a la Planxa- South Loop, a la carte, all moms will receive a complimentary mimosa

Acadia- South Loop, $55 3 course prix fixe, special hours

Northside Favorites

Shore Club- Lincoln Park, $45 for buffet, $11 for drinks

The Late Bloomer- Lincoln Park, a la carte, special menu items, moms receive a complimentary cocktail*

Bar Roma- Andersonville, a la carte, special menu items, all moms will receive a chocolate dipped* strawberry

Low Country- Wrigleyville & South Loop, a la carte, special menu items and drink packages

Commonwealth Tavern- Roscoe Village, a la carte, $3 mimosas & $6 build your own bloody marys*

The Second City- Old Town, $40 buffet, bottomless mimosas, and a 45 minute improv performance*

West and SouthTop Picks

Split Rail- Humbolt Park, a la carte, special Golden Girls themed menu

Tuscany- University Village, a la carte, special menu items

Kizuki Ramen and Izakaya- Wicker Park, a la carte free peach mimosa or sangria with every ramen purchase

MAK (Modern Asian Kitchen)- Wicker Park, a la carte, mom's will receive a free bowl with the purchase of another bowl of equal or lesser value

Cafe Robey- Wicker Park, a la carte, special menu items

Eden- West Town, a la carte, special menu items

Nana- Bridgeport, a la carte, special menu items*

Suburban Hot Spots

Prairie Grass Café- Northbrook, $51 signature benedict + buffet*

Pete Miller-s Steak and Seafood- Evanston & Naperville, $49.99 buffet

Perry's Steakhouse- Oakbrook, a la carte, special hours, $4.95 cocktails

El Tapeo- Oak Brook, $45 chef's market table plus one entree, dessert, and sangria

Rackhouse- Arlington Heights, $32.99 buffet, all moms get a complimentary raffle ticket to a prize drawing

*These brunch services have been personally tested and approved by Bunny and Brandy. Check out our reviews of these location for more info!

Bunny and Brandy's Easter Brunch Guide 2018

Best Bet Buffets

(Prices listed are per adult, prices vary for children)

White City Ballroom @ Chicago Athletic Association Hotel in The Loop: $100, includes drinks

Howells and Hood in The Loop: $39 

IO @ The Godfrey Hotel in River North: $39 

Maple & Ash in the Gold Coast: $90 ($25 additional for unlimited bubbles)

The Langham Hotel in The Loop: $155 

The Florentine in The Loop: $75 + additional $15 for drinks

Allium in the Four Seasons Hotel in the Gold Coast: $180  (includes tax and gratuity)

Torali at The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Streeterville: $155 

Signature Room on the Mag Mile: $80 (includes a cocktail)

Filini at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the Loop: $55

Superb Suburban Spots

Prairie Grass Café in Northbrook will feature a special buffet + signature benedict for every diner for $51 per person

Libertad in Skokie will feature an a la carte menu with special menu items

Perry’s Steakhouse in Oak Brook: will be serving their dinner menu starting at 11:00 am

Tuscany in Wheeling will host a special buffet for $43 per person

Day Drinking Destinations

Cantina Laredo in River North: a la carte menu options with a complimentary mimosa or Bloody Maria

III Forks in Lakeshore East: $45 for one of three signature Eggs Benedicts and a brunch cocktail 

Lowcountry in Lakeview & The South Loop will both feature an a la carte menu with special items and $15 bottomless mimosa packages

Commonwealth Tavern in Roscoe Village will feature an a la carte menu with $3 mimosa bar and $6 bloody mary bar

Exclusive Easter Eats

Home Bistro in Lakeview will feature  a special Southern inspired a la carte menu

BarRoma in Andersonville will feature an a la carte selection of special menu items

Mercata la Planxa in the South Loop will feature an a la carte menu with special items

DelFrisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in the Gold Coast will feature a special a la carte menu

Eden in West Town will feature an a la carte menu with special treats

Imperial Lamian in River North will feature an a la carte dim sum menu featuring special Easter dumplings

Seven Lions in The Loop will have a 2 course pre fixe for $24 plus their regular a la carte brunch menu

TheLate Bloomer in Old Town will feature an a la carte menu with special items and cocktails

KingCrab Chicago in Lincoln Park is featuring their brand new a la carte brunch menu

Nana in Bridgeport will feature a special a la carte menu

Marchesa in River North will feature a special a la carte menu

Porkchop (All locations) will feature a special a la carte menu

Roanoke in The Loop will feature an a la carte menu with special items

Weber Grill in River North will feature an a la carte menu with special items

Disotto or The Proof is in the Foccacia

The Slow and Savory Review

"I'm never moving house again," Brandy sighed as she collapsed onto her sofa. Looking around at her newly acquired kingdom, she observed that the subjects of her domain mainly consisted of boxes, bags, and large balls of unusable packing tape. "I've certainly accumulated quite a lot of... stuff," she said, looking down at her dust covered hands. "I think I need a little break from all this. Yes, a nice loooong brunch break is definitely in order."

She decided to venture a little ways out of the city to visit Disotto, a casual Italian restaurant situated on an idyllic street in the heart of Highwood, where diners could take a seat on the beautifully landscaped patio and watch the trains go by, or sit inside and admire the stunning plaster work ceiling, which gave an air of warmth and comfort aided by the exposed brick walls and the worn woods used throughout the restuarant.

Jumping right into the food, Brandy started off with something quite unassuming that ended up being one of the most extraordinary dishes she's had in quite some time; the Foccacia di Recco. What looked to be a simple flatbread was actually a thin and chewy foccacia stuffed with warm, fresh ricotta. The experience of biting into that beautiful bread and suddenly having a mouthful of creamy cheese was indescribably marvelous. Atop the bread was the slightest sprinkling of flaked sea salt and on the side was a hunk of soft, luscious honey comb, which meant that the bread could go either sweet or savory, depending on one's tastes. "This is pure magic," Brandy sighed, and even though she had more food coming, she was genuinely distressed when she saw she had no more pieces of bread.

Moving on to something a little more substantial, Brandy dug into a bowl of Steamed Mussels. These particular sea creatures had been dowsed in a white wine sauce and spiced with n'juda sausage. The result was a flavor rich in umami, lots of garlic, and just a little hint of heat. The mussels were a little on the small side, but they were very tender and meaty, which was met well by the bits of white wine and garlic scented spinach scattered around the plate.

For her entree, Brandy ordered a croissant sandwich, which came dressed with an over easy egg, butterkase cheese, a bit of arugula, and two strips of peppered bacon. The sandwich was a little too floppy to be picked up and eaten with one's hands, so Brandy resorted to a fork and knife. The bacon had a nice crunch and lots of peppery notes to provide the melody to this symphony of breakfasty flavors, but the smooth and subtle cheese got a little lost in the mix. Brandy also could have done with a little more vegetation on the sandwich to accompany the arugula, like perhaps a slice of tomato to brighten things up. The croissant was just substantial enough to stand up to the other ingredients, yet it remained buttery and supple. The potatoes on the side were also very pleasant, having been cut into rounds and crisped with a little herb and cheese mix.

Finally, Brandy ended her meal with a plate of Bombolini; freshly fried little donut-like confections that came covered in sugar and served with a warm chocolate sauce and a fruit sauce. The little dough balls had an almost eggy interior with a slight lemon flavor, which Brandy found unusual, but rather delightful. The chocolate sauce was rich and bitter sweet, which was matched perfectly when alternated with the fruit sauce, which had a bit of acidity to it and a strong berry flavor.

Sighing sadly as she finished the last dregs of her coffee, Brandy starred out the window at a train that was drifting across the tracks outside. With such warm, relaxed service and reasonable prices at Disotto, she was almost hesitant to return to the city, where a simple breakfast sandwich can sometimes run upwards of $18. "If only I didn't have unpacking to finish up, I'd stay here and order about three more plates of that foccacia," she said to herself, "Ah well. There's always next weekend, I suppose."

The writers of this blog were invited to dine at the restaurant free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review