Mother’s Day is in a few days, and despite the time, effort, and money that your poor beleaguered mother or stepmother or mother-figure spent raising you, you probably have forgotten. Luckily, Portland is a town built on brunch, the somewhat-arbitrary-but-basically-official Mother’s Day meal. Casual spots like Canard and Stacked Sandwich Shop offer great experiences without need for reservations, and a few of our favorite brunch spots might even have reservations open.

For the full Mom’s Day experience, a number of restaurants have pulled out all the stops and still have seats available for brunches, lunches, and dinners; get them now while you have time to redeem yourself.

Brunch

La Neta

The Hoxton Hotel’s elegant dining room La Neta will go all-out for the holiday, with champagne, music, flowers, and portraits of Mom. A special brunch menu will be available including huevos rancheros, kale enchiladas, and hamburguesas made with 30-day-aged beef and three chili secret sauce. Starting at 11 a.m. a portrait artist will be on hand for drawings of mom, while Randy Porter’s jazz trio plays, and mothers with reservations between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. will receive a floral gift and complimentary glass of bubbles.
Details: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m at 15 NW 4th Avenue. Reservations are available here.

Arden

The stylishly industrial, plant-filled wine bar and restaurant Arden will host two Mother’s Day brunch seatings, with a special menu of 10 dishes. Each diner will have the option to select three to share with the table, including asparagus frittata with smoked trout, huckleberry coffee cake, cheesy grits with poached egg and pine nut salsa, and roast pork loin with charred chicories. Of course there will also be sparkling wines, brunch cocktails, coffee, and tea available as well.
Details: Seatings between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at 417 NW 10th Ave. Tickets are $38 and include choice of three dishes.

The Oregon Zoo

It’ll be bright and warm on Mother’s Day, and that means the animals of the Oregon Zoo will be lounging and showing off in the sun. Work up an appetite with mom wandering about looking at the animals and then retire for a full buffet at the Cascade Crest Ballroom with mini quiches, eggs Benedict, French toast cobbler, seafood boards, and more.
Details: Seatings between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at 4001 SW Canyon Road. Tickets are $55 for adults, $49.50 for mothers and zoo members, and $27.50 for kids, and include brunch buffet and day tickets.

Epif

Though the warm and homey vegan Peruvian restaurant Epif served its last official brunch the other week, it will host one just for Mother’s Day. The single seating sees an option between amarillo polenta with beans and vegetables or salted granola with fresh fruit and mango cream for the appetizer. Then, for an entree, visitors can choose between biscuits and cauliflower-sage gravy with scrambled chickpea “eggs” and maple soy curls, or a chickpea scramble with roasted potatoes, beets, and carrots, topped with veggies and aji-verde salsa.
Details: 10:30 a.m. for drinks, 11 a.m. for brunch service at 404 NE 28th Avenue. Reservations are $25 a person and can be made by emailing info@epifpdx.com with name, party number, and dining selections. The complete menu is available here.

Red Star Tavern

Red Star Tavern will host a throwback brunch in its lovely, old-school dining hall for moms of all walks of life. Guests will find roast beef carving and omelet stations, sweet and savory pastries, eggs Benedict, and smoked salmon salad among other dishes.
Details: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 503 SW Alder Street. Brunch is $50 for adults and $20 for kids under 12; reservations can be made by calling (503) 222-0005

Verde Cocina

Family-friendly and personal-diet-friendly Mexican restaurant group Verde Cocina will serve a special Mother’s Day brunch at all three of its locations. The meal includes choices of starters, sides, and mains, with vegan, paleo, and gluten-free options at each course, including brunch salad, vegan ceviche, smoked pork belly bacon, fish or veggie omelet, and French toast with strawberries. There will also be a choice between mimosa or agua fresca, as well as coffee and tea.
Details: 10 a.m. to 4 pm. at 6446 SW Capitol Highway, 524 NW 14th Avenue, and 5515 SW Canyon Court. Brunch is $30 for adults, and kids under 10 eat for free.

Headwaters

Chef Vitaly Paley’s Headwaters will bring back its indulgent Mother’s Day brunch after taking a year off for the Heathman’s facelift. Overlooking the newly designed Heathman Library, the buffet will feature a sea bar with smoked salmon spread, oysters, sturgeon pastrami, and more, a carving station with beef tenderloin, asparagus quiche, sautéed scrambled eggs, dessert stations, and more. Meanwhile, in the bright and industrial main restaurant, diners can find specials on the menu including Maine lobster, Dungeness crab crepes, and asparagus quiche.
Details: Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1001 SW Broadway. Brunch is $62 for adults, $32 for kids five to 12, and free for children four and under, including food, coffee, tea, and a complimentary mimosa, plus $20 gift certificate for mom. Headwaters is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Reservations for both can be made by calling (503) 790-7752.

Nightwood Society

A woman-owned kitchen, event space, and general community supporter, the spacious and stylish Nightwood Society takes every opportunity to give back to mom, and Mother’s Day is definitely not exception. The holiday brunch sees monte cristo sandwiches, honey poppyseed bread, latkes with poached egg, and yogurt with fruit along other brunch staples and glasses of mimosas for all the moms.
Details: 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2218 NE Broadway Street. Tickets are $45 or $25 for children under 12, and include food, coffee, and tea, plus complimentary mimosas for moms, with wine and beer available for purchase.

Lunch and Dinner

Bhuna/Official

Bhuna

Colorful and casual Kashmiri restaurant Bhuna will cook up something special and different for a fun all-day brunch for the holiday: “Brunch bowls and bubbles” features a bowl made with potatoes, fried egg, cilantro-mint-chutney, tomatoes, cucumbers, shallots, and choice of pork vindaloo or chettinad chicken, and it comes with a glass of cava, all for just $11.
Details: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at NW 21st Avenue. Just drop in with mom for brunch or dinner.

Montesacro

Montesacro, the San Franciscan transplant that specializes in Roman flatbread called pinsa, will host the “Festa Della Mamma,” an Italian-style Mother’s Day lunch and dinner at its rustic shop in the Pearl. The three-course meal is served family-style with choices of antipasti, pinsa, and dessert for a true Roman-American experience.
Details: Noon to 8 p.m. at 1230 NW Hoyt Street. Reservations are $29 for three courses, and can be made by calling (503) 208-2992

Teutonic Wine Company

Hot rod-red urban winery Teutonic Wine Company will tone down the hard rock and metal for a little live jazz for the holiday, along with a special installment of its Monday night seafood pop-up series Gusto PDX. Starting at 1 p.m., diners can find fried fish sandwiches, smoked sprat caesar salads, shrimp ceviche, and other fishy treats, and the live music starts at 1:30 and goes until 4 p.m. Of course, the winery will also have bottles and glass pours of its iconic Germanic wines for moms and everyone else.
Details: 1 p.m. until sold out at 3303 SE 20th Avenue. Just drop in for fish and wine.

Normandie

The worldly bar and restaurant Normandie, with its dark, aquatic vibes, will host a shared Mother’s Day dinner for two. The vernal dinner starts with a cheese course before moving to spring green salad with pickled rhubarb and smoked pecans. The main affair is a half-chicken coq au vin with crispy potatoes and spring vegetables, and dessert features an ice cream trio with some unexpected flavors.
Details: 5 to 10 p.m. at 1005 SE Ankeny Street. Dinner is $76 for two, and $35 for additional seats. Reservations can be found here.