The Fork

Dining Out

Perhaps your first thought should be calling for a reservation at Mom’s favorite restaurant. Do it right now. Not sure where you want to go? Check out SFR's

. Find out from the experts what's really worth it and what's not.

Can't get a reservation? This might be the ideal occasion to pull up Open Table, where you can search for reservations at a specific time and then sort by type of restaurant, food or location. What about the dinner and flamenco show at El Farol? Might be nice to do that before the place is sold.

In related news, Farm and Table in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque was the only NM restaurant to be named one of the 100 Best Brunch Restaurants in America by Open Table users. Congrats! (Of course, that means when I checked Tuesday afternoon, the place was totally booked for Mother's Day. You might try and see if there have been any cancellations.)

In trying to plan my own Mother's Day events, I decided to ask my Facebook followers what they like to do; here are a few of their answers.

Give Mom the Gift of a Free Day

Some moms of young kids told me they don't want to go out to eat—what they really want is a day off to do whatever they want, maybe get a massage, nap on the couch, take a hike, grab an afternoon cocktail with girlfriends. So maybe the best gift you could give Mom is to take the kids out for the day.

Other moms said they don't like to go to restaurants on Mother's Day because they're so crowded. That's true. Sunday brunch is a zoo—but that energy can be fun! If you don't think so, consider making reservations for lunch on Friday or dinner Monday night and avoiding the Sunday rush. Or maybe your mom would like to go someplace a little off the beaten path? Her favorite Asian restaurant, for example?

Several moms told me what they really wanted was someone to cook for them at home—as long as they don't have to do any dishes. They said breakfast in bed is overrated. Why not buy a beef tenderloin and cook up fabulous steaks for a crowd at your house? I've got full directions for a cost-effective way to serve filet mignon for a crowd in this week's paper.

You could get take-out. Try calling several hours ahead (or the day before) to arrange pickup. You can eat fried chicken right out of the bucket—or plate a fancy dinner and enlist the kids to help clean up.

Just remember: Because of New Mexico’s backward liquor laws, you can’t buy champagne for those mimosas until noon on Sundays (it’s 11 am in restaurants), so go get some bubbles now and start chilling them for first thing Sunday morning.

Get Out and About

Whatever you do, don't take your mom to see Mother's Day in the theater. Critic Stephanie Zacharek says, "Hate your mom? Take her to see Mother's Day, an ensemble comedy that's being billed as sweet and heartwarming but which is actually an insidious form of torture." Ouch. Check SFR's Movies section for our latest reviews.

Maybe your mom would like to spend the day outside? Some of my Facebook moms said they wanted to go to a baseball game or to the driving range to hit some golf balls while enjoying food and adult beverages. Another said she likes to go buy plants and plant them together with the family. (My mom and I often do that.) You could take Mom to the Baile de Mayo, which is happening Saturday at the Convention Center—this is when the names of the fiesta queen and the man who will play Don Diego de Vargas are announced. Also on Saturday, there's a Turkish Food and Craft Festival in Albuquerque. How cool is that? Sunday is the Placitas Studio Tour and the Historic Santa Fe Foundation's Mother's Day Tour.

One woman told me her family always goes camping on Mother's Day weekend. "[It's] the only time we are all unplugged and 100 percent present," she said. "Best gift ever!!" If the mom in your life is a car camper, consider giving her a cast iron Dutch oven. Not the fancy enameled kind, the matte black kind that you shove into the campfire. It has a rimmed lid that holds coals on top to cook stews, pot roasts, rolls or cobblers with an absolute minimum of effort or attention. I got one last summer, and it is awesome! Find them where you buy other camping stuff or cookware. The 10-inch, 5-quart model is a good all-around size. Costs $60-$80; lasts until the end of time.

Also, you might give some thought to the folks for whom this day is bittersweet: the stepmoms, grandparents raising kids, single dads, foster moms, mothers who have lost children, kids who've lost their moms and women who really wanted kids but never had them. Reach out and recognize them today, too.

Santa Fe Reporter