Last Minute Mom
May, 09 2008
If you still haven’t made Mother’s Day reservations, do not abandon hope. We found six culinarily and geographically diverse eateries that told us they would take people who called today.
Black Forest Inn, Stanhope, (973) 347-3344: The a-la-carte Mother’s Day menu at this restaurant, located on Rt. 206 just before it gets rural, features German cuisine like the maultaschen appetizer ($8.50), a kind of ravioli stuffed with meat, and entrees like jagerschnitzel with wine mushroom cream sauce ($26.75). They expect to accept reservations as late as Sunday morning.
Braddock's Tavern, Medford, (609) 654-1604: You’re cutting it close for the brunch, but manager Jeremiah Goldovitz says he is pretty sure that today he’ll have seatings for dinner. The building has been an inn or hotel since the 1840s. Braddock’s serves upscale tavern fare like steaks, a four-cheese pub pie, and shrimp and scallops stuffed with crab meat.
Congress Hall, Cape May, (609) 884-8421: You may not have a choice of which dining room (the pub? the airy indoor garden? outside, if it’s nice?) in this beautifully renovated 1879 landmark, but we are told “there’s a pretty good shot there’s going to be availability at the last minute.” The Mother’s Day brunch ($23.95 per adult, $10.95 per child) includes herb-crusted salmon fillet with midori-melon salsa and Cape May cobb salad with baby shrimp, bacon, avocado, chopped egg and blue cheese.
Gaetano’s, Red Bank (732) 741-1321: A big banquet room means this traditional Italian in hip downtown Red Bank still had open tables as of last night, and is likely to have room if you call today. Homemade pastas with seafood dominate the Mother’s Day menu, at around $25. Wines from Westfall Winery, in Montague, or BYOB.
Las Palmas, West New York, (201) 861-1400: Our favorite of the Bergenline Ave. Cubans in Union City and West New York will open the big upstairs space, sometimes reserved for private parties, to complement the smaller street-level dining room. Just show up, we are told, and owner Olga Cartagena will seat you. Try the sautéed palomilla steak ($14.95), marinated in garlic and lime, with rice and frijoles negros.
Rat’s Hamilton, (609) 584-7800: Three seatings Sunday afternoon at this French-Asian-Mediterranean eatery, located in the 35-acre Grounds For Sculpture, the art park founded by J. Seward Johnson. Small parties willing to brunch at 4 p.m. have the best shot at getting in. Prix fixe Mother’s Day special with champagne, hot and cold buffets and a jazz band is $65 plus gratuity.
If you haven’t made reservations, click through those links right now before the Mom in your life asks about the plan for Sunday. And don’t forget to tell her (and the restaurants) whose idea it was!
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