Savor: Bountiful Beach Brunches

In 1907 Anna Jarvis a young West Virginian mother handed out 500 white carnations to each mother in the congregation of her church in recognition of their hard and often underappreciated work as matriarchs of their households.

Seven years later when President Woodrow Wilson declared that Mothers Day would be celebrated every year on the second Sunday in the month of May Jarvis act of kindness grew from a small-town tradition to a national holiday. Now nearly 100 years down the road we still delight in celebrating the wonderful women who loved us reared us and gave us life.

Mothers around the country will tell you that their Mothers Day is incomplete without that special meal that takes the place of both breakfast and lunch: brunch. Ever-growing in popularity brunch is a culinary fusion thats nearly impossible to pass up and why would you? For brunch you can arrive after 11 a.m. and still find fresh coffee you can eat two meals worth of food without feeling guilty and you can enjoy the sweetness of breakfast and the full flavor of lunch without that pesky wait in between the two. Any way you slice it Mothers Day brunch is bliss.

WBs Blockade Runner Beach Resort 275 Waynick Boulevard (910) 256-2251 presents one of the most spectacular Mothers Day brunches on the Azalea Coast. With ocean breezes and beautiful seaside gardens outside and live music and gorgeous ice sculptures inside most every mom in attendance has one word for the Blockade Runners Mothers Day Brunch: unforgettable. “Mothers Day is a great day to come to the resort because its just getting to be the time of year when you can enjoy the peak of our spring gardens ” says chef Mark Lawson.

Although Blockade Runners weekly Sunday brunch attracts enough of a crowd to fill one dining area their Mothers Day Brunch is held in the main dining room a second dining room and outside in the gardens. “We had more than 450 guests last year and are hoping to get 500 this year ” says Lawson. The events popularity is no accident. At the buffet-style brunch guests find waffles pastas meats omelets and grits as well as baked goods fresh fruits salads and a dessert bar. If the food tastes fresher than anything youve ever eaten before it probably is. The resort grows all of their greens in their own gardens and many of their vegetables in their greenhouse. “Fifty percent of all the gardens you see outside are edible ” says Lawson. “The greens go straight from our gardens to your plate.” The Blockade Runner Beach Resorts Mothers Day Brunch will be held on Sunday May 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $40 and reservations are required.

Ask anyone from Wrightsville Beach Bluewater An American Grill 4 Marina Street (910) 256-8500 serves up lunches and dinners that make mouths water. This spring the beloved Bluewater has added another way for guests to savor the flavor: Bluewaters Mothers Day Sunday Brunch.

Bluewaters brunch buffet offers traditional breakfast favorites like omelets waffles baked goods eggs Benedict and fresh fruits as well as luncheon entrees like chicken pot pie pork loin basil roasted salmon and macaroni and cheese. “All of our food is great ” says general manager Scott Wheikert. “We try to offer something for everyone.”

Its not just the food that makes Bluewaters brunch special its the effortless way the restaurant captures the beauty of Wrightsville Beach from the outdoor patio where Mothers Day guests can soak up springtime sunbeams to the views of Bluewaters private docks on the Intracoastal Waterway. “We may be the only restaurant in town where you can dock your boat and enjoy brunch ” says Wheikert. Bluewaters Mothers Day Sunday Brunch is $14.99 for adults $6.99 for children 12 and under and free for little ones under three. Reservations are not required.

Since its grand opening in November 2001 Boca Bay 2025 Eastwood Road (910) 256-1887 has been something of a suburban oasis. The rotating fans the white tablecloths and the open-air patio give the popular eatery a feeling of spring-is-in-the-air elegance. Its the food though that makes this restaurant such a crowd pleaser for Mothers Day Brunch.

“Brunch is a great meal in the spring ” says manager Matt Noller. “You can stop in after church and head to the beach afterwards.” Bocas Mothers Day Brunch buffet is served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and features an enticing array of fresh scratch-made pastries carving and omelet stations waffles fruit blintzes yogurt bagels and lox macaroni and cheese and salmon.

And while the food will wow you Boca Bays special culinary touches are what will make this brunch unique caramelized walnuts on omelets and their extraordinary versions of that classic brunch favorite: eggs Benedict. “We serve eggs Benedict three different ways ” says Noller “with lox with spinach and with bacon.” Drizzled with Hollandaise sauce each way (and every bite) is delicious.

At Boca Bay Mothers Day is not just about the brunch; its an all-day affair. Boca offers after-brunch live entertainment featuring reggae beach music and shag bands. “You can come in with mom and the kids in the morning for brunch but then make sure you get a babysitter for the afternoon because youre going to want to come back and enjoy the music ” says Noller. Boca Bays Mothers Day brunch is $19.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids. Reservations are required.