Mother’s Day is Sunday: You Made Reservations Where?

This post was co-authored by Alejandra Owens and Laura Herman. You can follow them on Twitter [email protected] and @lmhhabs, respectively. Also check out One Bite At A Time, Alejandra’s personal food and cooking blog.

Mother’s Day is always a popular day to take your special lady out for brunch, but as we well know by now, it’s difficult to get those coveted reservations. If you haven’t already made your phone calls and OpenTable visits, it’s time to get on it.

Make Reservations Now… Right Now

Elite brunching spots like the ones below require some serious planning. But if you can get a table, they’re worth it.

• Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, 1517 Connecticut Avenue NW; see Restaurant Profile: Afterwords Cafe at Kramerbooks
• Birch & Barley, 1337 14th Street NW; Restaurant Profile: Birch & Barley on 14th.
• Eola, 2020 P Street NW; see Eola on P St.: The Exotic Dishes Shine.
• Estadio, 1520 14th Street NW; see Scotch Slushees and Tapas: Alejandra at Estadio.
• Masa 14, 1825 14th Street NW; see Restaurant Profile: Masa 14
• Tabard Inn, 1739 N Street NW

Casual Options

Here are some more casual places, or under the radar/up-and-comers might be a better bet, especially if you plan on winging it this Sunday.

Dupont Circle

• CIRCA at Dupont, 1601 Connecticut Avenue NW
• Dupont Italian Kitchen, 1637 17th Street NW
• Lauriol Plaza, 1835 18th Street NW; see Restaurant Profile: Lauriol Plaza on 18th Street.
• L’Enfant Cafe, 2000 18th Street NW; see Profile: L’Enfant Cafe on 18th Street.
• Mandu, 1805 18th Street NW; see Korean Food? Bibimbap? Try Mandu on 18th Street NW.
• Rosemary’s Thyme Bistro, 1801 18th Street NW

Logan Circle

• Bar Pilar, 1833 14th Street NW; see Restaurant Profile: Bar Pilar on 14th Street.
• Cafe Saint Ex, 1847 14th Street NW
• Pointe Chaud Cafe and Crepes, 1736 14th Street NW; see A Crepe-Eating Expedition Through Borderstan.

U Street Corridor

• 1905, 1905 9th Street NW; see A Visit to 1905 Restaurant on 9th Street.
• Creme Cafe, 1322 U Street NW
• Eatonville, 2121 14th Street NW
• Florida Avenue Grill, 1100 Florida Avenue NW
• Local 16, 1602 U Street NW.
• Vinoteca, 1940 11th Street NW; see Bocce Ball Happy Hour at Vinoteca.

What Sayeth the Bitches?

On the verge of a mimosa meltdown? The Bitches Who Brunch have been eating their way across the city’s brunches for over a year now. Check their site for the low down on every egg and pancake spot in town. You can also hit them up on Twitter in case of emergencies at @btcheswhobrunch.

Dupont Farmers Market

And if you can’t get a reservation, or don’t want to stand in crazy lines and deal with long waits, consider hitting the Dupont Farmers Market. Go simple and pick up a scone or pain au chocolate and walk around, people watch and snap some fun photos. Or hit the market early (they open at 8:30 am) to get farm fresh eggs, quality meats from Red Apron Butchery or Eco-Friendly Farms, buttery brioche and make a simple bacon, eggs and french toast brunch for mom at home!

Happy brunching!