Mothers' Day Brunch Restaurants in Los Angeles and Orange County

Mothers' Day, and the brunching is easy - and when we say easy, we mean the culinary version of a chick flick. This is not a day for the Denny's Lumberjack Slam (not that there's anything wrong with that); Mothers' Day brunch begs sprigs of rosemary, ocean views, and maybe a harp plucked with a rose. Or if that's not your thing, there's the rollicking Mothers' Day Jazz festival with a picnic on your knee. The key is Mom's Choice - all day!

Read on for our baker's dozen of favorite restaurants serving fabulous Mothers' Day brunch...

Westside & The Beaches

Inn of the Seventh Ray
Book early if you think you're heading to this little corner of heaven in Topanga, because you won't be the only one with the idea. Then ask for a creekside table, and send the kids off skipping stones and hunting for tadpoles while you drink in the fresh air, healthy food, relaxing music, and spiritually renewing ambiance.

Geoffrey's Malibu
We all do it - we drive up PCH from time to time, spy the Geoffrey's sign, and think, "one of these days...." Well, what better day than Mothers' Day? The views can't be beat, but the food sure tries to. It's a special occasion Mecca.

Shutters on the Beach
Speaking of special occasions, when's the last time you actually went in, sat down, and ordered some food at Shutters? The answer is probably "not recently enough." The food is terrific, the service is everything a mother deserves, and the location - could you get any closer to the beach?

Back on the Beach
To answer the rhetorical question above, the only way to get closer to the beach than Shutters is to go to Back on the Beach. The cafe at the Annenberg Beach House has yummy, healthy, unpretentious fare right on the beach. Wiggly kids can play in the sand and climb all over the beach playground until the food arrives. Remember this place when you wake up on Sunday morning to discover that someone didn't make any reservations; the outdoor tables are walk-up only.

Joe's Restaurant
If you want to make sure that after brunch you can wander out the door for some fun shopping, Abbot Kinney might be more your style. If so, of the many neat little places you could brunch along Venice's favorite bohemian boulevard, we recommend Joe's for a tasty treat.

Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silverlake

House of Blues Gospel Brunch
This brunch is so famous that it makes our bucket list of 100 Things To Do with Kids before They Grow Up. And isn't Mothers' Day a great day to pick a bucket list item?

Off Vine
You won't believe you're in Hollywood. This adorable little hide-away hasn't got the space of the beach, or the noise of the House of Blues, but if your kids can put up with a little quiet table time, you'll be so glad you brunched here.

Cliff's Edge
The woodsy feeling of the patio is relaxing and lets little ones stretch their legs (perhaps why Mom finds it relaxing?), and the food is totally worth driving for, even if Silverlake isn't your 'hood.

Susan Feniger's Street
You know your taste buds are safe in Susan Feniger's hands (as it were). Not only is there a yummy-looking Mothers' Day menu; there's a special Mother's Day Children's Menu, too.

San Fernando & San Gabriel Valleys

Green Street Restaurant
Pasadena's favorite brunch spot knows how to treat Mom right. The champagne cocktails have guava, ginger, and rose petals; need we say more?

Descanso Gardens
Reservations are key to get in on the brunch plans at Descanso Gardens. Mom can be serenaded while enjoying Patina's treats in the Rose Garden. Brunch is served both Saturday and Sunday, and Descanso has plenty going on both days to keep kids engaged.

The Huntington Library
Another harp-infused rose garden awaiting SoCal mamas, The Huntington is a Mothers' Day classic. Other maternally appropriate brunch options here include jazz brunch on the lawn and English Tea in the Rose Garden Tea Room. And with so much room to romp and play before and after, kids should be able to handle a little civilized tea action.

The Reagan Library
Let's throw in one more valley for The Gipper. Simi Valley is the place to head for brunch if Mama misses the Reagan years; she can reminisce about the 80s while being treated like the First Lady at the museum restaurant's annual celebration of mothers.
 

Orange County

The Californian at the Hyatt Huntington Beach
What this place does so well is combine decadent luxury with total kid-friendliness. The food is everything Mom could want it to be, in an environment that makes a gal want to plan her wedding all over again - and yet kid antics raise no eyebrows. If Huntington Beach is a little farther than you were thinking, though, we highly recommend staying over and making a weekend of it!

Pelican Hill Resort
While we're bandying around that word luxury, we have to mention Pelican Hill - where luxury goes when it wants a good pampering. Mom can choose between five different brunching/dining experiences ranging from the fabulous Ballroom Brunch, to a harp-serenaded tea, to a delicious, kid-enthralling poolside buffet. And as long as you're there, it would be a shame not to have a little spa time; send the rest of the family for a gelato and slip away...

Disneyland Hotel Grand Ballroom
Let's subtitle this one Mothers' Day Brunch for Martyr Moms. Not that Disney would do anything but treat Mom like a queen - pampering à la Disney is not to be scoffed at. It's just that we all know, once we step onto Disney property, that we're really the Queen Mother, accompanying the crown princess on her dream date. The brunch will indeed be grand - as will be Cinderella and her princess entourage.

Originally published April 27, 2012