Chorney-Booth: Last-minute ideas for a Mother’s Day filled with flowers and sweets

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If you’re still in that pandemic mindset where the calendar doesn’t make sense and the months bleed into each other, I hate to break it to you, but this Sunday is Mother’s Day. Yes, many of Calgary’s top restaurants are hosting opulent brunches, and many smart catering companies and take-out operations are offering special food kits to pamper those who don’t want to go out yet, but if you haven’t taken provisions at that time, you probably missed the boat.

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What can a mom’s child or spouse do without any reservations or special orders on the books? Luckily, there are last-minute options to make the moms in your life feel well-appreciated.

If there ever was a perfect solution for Mother’s Day, it’s the new And Some Flower Cafe, located in a charming brick building in Sunnyside. This cute little business is the brainchild of entrepreneur Raina Moon, whose family owns Moon Korean BBQ in Chinatown, giving her a solid restaurant background. Moon is also a trained florist who has long dreamed of owning a business that combines her two interests, flowers and food. The café connects the two beautifully, with a selection of fresh flowers and a florist station at the front of the room, a bustling coffee counter and around 30 seats for those looking to sit down for a casual meal or a coffee or tea. .

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And Some is a cafe, not a full-service restaurant, which is lucky for last-minute Mother’s Day parties because it doesn’t take reservations. The food mostly falls into the light and sweet brunch category, with thick buttermilk waffles ($15) served with fruit and the option of chocolate ice cream as the centerpiece of the menu. The cafe also specializes in “croffles,” a croissant/waffle hybrid topped with everything from ham and egg ($11.95) to brown cheese and vanilla ice cream ($9.95) and to “cruffins,” a flaky croissant/muffin mix with toppings like strawberry or black sesame, plus other items like green tea tiramisu and homemade cakes.

Drinks here also have a nice twist, with standard hot and cold coffee drinks as well as flashier strawberry lattes and rose and lavender ades and organic green teas accented with flower-coated ice cubes. Everything is perfect for creating Instagram-style memories, which fit into Moon’s delicate floral theme.

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“I care about the taste of food, of course,” Moon says. “But the design is also important. Because I’m a florist, how things look is important to me.

And Some Flower Cafe is located at 540 7th Ave. NW and is open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The florist is open daily from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. for custom bouquets, with pre-made bouquets available for purchase during cafe hours. For more information, visit theandsome.com.

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Of course, a cafe can’t accommodate every last-minute Mother’s Day celebration, so that’s where the ingenuity will have to be. Many brunch-only restaurants will stick to their standard no-reservation operations on Sundays, but those who don’t want to wait, even if it’s via one of these handy virtual waiting lists, may want to arrange themselves something special. If you haven’t thought ahead to make a reservation for afternoon tea, crafting your own tea with items from a local bakery is a good bet and can be done without notice.

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One place to stop is Ollia Macarons and Tea (810C 16th Ave. SW), which offers a special Mother’s Day gift box, but if they’re sold out, their delicious macaroons are available by the box and come in flavors. like Earl Grey, Lavender Lemon and Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate. Ollia also sells Mother’s Day tea cakes made with macaroon shell, lavender white chocolate ganache, lemon curd and Earl Gray whipped cream, as well as premium teas. If macarons aren’t enough, other bakeries nearby like the Black Sheep, Butter Block, Yann Haute Patisserie and La Boulangerie would be more than happy to help round out your selection of baked goodies. Ollia also offers macaron-making classes – an IOU for a future class makes a great gift for culinary-minded moms.

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Or, for something tastier, River Cafe (25 Prince’s Island Park) relaunched its picnic basket program on May 1, with dishes ranging from red lentil hummus and BLT sandwiches to artisan cheeses and caviar. Drinks and other treats can be added, and children’s picnic items are also available. Baskets must be ordered at least one hour in advance and can be enjoyed at the house, in the grounds of Prince’s Island or in the restaurant’s outdoor picnic garden, with tables available on a first-come basis. first served. Picnics can be ordered through river-cafe.com.

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @elizaboothy or Instagram at @elizabooth