You probably have your mom to thank for countless meals throughout your life. It’d be tough to repay her for all that food—but you can start by taking her out for a brunch worthy of her special day. (And maybe promising to call more often).

Puritan & Company
Forgive any past policies of “you’ll eat what’s on your plate and like it,” and treat mom to the many options of Puritan & Company’s $50, three-course brunch menu offered specially for the holiday. Starters include Lobster Bisque with berbere oil and Smoked Salmon Flatbread with cream cheese, while entrees range from Grilled Skirt Steak and Eggs to Smoked Duck Hash with ramp sour cream. By the time she’s deciding between Meyer Lemon Cheesecake or Chocolate Cremeaux with brown butter ice cream, you’ll have favored-child-status on lock for the next year.

Craigie on Main
Tony Maws’ long-standing bistro turns out one of the foremost special-occasion brunches in town. They’ll be serving a special prix fixe menu for Mother’s Day; expect hearty fare with French and international influences inside a dining room filled with Belle Époque posters—the closest you can get to Paris without leaving Boston.

SRV
This Venetian-style wine bar in the South End tragically discontinued its brunch—but this Mother’s Day, the meal is making a comeback. Treat mom to a $35 prix fixe that includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert. (Be sure to include the indulgent tajarin pasta with asparagus, Grana Padano cheese, and black truffle.) The cocktail menu is packed with Italian spirits and features one of the finest Negronis around, if you’re looking to follow brunch with a lazy afternoon.

Alden & Harlow
Moms love gardening and vegetables, right? If yours fits the stereotype—or even if she just enjoys the occasional avocado toast—Michael Scelfo’s locavore Harvard spot is a must. The rotating seasonal menu showcases the bounty of local farms, and perennial brunch favorites like Croissant Pain Perdu and Pickled Corn Pancakes will be joined by Mother’s Day specials. If your family’s more of the meat-eating type, note that brunch is also the most opportune time to snag one of A&H’s famed Secret Burgers.

Island Creek Oyster Bar
If mom’s ever made even a passing reference to enjoying bivalves, Island Creek Oyster Bar is the place to be. Over a dozen fresh varieties await shucking at all times, and can be paired with one-ounce spirit pours called “pearls.” But there’s more to this Fenway favorite then mollusks: No ICOB brunch is complete without ordering an oversized Buttermilk Biscuit and slathering it in honey butter.

No. 9 Park
No, it’s not brunch. But it is lunch at Barbara Lynch’s longtime Beacon Hill restaurant, which opens for afternoon service just a few times a year. A $75 five-course tasting menu served from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. will feature dishes like White Asparagus with confit egg yolk and trout roe or Atlantic Halibut with a pistachio and cacao nib crumb. If you don’t have the luxury of an extra-long afternoon meal, you can order from a smaller a la carte menu.

Myers + Chang
A thoughtful card and flowers will always be appreciated—but dumplings can say “I love you,” too. The dim sum brunch at Myers + Chang is a reliable source for potstickers of the pork-and-chives or nasal-clearing-edamame-and-wasabi variety, plus pan-Asian favorites like Spicy Cold Dan Dan Noodles and Nirvana Chicken Congee. Myers + Chang is also one of the most thoughtful restaurants in town, willing to tailor many of its dishes to accommodate dietary restrictions or allergies.

Mamaleh’s Delicatessen
We’re going to bet that mom won’t mind schlepping to Kendall Square to take in brunch at this modern Jewish deli, which serves up potato latkes, dessert-like cheese blintzes topped with sweet jam, and an impressive range of smoked fish platters. You can even pre-order flower arrangements made by one of the staff members for that extra-thoughtful 10 percent. If mom would rather have a lazy morning, plan strategically and order a bagel-and-lox spread ahead of time to be picked up the morning of May 13th.

L’Espalier
Is your mom super-classy or tough to impress? Pass the pressure over to the professionals at this Boylston Street temple to fine French dining and their $95, five-course Mother’s Day brunch menu. (They can handle it!) Their extensive wine list, which includes more than 500 selections, should satisfy any mom with a nose for the good stuff. Just don’t forget to make use of their on-site tea sommelier.

Breakfast in Bed
Think of this as the grown-up version of the tradition. Only instead of undercooked pancakes and the toast your brother burned, you’re bringing her a grab bag of some of the best pastries Boston has to offer. Our go-tos include dense sticky buns from Flour, Tatte’s crave-worthy almond or pistachio croissants, and flaky Pretzel Croissants from Clear Flour Bread.