Don your best hats and race day finery and head to the Bywater on May 4 for the fourth annual Run for the Roses Derby Day, complete with a costume contest. Prizes for best hat, best dressed and best couple outfits, plus a charity raffle. Prizes include a bottle of Weller 12, Rittenhouse Rye Bywater Private Reserve, bourbon glasses, gift cards and Bywater merchandise.
Cinco De Mayo is hosting two fun events in San Jose, starting with a Taco Throwdown on May 4 at Blanco Urban Venue at 12 San Pedro St., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring plenty of tacos from Distrito Federal, El Palacio de Sabor , Farmers Union, Mr. Shrimp, Pinto Cocina, Rosario’s Tacos, Shepherd & Sims, Sushi Confidential, Zona Rosa and many more. Tickets are $49 for five tacos, $79 for all you can eat and $149 to add drinks on Eventbrite.com.
Palestinian/Filipino chef Hisham Abdelfattah of Food Network fame will be making $2 tacos all day at El Halal Amigos in San Jose on Sunday, May 5 starting at 11:30 a.m. Live music and Mayan dancers at 1 p.m., free churros and aguas frescoes. for the first 100 participants.
Dine among the beautiful redwoods at Wrights Station on Friday, May 10 to kick off the Santa Cruz Mountain Winemakers’ Taste of Terroir series. Sample wines from Big Basin Vineyards, Charmant Vineyards, Cooper-Garrod Vineyards at Garrod Farms, David Bruce Winery, Muns Vineyard, Silver Mountain Vineyards and Wrights Station Vineyard & Winery, as well as contemporary Italian cuisine from Chef Nick Sherman of Trestles Capitola and Cavalletta of Aptos. Tickets are $175 at https://winesofthesantacruzmountains.com/events.
Mother’s Day activities
Mother’s Day is Sunday May 12 and flowers, reservations, cake and champagne should be on your to-do list.
If you’re brunching at home, you can pre-order Mother’s Day treats from Manresa Bread now. Their Berry Shortcakes and Meyer Lemon Cheesecakes can be purchased whole or by the slice at all five locations, with whole cakes available for pre-order at https://www.manresabread.com/preorder-1.
Need flowers? Catherine Somers of Centerpiece Flowers in Los Gatos invites you to shop May 12 and 13 for a limited floral arrangement complete with a box of Blue Canary chocolates, while enjoying a glass of champagne.
Take mom to GOGA in Saratoga, Silicon Valley’s best-kept secret restaurant. GOGA is offering special Mother’s Day treats on May 12. Weekend brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. To reserve, call 408-656-8315.
BE. STEAK. A in Campbell is offering a luxe Mother’s Day brunch buffet from chef Patrick Capurro, including prime rib, beef Wellington, caviar, seafood and more for $60 to $125. https://www.besteaka.com
Dining al fresco in the beautiful courtyard of the Valencia Santana Row Hotel is a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day. Brunch, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., is accompanied by live music. A glass of Beau Joie champagne per person is included in the $145 brunch price for adults; children 12 and under are $60.
LB Steak rounds out its usual brunch menu, served from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with lobster quiche and crème fraîche ($28), and Westholme wagyu hash with country potatoes, sweet peppers, shallots, snow peas and asparagus ($36). Additions to the Mother’s Day dinner menu, served from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., include morel sea bass, pea puree and parfait ($42) and a trio of Japanese wagyu, including 3 ounces each of ‘Hokkaido, Miyazaki and Kagoshima, accompanied by truffle fries and a glass of champagne, $280. https://www.lbsteaksantanarow.com/santana-row-reservations.
In Los Gatos, Epernay and Polenteria offer a brunch on May 12. Chez Phillipe offers a special menu with times at 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Enoteca La Storia Los Gatos will offer brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 12. Reservations are strongly recommended at https://enotecalastoria.com or at 408-625-7272.
Celebrate mom at Wrights Station Winery on May 12, when Adorable French Bakery will be on hand to prepare a special brunch menu. Accompany it with a glass of wine of your choice. Seats for brunch, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., cost between $40 and $55. Reservations are required at https://www.wrightsstation.com/mothers-day.
For those who think Mother’s Day dinner is a must, The Tasting House is offering special deals on rosés and champagnes, as well as wine pairing menus from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and live music from 6 p.m. at 8 p.m. https://www.opentable.com/r/tasting-house-los-gatos.
If mom is a real foodie, consider splurging on tickets to the Clove Club residency May 6-26 at the Ritual at Manresa, featuring two-star Michelin chef Isaac McHale. ID tasting menu $560; Wine or alcohol-free pairings available for an additional fee. https://rituel.meitre.com
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