Mother’s Day is Sunday, and according to the National Retail Federation, more than half of us will choose to honor our mother with a special outing such as brunch or dinner out.
“Mother’s Day weekend is one of the busiest of the year for restaurants,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Our state has hundreds of local restaurants throughout the state that take pride in sourcing, preparing and promoting N.C. products on their menu. We hope when you take mom out this weekend, you support our farmers and producers, too, and look for restaurants that display the SavorNC sign.”
Chef Keith Rhodes of Catch in Wilmington said Mother’s Day weekend is always super busy, and preparations for food orders take place well in advance. “We are just a few reservations from being sold out on Friday and Saturday,” he said. “We are closed on Sunday, but will have our food truck out for a private Mother’s Day event.” For the Mother’s Day weekend, Catch creates special cocktails for the moms, and Rhodes’ daughter makes several special chocolate desserts. “Each mom also receives a rose,” he said.
Treat mom to dinner and dessert featuring locally grown products this weekend. (Photo from Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series)
Finding restaurants that promote locally sourced meat and produce is getting easier. A recent look at 2014 trends by the National Restaurant Association showed that top trends in the restaurant industry include locally sourced meat and seafood, and locally grown produce. As this trend grows, more restaurants are listing the products they purchase locally on their menus and websites.
Here are some tips for taking your mom out:
1. Check out www.gottobenc.com for a list of restaurants that support locally grown and produced.
2. Call for a reservation. If the restaurant does not take reservations, consider going for an early lunch or dinner to beat the crowds.
3. Enjoy the time with your mom!
For extra credit, pick up a card and some locally grown cut flowers.