Happy Mother’s Day! It’s always nice to honor the special people in our lives and Mother’s Day is a wonderful holiday celebrating motherhood. Unfortunately, sometimes these celebrations can cause some stress trying to find that perfect gift or snagging that brunch reservation. I know that over the years we have found it hard to make reservations. And, even when we do, we often feel rushed during the meal since it is such a busy day.
For this reason, our family often celebrates occasions such as Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day a day or two before or after the actual holiday. I know that it may seem silly to not celebrate on the actual day but, really, isn’t it nice to beat the crowds and enjoy better service? After all, the best part of any celebration is spending time together!
This year my daughter won’t be home on Mother’s Day since she will still be at school studying for finals. We will enjoy a post-Mother’s Day dinner next week but, as an extra treat, my husband and I decided to take a quick day trip. Taking a drive together to a local winery and sharing a good meal is a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day!
Visit a Winery
On Thursday, we enjoyed a 2½ hour drive from our home in New Jersey to the Millbrook Vineyards & Winery in the Hudson River Region of New York. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate as it was a bit rainy. Although we were not able to walk around the picturesque vineyards, we did have a wonderful time during the wine tasting. For $12.50 per person, we sampled six different wines (3 whites and 3 reds), enjoyed a light snack, and were even able to bring home our wine glasses as a memento. The hosts were friendly and eager to teach us about the wines we sampled. We also chatted with another couple who were on vacation and traveling through the area.
I look forward to visiting the winery on a nicer day when we can actually walk through the vineyards during a guided tour!
Enjoy a Special Meal
After the winery we traveled about 30 minutes to the beautiful Hyde Park campus of The Culinary Institute of America overlooking the Hudson River. CIA is one of the world’s top culinary colleges and the students gain real-world experience working in its restaurants. There are five restaurants to choose from and reservations are required at all but the bakery:
- American Bounty (features food from the Americas with a focus on the seasonal produce of the Hudson Valley)
- The Bocuse Restuarant (a contemporary French restaurant)
- Post Road Brew House (for elevated pub fare and craft beer)
- Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici & Al Forno Trattoria (regional Italian cuisine in the dining room or wood-oven pizza and in the more casual trattoria)
- Apple Pie Bakery Café (classic bakery favorites)
We had the pleasure of dining at The Bocuse Restaurant last year while visiting nearby colleges with my daughter. This time we wanted to try Italian and Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici did not disappoint!
The restaurant started us off with arancini (rice ball) and marinara sauce along with a basket of delicious focaccia bread. I was curious to try a drink called Americano Bianco Classico on their cocktail menu. Its ingredients were Cocchi Americano, seltzer, and a twist of orange. It was very light and refreshing and fun to try an Italian aperitif wine I have never had before.
From there I enjoyed a three-course meal of radish and fennel salad, ricotta gnocchi, and eggplant rollatini. My husband chose the ribollita soup, pappardelle pasta, and roasted pork chop. Everything was fabulous and who could resist dessert? We shared a torrone semi-freddo, lemon zeppole, and coffee. They also served us complimentary biscotti. Definitely worth a visit!
Celebrate with a Day Trip
A quick road trip to a local winery is a fun way to spend any day, especially Mother’s Day. Remember, you can always plan to go a day or two before or after! Trust me, it will not diminish the holiday one bit!
