Don your best hats and race day finery and head to The Bywater May 4 for the fourth annual Run for the Roses Derby Day party, complete with costume contest. Prizes for best hat, best dressed and best couples’ outfits, as well as a charity raffle. Prizes include a bottle of Weller 12, Rittenhouse Rye Bywater Private Reserve, bourbon glasses, gift cards and Bywater merch.
Cinco De Mayo brings two fun events to San Jose, beginning with a Taco Throwdown on May 4 at Blanco Urban Venue at 12 San Pedro St., 11 a.m.-5 p.m., featuring tacos a-plenty from Distrito Federal, El Palacio de Sabor, Farmer’s 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 at Eventbrite.com.
Palestinian/Filipino Chef Hisham Abdelfattah of Food Network fame will be cooking up $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 frescas for the first 100 attendees.
Dine in the stunning redwoods at Wrights Station on Friday, May 10, for the kickoff to the Taste of Terroir series from the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers. Enjoy 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, along with 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 doings
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12, and flowers, reservations, cake and champagne should be on your to do list.
If you’re brunching chez vous, you can preorder Mother’s Day treats from Manresa Bread now. Their very berry shortcake and Meyer lemon cheesecakes can be purchased whole or by the slice at all five locations, with whole cakes available for preorder at https://www.manresabread.com/preorder-1.
Need flowers? Catherine Somers of Centerpiece Flowers in Los Gatos invites you in to shop May 12-13 for a limited floral arrangement bundled with a box of Blue Canary chocolates, while enjoying a glass of champagne.
Take Mom to GOGA in Saratoga, the best-kept secret dining spot in Silicon Valley. GOGA has some special Mother’s Day treats in store on May 12. Weekend brunch is served 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and dinner, 5:30-9 p.m. For reservations, call 408-656-8315
BE. STEAK. A in Campbell is offering a grand lux Mother’s Day brunch buffet from Chef Patrick Capurro, featuring prime rib, beef Wellington, caviar, seafood and much more for $60-$125. https://www.besteaka.com
Dining al fresco in the beautiful courtyard at Hotel Valencia Santana Row is a fine way to celebrate Mother’s Day. Brunch, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., is accompanied by live music. One glass per person of Beau Joie Champagne is included with the $145 brunch price for adults; children 12 and under are $60.
LB Steak is augmenting its regular brunch menu, served 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., with lobster quiche and crème fraîche ($28), and Westholme wagyu hash with country potatoes, sweet peppers, shallots, snap peas and asparagus ($36). Mother’s Day dinner menu additions, served 3-8 p.m., include sea bass with morels, pea purée and consommé ($42), and Japanese wagyu trio, featuring 3 ounces each of Hokkaido, Miyazaki and Kagoshima, along with truffle fries and a glass of champagne, $280. https://www.lbsteaksantanarow.com/santana-row-reservations.
In Los Gatos, Epernay and Polenteria are serving brunch May 12. Chez Phillipe has a special menu with seating 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 highly recommended to https://enotecalastoria.com or 408-625-7272.
Celebrate Mom at Wrights Station Winery on May 12, when Adorable French Bakery will be on site preparing a special brunch menu. Pair with a glass of wine of your choice. Brunch seatings, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., are $40-$55. Reservations are required to https://www.wrightsstation.com/mothers-day.
For those who think dinner on Mother’s Day is a must, The Tasting House has you covered with specials on rosés and Champagnes, along with wine pairing menus from 4-10 p.m. and live music from 6-8 p.m. https://www.opentable.com/r/tasting-house-los-gatos.
If Mom is a true foodie, consider splurging on tickets to the Clove Club’s residency May 6-26 at Ritual at Manresa, featuring two-Michelin-star Chef Isaac McHale. Tasting menu id $560; wine or non-alcoholic pairings available for an additional fee. https://ritual.meitre.com