I miss my Mom. She lives in Newton, just a couple miles away, but I have not been able to give her a hug in eight-whatever weeks. And as I deliriously work to save my restaurant, she hasn’t been able to give me a hug either. When life turns stressful and crazy, what’s better than a hug from your mom? 

My mom is one of the strongest, smartest, funniest and most dynamic people I know. She was an executive back when very few women were allowed to be executives. She once rode her bike through India. She will crush you at Boggle (and trash-talk her way through the entire game). 

And she came out of retirement to help her son open a restaurant. Restaurants and cooking were not remotely our family business. It’s not like she had any previous experience dealing with vendors, health inspectors and online ordering platforms.  She just wanted to help her son.  

There are too many “Marj” stories from the Bistrot days on Craigie Street to list. I still hear stories from guests about how she warmly answered the phone and made them feel amazing about agreeing to a 9pm reservation instead of the 7pm they were hoping for; or how she would so enthusiastically and genuinely welcome them into our old quirky little basement restaurant.

One small story of my own… One night in the very early days, our dishwasher Jorge asked to speak with me at the end of a crazy service (most services back at Craigie Street Bistrot were crazy!). He sheepishly thanked me for giving him the job opportunity but he had decided to move to New York to be closer to family. I told him what a great job he was doing for us, and while I would be sad to see him go, I obviously understood. “When are you planning on leaving?” 

“Tomorrow,” he replied.

Oy! You might have heard before how dishwashers are the most important people in the kitchen, the backbone that holds it all together. How could I find a replacement by the following day? Well, you probably see where this is going… My mom walked into the kitchen and proposed (or maybe even proclaimed?) that she and her boyfriend Alan would wash dishes. Sure enough, the next day, my Mom – sixty-something at the time – took up her station in the cramped and sweltering corner of the Bistrot kitchen. And of course, she absolutely killed it.  She smiled and laughed with Alan the entire evening and we made it through because of her. 

Mom, I’m thinking of you more than you know. And I can’t wait to give you the biggest hug.  You’re the best and I love you.

In honor of our mom’s and all our favorite mother’s, we will be celebrating Mom’s Day with Brunch To Go!!!  We still have a few time slots open and we’re accepting orders until this evening, Friday at 5pm. 
And by the way, if you aren’t able to have brunch with an actual mother, have brunch in honor of your Mom!!!  

You can order brunch here. Pick up is Sunday 5/10 from 10am-12pm.
 

And we also have some other weekend specials for you:

Salt Cod and Bacon and Chowder $14
(Served cold, you heat it up)
Oyster crackers

Red Chile-Rubbed and Smoked Chicken Wings  $16
(Served cold, you heat it up)
Ancho chile sauce, gomasio-ranch dressing

Braised Veal Rib for Two $38
(Served hot)
Spring dug parsnip mash, oyster mushrooms, ramp salsa verde
Suggested wine pairing: 
2016 Jean-François Ganevat Pinot Noir "En Billat" Côtes du Jura $65

ORDER HERE

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As always, view our daily to-go menu here.
 Place your orders here for pick-up and here for delivery 5pm-7:30pm Wednesday - Sunday. 

Thank you for your continued love and support, we hope to see you soon! 

In safety and health and with great appreciation,

Tony