Yesterday, my mom and I pretended it was May 8th and celebrated Mothers Day a week early. 
We met in Astoria, and caught the tail end of a 5 Boro Bike tour that was just finishing up.
For brunch, we went to Vesta, one of the vendors I learned about when I volunteered at Queens Eats last fall.
All of their food is locally sourced, and made from the heart.
We started out with cocktails: mint tea with orange juice, lemon, and prosecco.
Such a simple, delicious idea!
My mom ordered what looked like the most popular dish on a Sunday morning: the Hangover Pizza. It’s got fried eggs, spicy tomato sauce, potatoes, and meat.
I chose the Warm Bankie: creamy polenta with fried eggs, mushrooms, asparagus, and truffle oil.
Both of our meals were fantastic, and we helped each other eat them (I ate several of her meat-free crusts). I think we did a pretty good job, don’t you?
After brunch, we wandered over to the Socrates Sculpture Park, an outdoor sculpture garden. They’re in the middle of setting up for their spring show, which opens next Sunday. Hope I can go!
Then we wandered to the next block, to the Noguchi museum.
It’s a series of huge, airy rooms, with a lot of open space, brick walls, and wooden-beamed ceilings. 
(Wouldn’t mind laying down a carpet and moving in!)
It’s amazing how you can live somewhere for years and years, and still be surprised by hidden gems.
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Goal for 2011 update: Cook One New Recipe A Week
Week 1: Lemony Spaghetti with Bitter Greens & Chickpeas
Week 2: Lentil Chili
Week 3: Chickpeas in Star Anise & Date Masala
Week 4: Thai-Style Black Beans w/ Mango & Cilantro
Week 5: Ten Minute Tasty Asparagus & Brown Rice, Brussels Sprouts Salad with Cheddar and Toasted Almonds, Warm Red Lentil Salad, Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad.
Week 6: Beets, Spiced Quinoa & Yogurt, Sesame-Cooked Eggs Over Rice
Week 7: Curried Parsnip Fries
Week 8: Curried Lentils & Sweet Potatoes
Week 9: Rutabagas with Buckwheat, Black Beans & Kale, Garlicky Mushroom Greens
Week 10: Tamarind Lentils, The Double-Shift Scramble
Week 11: Spicy Chickpea Salad, Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze, Spicy Red Lentil, Peanut & Pumpkin Soup
Week 12: Sunday Night Supper Salad, Peanut Butter Banana-Berry French Toast Sandwich
Week 13: Grilled Cheddar-Mushroom Sandwich
Week 14: Black Bean Soup, Sweet Pumpkin Pudding
Week 15: Green Rice
Week 16: Matzoh Buttercrunch Candy, Quinoa with Moroccan Winter Squash and Carrot Stew
Week 17: Truffled Turnip Soup, Nutty Lemon Brussels Sprouts, Cookie Dough Smoothie
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If you could spend the day with your mom or a close friend, what would you do?
awh. i love mother/daughter dates. i haven’t had one with mine in ages. glad you ladies had a nice time! hope you get to go to see the sculpture garden when it opens, because that means we’ll get a peek!
xo.
Aww what a nice day with your mom! I spend Sundays with my close loved ones as well
socrates! that’s my old hood! used to take my dog to the park almost every day, watch movies there in the summer, and visit the museums with out of town guests…
Love days with Mom! Hopefully I’ll get to see mine in a few weeks. I miss her
Is Vesta where we went this past fall? It looks familiar! I love the idea of putting eggs on pizza – a good meat free way to get in some protein.
I think I’d do pretty much as you’ve done! I actually have a day with my Mam tomorrow and we are planning on doing a little shopping so that should be fun!
I haven’t been able to spend Mother’s Day with my mom in a few years, and I feel a little bad about it. She would love to do something outside, like hike or kayak. One thing my mom and I share is our love of fresh air and a little time spent in nature.
What a gorgeous day! Right now, I would most love to just spend a day at my parents’ house, helping them in the garden, laying in the grass, sitting in the kitchen while my dad cooks. Living on opposite coasts makes day trips pretty difficult, unfortunately!
Looks like a perfect day! I could do serious damage to the hangover pizza
What a great celebration! I love your outfit! The meal looks incredible. The meal names are so cute and they look delicious. I still want to try egg on a pizza.
that cocktail looks perfect for spring (or the kentucky derby!
i love finding hidden gems and being a tourist in my own town! oh we’re def do a spa day for mother’s day!
Eggs on pizza is seriously a magical invention.
If I could spend Mother’s Day with my mom, I think I would return to our tradition of visiting the botanical gardens to see the rose show!
looked like the perfect day with your mom!!
I would spend a whole day a spa with my mom or go to a winery.
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