Coffee Talk

LW Chocolatier, the boutique chocolate shop in Buckhead, is adding even more European style to its selection by offering assorted coffees, espressos, cappuccinos and lattes. With LW’s newly-added patio seating and beverage offerings, you can get a taste of Europe right in the heart of Buckhead. Add a few truffles to your espresso and some prime people-watching and you've got yourself an excellent afternoon break! Even better, all coffee drinks range $2 to $5 in price. Did I mention the chocolates? Do yourself a favor and try the dark chocolate Dulce de Leche; you won't regret it.

Mother's Day Dining Dilemma Solved

Flowers? Check. Cheesy but sweet card? Check. Delicious chocolates? Check! Reservations? Uh-oh... Still haven't made reservations to take your mom out for a Mother's Day celebration? Well, just a friendly reminder that Mother's Day is THIS WEEKEND and now is probably the time to finalize those plans...

Whether picking an old favorite or a new hot spot, click here to check out the special happenings, unique menus and celebrations just for mom at some of Atlanta's favorite restaurants.

Reservations? Check!

It's Time to Treat Mom

Mother’s Day is less than two weeks away, so it’s time to start making plans to celebrate these special women. We’ve got a list of mouthwatering meals and great gift options that every mom is sure to love. Get ahead of the game and make mom’s day!

Aqua blue starts mom's day in Roswell with a special 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. brunch buffet for $29.95 per person. Children under the age of 14 are $9.95, and children under four eat free. A buffet peek shows carved strip steak and turkey, roasted pork tenderloin, made-to-order omelets, assorted pastries and desserts and many more tempters. Treat mom to bottomless mimosas for $15 per person. If dinner out is her preference, come from 5:30 - 9 p.m. for Aqua blue's regular à la carte menu and seasonal features. Reservations are required; call 770-643-8886. (1564 Holcomb Bridge Road.)

Dine in Midtown at Ecco's Mother's Day brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and give mom a mini-Mediterranean holiday. Ecco's brunch menu includes a shareable selection of meats and cheeses and other taste and share items such as a chocolate croissant ($6), goat cheese and lemon croissant ($6) and fried goat cheese with black pepper ($7). Main dishes include a frittata with green garlic, escarole and pecorino ($12); house-made pork sausage with lentils and a poached egg ($12) and crepes with honeyed ricotta, strawberries and pistachios ($9). Crispy, woodfired pizzas ($13-$14) are another favorite. Round out the meal with sides of polenta, sautéed spinach, sautéed potatoes with chorizo ($5 each) and more. See the complete menu and make online reservations. (40 7th Street, NE; 404-347-9555)

Mother's Day "Supper" can only mean one thing -- JCT. Kitchen & Bar is putting on a fine Southern-inspired Sunday Supper for mom's big day from 5 - 9 p.m. Chef and Owner Ford Fry starts his Mother's Day $36 prix-fixe menu with a selection of warm biscuits, house-made jams, deviled eggs and Benton's country ham. After that comes a local "farm stand" salad and then on to the entrée decision . . . will it be slow-cooked rabbit with Vidalia onion, fontina-filled pasta and wilted local greens; pan-roasted dayboat fish; hickory-roasted Berkshire pork rack; cider-braised short rib "pot roast;" black skillet-fried chicken; or the vegetable plate piled with local vegetables, buttered potato dumplings and preserved tomatoes. A classic Georgia strawberry shortcake with local honey and lavender cream makes a sweet supper ending. (1198 Howell Mill Road; 404-355-2252)

Mama mia, La Tavola Trattoria in Virginia Highland loves moms! Their Mother's Day feast welcomes guests from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. with refreshing salads, bruschetta and an antipasti platter of meat and cheese ($5.95-$13.95); and entrées such as house-made challah French toast, chicken sausage, ricotta and lemon ravioli and a smoked salmon crostini ($7.95-$14.95). See the complete menu and make reservations online. (992 Virginia Avenue, NE; 404-873-5430)

Present mom with luxurious chocolates and

truffles from LW Chocolatier chocolate boutique. Select a package filled with a variety of LW's incredible riches of chocolates and truffles or handselect her preferences for a custom-made gift box. Make sure to sign up for their monthly newsletter to find out the latest specials and events! (One Buckhead Plaza at 3060 Peachtree Road, NW, Suite 40; 404-467-8503)

Four of the Marlow's Tavern locations around town will be offering brunch for $14.99 per person and $15 bottomless mimosas for adults on Mother's Day. Savory brunch specialties at Marlow's Tavern include crabcakes Benedict and made-to-order omelets. (Kennesaw at 745 Chastain Road, NW, 770-425-8777; Midtown at 950 West Peachtree Street, 404-815-0323; Vinings at 2355 Cumberland Parkway, 770-432-2526; Duluth at 1950 Satellite Boulevard, 770-622-2033.)

Morton's The Steakhouse honors mothers with a special $59 menu. The prix-fixe menu includes a choice of Morton's salad or Caesar salad; single-cut filet mignon with béarnaise sauce, Filet Oskar, broiled salmon fillet with beurre blanc sauce, Colossal Shrimp Alexander with beurre blanc sauceor Chicken Christopher with garlic beurre blanc sauce; one vegetable or potato side dish; and crème brûlée or double chocolate mousse for dessert. Each mom dining at Morton's Buckhead on Mother's Day will receive a mini-spa package of a 30-minute massage, mini-facial, and a shampoo, blow out and style at the newly-opened William David Salon in the Terminus Building. Both locations are open from 3 - 9 p.m. on Mother's Day. (Morton's The Steakhouse - Buckhead: Peachtree Lenox Building, 3379 Peachtree Road, NE; 404-816-6535. Morton's The Steakhouse - Downtown: SunTrust Plaza Building, 303 Peachtree Center Avenue; 404-577-4366)

Elegant Pacci Ristorante pays tribute to moms with an abundant brunch buffet laden with flavorful dishes by Executive Chef Keira Moritz, including deviled eggs, crab fondue, cheese grits, pesto squash casserole and an assortment of pastries. The Mother's Day brunch buffet is available from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. and is priced at $22 for adults, $12 for kids ages six to 12 and no charge for children under six. (866 West Peachtree Street, NW; 678-412-2402)

Let Mom choose brunch or dinner riverside, downtown or in the 'burbs at Ray's Restaurants on Mother's Day. From 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Ray's on the River is offering a Mother's Day brunch buffet priced at $35 for adults and $17 for children ages five to 10. From 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., both Ray's Killer Creek and Ray's in the City are offering a brunch priced at $29.95 for adults and $12.95 for children ages five to 10. Both locations also are offering the regular dinner menu from 5 - 8 p.m. (Ray's on the River: 6700 Powers Ferry Road; 770-955-1187. Ray's Killer Creek: 1700 Mansell Road, Alpharetta; 770-649-0064. Ray's in the City: 240 Peachtree Street, NW; 404-524-9224)

Shaun's, in historic Inman Park, is offering a Mother's Day brunch spread that will make mom swoon. Served from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Executive Chef Shaun Doty's brunch menu boasts breakfast fare including cage-free organic eggs, applewood smoked bacon, homemade sausages, cheddar waffles with Steen's cane syrup, Anson Mill speckled grits, eggs Benedict and a selection of artisan breads and biscuits. Other items include Southern-style fried chicken, braised local collard greens, cedar-planked salmon, marinated pork loin, a selection of farmhouse cheeses and assorted desserts. Price is $40 per person; $10 for children 10 and under. Reservations can be made online. (1029 Edgewood Avenue, NE; 404-577-4358)

Treat your modern-day Southern belle to the regional flavor of Mother's Day brunch at South City Kitchen Midtown or South City Kitchen Vinings. Bask in Southern hospitality while dining on first flavors such as chocolate muffins, fried green tomatoes and sautéed chicken livers; brunch specialties like a country frittata, peach "French toast" pudding, Southern-style eggs Benedict and crab hash; and regular menu favorites including their famous buttermilk fried chicken and pan-fried mountain trout. See the South City Kitchen Midtown menu and make online reservations. 1144 Crescent Avenue; 404-873-7358. View the South City Kitchen Vinings menu and make online reservations. 1675 Cumberland Parkway; 770-435-0700.

Mom has her own Mother's Day dish at Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food! The Plato de Madre ($29.95) fills her plate with cold water lobster tail, chicken and beef fajitas, guacamole, pico de gallo, Mexican rice and frijoles a la charra. So delish, everyone else may want to order their own "plato." The special dish will only be available from May 3 - 16. (Buckhead: 1860 Peachtree Road, NW; 404-350-6767. Sandy Springs: 1140 Hammond Drive, NE, Building K, Suite 100; 678-736-8260).

For a meaningful Mother's Day celebration, take mom to Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery. The North Georgia winery offers a memorable meal with breathtaking views. Since both Mother's Day brunch seatings are already sold out, surprise mom early with a lovely lunch at the winery's Vineyard Café. The café is open Thursday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Advance reservations are required for all food service events and can be made by calling 706-867-9862. Wolf Mountain Vineyards is located at 180 Wolf Mountain Trail in Dahlonega, Georgia, 706-867-9862.

Lastly, if you want to get mom a gift she'll use for years, the Atlanta Cooks at Home cookbook is a great Mother's Day option. Whether your mom is an Atlanta native or an at-home cook who is eager to learn the culinary ways of the South, this book gives readers cool recipes and insight for different occasions as well as personal interviews from the city's top chefs.

Don't Forget Your Easter Brunch Reservations

Alrighty, my procrastinating peeps, you really should hop to and make those Easter eating plans today. Otherwise, the Easter Beagle may skip your house. And we wouldn't want that! Just in case you need an idea, here are a few from us. Enjoy!

In Roswell, Aqua blue will serve a bountiful Easter brunch buffet from 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. A few of the delicious items on the spread are carved leg of lamb, blackened fish with lobster sauce, roasted turkey with giblet gravy, fresh sushi and made-to-order omelets. $29.95 adults, $9.95 children ages four to 12 and free for children under age four. Imbibe in bottomless mimosas for just $15. (1564 Holcomb Bridge Road; 770-643-8886)

The staff at La Tavola Trattoria, in the heart of Virginia Highland, will rise and shine an hour earlier than usual, opening doors for Easter brunch from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Salads, bruschetta, a meat and cheese antipasti platter, chicken sausage, smoked salmon crostini and ricotta and lemon ravioli balance sweeter tastes such as challah French toast. (992 Virginia Avenue, NE; 404-873-5430)

The hunt for food and frolicking ends in Midtown at Pacci Ristorante and AltoRex Rooftop Lounge. Executive Chef Keira Moritz has a full buffet spread with deviled eggs, crab fondue, cheese grits, pesto squash casserole, pastries and much, much more from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. $22 for adults, $12 for kids ages six to 12 and free for children under the age of six. Upstairs, AltoRex Rooftop Lounge will host a family egg hunt from 5 - 7 p.m. followed by an adults-only version from 9 - 11 p.m. Gift certificates, AltoRex cocktail party packages, drink tickets and appetizer tickets fill "adult" eggs. (866 West Peachtree Street, NW, adjacent to the Hotel Palomar; 678-412-2402)

Enjoy a traditional Southern Easter menu at both South City Kitchen locations. Chocolate muffins, fried green tomatoes and sautéed chicken livers make way for a hearty country frittata, peach "French toast" pudding, Southern-style eggs Benedict and crab hash as well as buttermilk fried chicken and pan-fried mountain trout. South City Kitchen Vinings will serve the Easter menu from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. (1675 Cumberland Parkway; 770-435-0700); South City Kitchen Midtown will serve the special brunch menu from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (1144 Crescent Avenue; 404-873-7358)

On Atlanta's north side, Ray's Restaurants will have two locations open on Easter. From 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Ray's on the River will offer a holiday brunch; $35 for adults and $17 for children 10 and under (6700 Powers Ferry Road, NW; 770-955-1187). Ray's Killer Creek will serve a special Easter brunch from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; $30 for adults and $15 for children 10 and under. (1700 Mansell Road; 770-649-0064)

Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food spices up the Easter weekend menu with border-style breakfast tacos, brunch quesadillas, classic huevos rancheros and chilaquiles, and a kids menu featuring egg tacos and quesadillas served with fruit cups. Adults, add a little kick to your hop with a Bloody Mary, Salty Juanita, Chispas and Gran Mimosa. Brunch and regular menus available during weekend brunch, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Buckhead: 1860 Peachtree Road, NW; 404-350-6767. Sandy Springs: 1140 Hammond Drive, NE, Building K, Suite 100; 678-736-8260.)

A picture-perfect Easter Sunday is yours when the family brunches at Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery near Dahlonega. Seafood gumbo, seared scarlet snapper, Southern fried chicken, maple-glazed ham and leg of lamb with mint Dijon sauce are a few of the delicious offerings. Seatings are at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.; $30 for adults, $15 for kids ages six to 12 and free for kids five and under (plus tax and gratuity). (180 Wolf Mountain Trail in Dahlonega. Meal reservations are a must: 706-867-9862.)

Look to LW Chocolatier for the sweetest Easter gifts -- luxurious chocolates hand decorated by master chocolatiers. Lucky for us, the first U.S. location is easy to find in the heart of Buckhead so you can find high-quality chocolate bunnies, chicks and eggs filled with dulce de leche, strawberry, lemon, orange and other fillings ($4 to $50). Open Monday from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. (One Buckhead Plaza at 3060 Peachtree Road, NW, Suite 40; 404-467-8503)

Shaun's will be featuring a traditional brunch buffet this Sunday. Items include homemade pork sausages, organic eggs, delicious sublime doughnuts, cedar planked salmon and an amazing selection of southern layer cakes. And if you are their Facebook friend, you get a round of mimosas for your table! Reservations available from 11-2, $40 for adults, $10 for kids 10 and under. Ask for Courtney to get the drinks!

Put Away Your Peeps!

Although I'm usually devoted to Cadbury Mini Eggs this time of year, we've found something way more exciting to fill our Easter baskets - and tummies - with this year: chocolate from LW Chocolatier. Their rich chocolates are made from carefully selected ingredients and are hand-crafted and hand-decorated in the European tradition, which makes them way cuter than your average marshmallow bunny. LW is currently offering elegant bunnies, chicks and eggs filled with dulce de leche, strawberry, lemon, orange and other fillings that range in price from $4 to $50 and will take your Easter basket to the next level. The store is open Monday from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday, 1 - 5 p.m.

LW Chocolatier: One Buckhead Plaza, 3060 Peachtree Road, NW, Suite 40; 404-467-8503.

Chocolate & Champagne Tasting Recap

What I learned at LW Chocolatier's Truffle & Champagne tasting last night:

1. The owner is a 3rd generation chocolatier from Argentina. His father is still in charge of all the chocolate making for their stores (internationally and in the States).

2. LW Chocolatier's chocolates are made by them directly from the bean in Argentina and shipped to them every Thursday.

3. When they ask you what you want to try first, go straight for the dulce de leche chocolate. O.M.G.

Perhaps I'll see you at next month's tasting?