Everyone’s got a bit of a sweet tooth and undoubtedly your mom would love to let loose on her special day and sample some of New York’s great “sweet spots.” If you are not in NYC for Mother’s Day, every place in this list has items available for mail order and a lot have discounts if you are signing up for their website for the very first time. I have personally tested these brands myself and they do not disappoint!
Living on the Upper East Side, I was thrilled to learn that Angelina Paris was putting their second NYC location in right in my neck of the woods at 78th and Lexington. I was especially excited to get to go to the opening complete with ribbon cutting in late April! I ogled all gorgeous pastries behind the counter but I actually sampled the Mojito pastry (which is kind of like a Napoleon with citrus gel cubes and a rosemary vanilla cream) and the boutique’s signature Montblanc (which has chocolate fondant in a vermicelli like pattern). This stunning and authentic dessert boutique was one of Coco Chanel’s favorite after work hangs (how did she stay so skinny)? The hot chocolate here is legendary and you can get it served hot or cold—this item alone would make your Mother’s Day super special. Angelina also serves amazing French casual food including unique salads and sandwiches. For more info, go to angelinaparisusa.com.
Only two doors down from Angelina Paris on the SW corner of 78th and Lexington is my favorite Italian chocolate boutique, Venchi. This chain is growing in leaps and bounds and there is a store coming at the NE corner of 28th and Broadway in a few months. I like the fact that they have individual pieces in metallic wrapping that you pick out of bins and buy by the pound. They are just so cute and colorful and you will be able to find flavor combos not available in any other chocolate brands. They also have gorgeous gift boxes of chocolates, individual bars all neatly stacked by themselves on one wall and an amazing gelato selection at the front of the store. Be sure to get your gelato in one of the waffle cones coated with Venchi’s classic dark chocolates. For more info, go to us.venchi.com. There are some great boxes of chocolates on sale right now on the site!
Wow, the ultra-famous See’s Candies is really knocking it out of the ballpark for Mother’s Day—but the Spring in Bloom Keepsake Tin (shown on the top right of my photo above) is especially amazing. It is really a great keepsake. I am going to turn mine into a sewing kit to keep spoons of thread and a pin cushion in once all 11.5 ounces of assorted chocolates are gone. Everything that you see here is $27.50 to $29. I recently devoured the large one pound box that you see in my photo and I have no shame whatsoever, LOL! Much respect to See’s for not inflating their prices like most other luxury chocolate brands have! They also charge the same in their airport boutiques and stores as they do on their site. Go to sees.com to order your Mother’s Day boxes but if you live in NYC, you can visit See’s adorable boutique on West 8th Street just east of Sixth Avenue.
One of my other favorite brands of luxury chocolate is Neuhaus—you can never go wrong gifting anyone with their products because this chocolate is some of the creamiest out there! Neuhaus products are just so classy, elegant and satisfying. You pay a bit extra for Neuhaus but it is one of the most reliable, “go-to” chocolate brands. Their packaging is minimalistic and sophisticated, making Neuhaus one of my favorites for not only Mother’s Day but Father’s Day as well. What is my favorite Neuhaus pick as a gift for mom? It’s the 17-piece Love My Mom Assorted Collection because it includes Belgian white, milk and dark chocolate! You can visit Neuhaus’ legendary Rockefeller Center store or order it here for $42.90: Love My Mom Collection.
If you mom prefers tea with her sweets and also loves honey, we have the ultimate luxury tea gift collection: the Eleven Madison Home Tea & Honey Box. This box was created by the powers-that-be at the legendary three Michelin starred restaurant, Eleven Madison Park. Mellody, the brand of honey used for several goods in the box, is very special because it is the world’s first ever plant based honey! The Eleven Madison Home Tea & Honey Box includes Honey Oat Shortbread Cookies made with Mellody Honey, one jar of Mellody plant-based honey, a honey dipper, three single-origin teas from In Pursuit Of Tea (Himalayan Black, Thunderdragon Green and Elderflower. The presentation is gorgeous as you can see from the photo above and you will feel good knowing that purchasing this gift box actually helps the environment. Order here for $150: Eleven Madison Home Tea & Honey Box.
Have a mom that stays low carb or keto all of the time and has sworn off sugar? Or maybe she might just adore great quality beef. I can’t think of a better gift than Herd & Grace’s Aussie Feast Starter Box which is available at a bargain price to first time customers! Mom will have nothing but the look of joy on her face when she checks out her premium curated cuts from Tasmania and South Australia! joy these premium curated cuts from Tasmania and South Australia — with the cleanest air in the world, lush meadows, and a peaceful stress-free existence. The way farming is meant to be. joy these premium curated cuts from Tasmania and South Australia — with the cleanest air in the world, lush meadows, and a peaceful stress-free existence. The way farming is meant to be. This box contains: a massive 28-34 Ounce Grass-Fed Cape Grim Tomahawk Cowboy Steak, one pound of Pure Black Barley-Fed Asada, one impressive Wanderer Free Range Barley Beef MB4+ Porterhouse Steak which weighs in at 18-22 ounces, and two pounds of premium Wagyu Ground Beef. This premium collection of coveted Tasmanian and South Australian steaks would cost at least $350 at a fine dining restaurant or steakhouse — but for the first time you can have them delivered directly to your home for just a fraction of that. Order the Herd & Grace’s Aussie Feast Starter Box here for $134.99: Aussie Feast Starter Box.
If Mom loves a great cocktail but hates the fuss of making one, the Bartesian® Duet Cocktail Machine would be a dream gift for her! The beauty of the Bartesian Duet is that it’s fast and easy to use, so anyone can craft a perfect cocktail in seconds. Simply put in two bottles of your favorite spirits and insert a capsule. Once the capsule is inserted, the cocktail is immediately identified via barcode and the user-friendly LCD display suggests the proper glassware. Place the glass on the bar top and select the preferred strength from mocktail to strong — the intuitive rotary dial makes navigation easy. This is a gift that will last for years and there are all sorts of different drink capsules to choose from—even skinny drinks (the Skinny Margarita is my personal favorite). Each box of 10 capsules is $19.99. The Diet is such a fun item for a party because guests will have a real fascination with it and making their own drinks! Order here for $299.95: Bartesian Duet.
Chocolate Moderne is New York’s best kept artisanal small batch chocolate secret! The quality is over the top and they have an immense range of fillings. The perfect gift for Mom if she is a dark chocolate lover is The Kimono Collection. These handmade bonbons are decorated with beautiful colored patterns inspired by Japanese cherry blossoms and vintage kimonos. Each heavenly bonbon seduces your sweet tooth with an array of creamy ganaches, scented caramels and crunchy pralinés infused with both savory and sweet authentic Japanese ingredients. The 12-piece assortment includes two of each of the following flavors: Mango, Yuzu Honey, Shiso-Lime, Adzuki Bean, Green Tea and Sesame-Shichimi Togarashi (try saying that three times fast)! Order here for $51: The Kimono Collection.
Chocolat Moderne has another collection that is close to my heart since I am an Anglophile—the Great British Desserts 12-Piece Box where the New York-based chocolatiers re-imagine favorite British desserts as multi-layered bonbons. The uniquely delicious layers of fillings are comprised of eight different recipes! These are large bonbons, similar to petit fours, each weighing about 2/3rds of an ounce! The three flavors in the box are Sticky Toffee, which has a layer of molasses infused salted caramel and a dark chocolate ganache blended with dates; Trifle, which is a triple-layered affair featuring raspberry pâte de fruit, almond marzipan, and a creamy white passion fruit ganache, and Banoffee Pie, which is salted caramel sprinkled with a layer of crunchy butter toffee bits all layered onto a rich white banana ganache. Needless to say, this box wound up at a lot of Coronation parties recently! Order here for $65: Great British Desserts Box.
What’s my top Mother’s Day drink if you happen to be in Manhattan? It’s the Park Avenue Spritz at the Regency Hotel. Carlo the bartender gave me a sneak peek of one and all I can say is wow. This delicious red cocktail is not supposed to be available until June 1st but you can come in sooner and ask a bartender to make you one! It’s composed of peppercorn and blackberry infused Galliano, watermelon juice, lemon peel, Campari and champagne and is topped off with a slice of lemon and three fresh blackberries on a toothpick! (I hear that some of the bartenders switch the fruit on top and some even add fresh peppermint leaves.) This cocktail is a knockout and I am proud to be one of the first people to ever have one. Let Mom be one of the first people to partake of this destined to be famous drink. You do not need a reservation to come here and the Regency Bar & Grill area is conveniently on the left side of the lobby. For more info on the Regency (which also has some special Mother’s Day breakfast and brunch items), go to: Loews Regency Hotel.
