When I was little, I would give my mom handmade coupons on Mother’s Day. One would be good for doing the dishes, another for a bike ride, another for a big hug. Spending time together was the best gift of all. This year, a little too time-crunched to create coupons (and without a box of crayons), I simply planned an entire Saturday of mother-daughter time. Besides, my mom’s pretty cool, so I’d rather take her to a hipster wine bar than give her the old brunch-and-flowers treatment.
But my mom, Nancy, is an avid gardener, and she does love her flowers. So I indulged her green thumb with a morning trip to the Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N. Central Park Ave. 312-746-5100) to check out the Spring Flower Show (daily through May 13; free). She beamed as we made our way through ferns, colorful azaleas, and spring annuals and perennials; she said it reminded her of coming here as a girl with her mother. With the sun filtering through the quiet greenhouse, surrounded by lush greenery and exotic plants, we were able to unwind and relax.
We carried on the calm at our second stop. I’d scored two last-minute appointments at Spa Soak (1733 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-395-9000), a tranquil Bucktown spot with dark wood and a soothing green-and-blue color scheme. Mom chose the spa manicure and Detox Soak ($28), since she’d recently been digging in her garden. While her hands got a seaweed-and-aloe bath and a seaweed mud mask, we chatted about the latest celeb gossip. Then I settled in for my spa pedicure with Cereal Soak — a cleansing milk bath, an exfoliating honey-and-salt scrub, and a honey-and-oats hydrating mask ($38).
When we walked back out into the sun, we were energized and ready to shop till we dropped. We strolled down Milwaukee Avenue, stopping to pick up a pair of drop earrings at Jade (1557 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-342-5233). Then I had to show Mom the weekend mania around the corner at Akira (1837 W. North Ave. 773-489-0818) — models posing in a new clothing line and girls scouring the racks for trendy deals. While browsing the Akira accessories shop down the street, I watched my mom fall speechless when a sales clerk with enormous earlobe plugs, four facial piercings — at least — and arms covered in tatts asked if we needed help. Um, my mom did. She’s not used to that kind of, uh, self-expression.
We were famished from all of the talking, walking and shopping, so we stopped at ZKF (1633 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-278-9600) for a late lunch of no-fuss comfort food. The place was quiet at 3:30 p.m. — and Mom was so impressed with her Custom Salad ($7.75) that it was a full five minutes after her first bite before she finally made a peep. My mini-sloppy joes ($6.50) made me feel nostalgic — Mom and I had dozens of similar dinners when I was a kid. A yummy Red Velvet Molly Cake cupcake ($2) and a very reasonable bill later, we headed home for a rest.
Mom was completely content with the day, but I had to take her out for a nightcap. Not one for fancy foodie dinners or cocktails at Tavern on Rush; she’d rather check out a place I’d go to on a weekend — though toned down a tad, obviously, since a typical Budell bar-hopping extravaganza isn’t exactly her speed. We stepped inside Juicy Wine Company (694 N. Milwaukee Ave. 312-492-6620) close to 9 p.m., and I could tell I’d picked the right place.
We sat downstairs in a corner booth, and though Mom’s not much of a wine connoisseur (or even a drinker, for that matter) she was thrilled to be out on the town. Juicy’s laid-back environment is a perfect spot to bring a parent: No one’s eyeing you at the bar and trying to guess your age — they’re too busy chatting over enormous glasses of wine and scrumptious cheese platters. My carb-conscious mom loved the Esoteric Spanish cheese flight ($11), and she even chatted with owner Rodney Alex about an Italian speck we sampled.
Before we knew it, it was time to turn in. The next day I knew I’d given Mom the best Mother’s Day gift ever when I got an e-mail from her: “Thanks for a great time of fun filled with love wrapped up in the best package.I loved the day andevening together!” Now isn’t that what Mother’s Day should be about?
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kmbudell@tribune.com
