Happy Mother's Day from the Bistro!

And, another fine week it has been! It’s hard to believe that the first week of May is almost over and it is Mother’s Day Sunday. We are planning on being busy and will accept reservations up until 5 PM.  We always keep a couple of tables available for those of you with last minute plans and want to just “come on in”. There are a few time slots not full so give us a call if the spirit moves you to come on by.

     The commemoration of mothers dates back to 380 BC in ancient Egypt with a festival honoring Isis, Mother of the Gods. And for centuries the Grecians celebrated Rhea, their Mother of Deities  during a spring fair. In the 1600’s Christians in England worshiped Mary the Mother of Christ which evolved to include all mothers and became Mothering Sunday, a tradition held every second Sunday in May. Early settlers to America did not carry on the holiday in the new world. They were too busy, poor and hungry to take a day to celebrate. But in 1870, Julia Ward Howe, author of Battle Hymn of the Republic, lobbied for a Mother’s Day Proclamation as a call for women to join in support of disarmament and peace as she believed mothers bore the loss of life more cruelly than anyone else. The day held strong for 10 years then petered out. In 1908, after her mother died, Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker,  wanted to celebrate her life and campaigned for a day dedicated to mothers. By 1909 many states were holding services, mostly religious, and in  1914 Woodrow Wilson signed it as a nationally observed holiday. White carnations, Anna Jarvis’s mother’s favorite flower, became the symbol of the day, thus the giving of flowers to mothers today. The day has become fiercely commercial and is the largest dining out day of the year and the biggest day for florists.

     My mother was a stay-at-home mom, until the youngest was in elementary school when she decided, 20 years later, to re-enter the work force.  Mom also earned a degree, which she never preciously had the opportunity or time to pursue, learned to play tennis, racquet ball and then golf. She loves to swim and in high school was on the diving team. She’s still a “mean” diver and her grandchildren try to mimic her still near perfect form. Mom retired the day she was eligible and has avidly pursued her sports interests. At 85 she’ll walk up to 18 holes of golf on a near daily basis, plays tennis and loves to attend her grandkids sporting events. Watching golf and tennis on TV is her relaxing time along with reading and movie “going.” In fact, reflecting on my childhood, one of the best things my mom instilled in us was the love of reading. We are all avid readers as are my nieces and nephews. Thanks Mom, your much loved.

We look forward to seeing lots of Mom’s this weekend at the Bistro!

 

We’ve got some great Board Features starting tonight including: Canadian Walleye Dusted with a Basil Crumb and Presented with Grilled Tomatoes and a Warm Bacon Dressing; Pan Roasted Pacific Halibut Accompanied by Almond Brown Rice & Ginger-Citrus Butter Sauce; Chicken Strudel Pie; My New Favorite, Burrata, A Soft Fresh Mozzarella, served with Prosciutto, EVOO and Apricot Jam and per many requests our “Almost a Greek Salad” is back…Arugula tossed with Roasted Beets, Kalamata Olives, Fresh Orange Segments and Feta. YUM!!

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE BISTRO!!
XXOO, Mary
And, Remember to Have a Million Dollar Day!