DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES take your lovely mom out for dinner

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - How much has mom done for you over the years? So much that it’s probably easier to detail the things she hasn’t done. She began taking care of your needs the day you were born. She hasn’t stopped looking out for you, no matter how old you are today.

How do you pay her back? You can’t. But you can begin to try on Mother’s Day. One option is taking her out for a nice meal.

The restaurants of Downtown Los Angeles are here to help, and on Sunday, May 12, there are places all across the community that have mom in mind. Whether you want a multi-course dinner, a high-end tea sipping or an all you can eat and drink party at a modern Mexican restaurant, the Central City has you covered.

The below list of seven dining options isn’t close to complete. Rather, think of it as a starter guide to all Downtown has to offer on May 12. Now start planning. Mom deserves it.

Decisions, Decisions: If mom believes in freedom of choice, then consider taking her to Chaya for lunch. The Asian fusion restaurant in the Financial District has nearly 20 options for Mother’s Day. Chaya’s $39 brunch special includes six starter choices, among them warm asparagus salad, corn puree soup and a wild arugula and strawberry salad. The nine main course selections include smoked salmon eggs benedict, pancetta-wrapped Gulf shrimp and pulled short rib. For dessert she’ll have to decide between flourless chocolate cake, chocolate croissant bread pudding or raspberry sorbet. The decisions don’t end there, since brunch is served with a mimosa, wine or cider. If it all proves to be too much, help mom finish the leftovers. 

At 525 S. Flower St.,  (213) 236-9577 or thechaya.com.

Red Hot Brunch: Mom doesn’t have to be a firefighter in order to get a good meal in a firehouse. She just needs to be invited to the Mother’s Day Firehouse Brunch at Engine Co. No. 28. The firehouse-turned-restaurant on Figueroa Street is serving a $45 three-course meal with appetizers such as gazpacho and shrimp ceviche, and main courses like Chilean sea bass and fettuccini Alfredo with breaded chicken. The come desserts such as crème brûlée and New York style cheesecake.

At 644 S. Figueroa St., (213) 624-6996 or engineco.com. 

Rendezvous Buffet: The scenery in the Italian Renaissance-inspired Rendezvous Court at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel will be a little more delicious from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Mother’s Day thanks to the hotel’s brunch buffet. Food will be prepared at Smeraldi’s, the hotel’s restaurant. Available for the picking will be salads, omelets, eggs, scones, cinnamon rolls, croissants and more. A carving station will serve meaty options like slow-roasted rib-eye in horseradish cream. If mom likes seafood, she’ll see it there too in the form of crab legs, shrimp and pan-seared scallops. The meal is $59 for adults and $25 for kids 4-11. 

At 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 612-1562 or millenniumhotels.com.

Top Tea Time:It’s tea party time at the Convention Center hotel. Not a Mad Hatter off-with-your-head tea party, but rather the fanciest kind, one at WP24. The L.A. Live restaurant with the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Downtown has a $65 Mother’s Day tea ($25 for the under-12 set) with blends from organic tea importer Art of Tea. It is complemented with miniature sandwiches, scones and other pastries. The kids get treats in the form of mini-peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and ham and cheese croissants. For the little ones who forgot to bring a gift (or the dads who forgot to give one to the kids to give to mom), there’s a card making area. 

At 900 W. Olympic Blvd. (213) 743-8800 or wolfgangpuck.com.

Blue Ribbon Meal: During the week, people bring their lunch and eat in the tranquil garden on the roof of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. But on Mother’s Day from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., no one has to brown bag it up there, thanks to Patina Catering’s Mother’s Day brunch buffet. The Patina chefs will prepare a meal with country ham, crepes, a build your own parfait bar, brioche French toast and Vienna style fried chicken. It costs $45 ($19 for kids under 12). This could be a popular event, and the park is less than an acre with limited table space, so reservations are required. Remember what mom said and don’t procrastinate.

At 111 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7565 or patinagroup.com.

Outdoor Style: If mom is the outdoorsy type, and by that we mean she likes to enjoy a relaxing lunch in a patio garden setting, then get thee to Café Pinot. The contemporary California-French eatery next to the Central Library will offer a May 12 three-course meal from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Choices at the $45 lunch ($16 for those under 12) include Dijon mustard Jidori chicken, salmon salad, French toast and hanger steak. 

At 700 W. Fifth St., (213) 239-6500 or patinagroup.com.

Small But Endless:Just like mom can’t limit how much she loves you, Border Grill isn’t limiting how much she can eat on Sunday. The modern Mexican restaurant is breaking up its Mother’s Day celebration into two parts, with a 10 a.m.-2 p.m. brunch and a 4-9 p.m. dinner. Real hunger is a must at both. The brunch is $35 and means unlimited small plates, which are similar to tapas. The details of the brunch menu are still being worked out, but for another $8 mom can also get bottomless mimosas. At dinner the price drops to $25 with small plates that include green corn tamales, plantain empanadas and lamb barbecue. The dinner drink specials are the $20 margarita pitchers, although those aren’t bottomless. 

At 445 S. Figueroa St., (213) 486-5171 or bordergrill.com.