At Vermilion, Brassreie 1605 & Pera Meditteranean Brasserie Put Charity on the Menu to Make Mother's Day More Meaninful

Online, May 5, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Three New York City restaurants, all in midtown Manhattan but representing three distinctly different cuisines, are making Mother's Day more meaningful this Sunday, May 9 by adding a philanthropic element. At Vermilion, the internationally acclaimed Indian / Latin fusion emporium, Brasserie 1605 the popular modern American boite with the best seats on Broadway overlooking Times Square and Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, Manhattan's premier Eastern Mediterranean restaurant have partnered with O, The Oprah Magazine's "Live Your Best Life Walk," which will raise money for ten charities on Mother's Day as part of the weekend long celebration of the magazine's 10th anniversary. Each restaurant will donate 10 percent of the check of diners wearing the official walk t-shirt, or who mention Oprah and the walk when seated, to the event's beneficiaries - 10 charities selected by O's senior editors: A Better Chance; Best Friend Animal Society; Camp C.O.P.E.; FFawn; Health Corp; New York Restoration Project; Oceana; Ovarian Cancer Research Fund; Partners in Health; and Share Our Strength.

For those wishing to contribute to such worthy causes, while taking an adventurous culinary journey, At Vermilion's six-course, six-country, two continent Mother's Day Globetrotting Gallivant menu will be available, featuring such intriguing dishes as: Venezuelan duck arepas in a Goan vindaloo seasoning; Indian Mughlai malai chicken kabab, basted in cream and coriander, seared in the tandoor and Brazilian seafood caldeirada melded with coconut milk, fenugreek, cumin and chili. Served from noon to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 the Globetrotting Gallivant is priced at $55 per person ($90 with wine pairings), $20 for children. The regular a la carte lunch and dinner menus will also be available, including a version for children wherein the restaurant's signature robust flavors are toned down for junior palates. There is also a complete "mini-Thalli" kids' meal available for $15, free for children five and under. All mothers, regardless of their culinary journey will be treated to one of At Vermilion's hallmark "herb & spice" Champagne fizzes, choice of blueberry cardamom, jalapeno cilantro or prickly-pear ginger. And Globetrotting Gallivant-ers can elect to dine either on At Vermilion's sweeping planted punctuated outdoor patios (weather permitting) or in the restaurants stunningly minimalist, yet feminine space. Located at 480 Lexington Avenue at 46th Street, reservations are available by calling 212-871-6600. For more information, log-on to www.thevermilionresturant.com

Less exotic, but every bit as tempting fare will be on the menu for Brasserie 1605's Mother's Day Buffet Brunch, available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A particularly bountiful iteration, the buffet will boast made to order waffle and omelet stations with a host of topping and filling options, along with carving stations - waffle, omelet and carving stations - including porcini crusted beef tenderloin with black truffle jus and apricot glazed smoked ham, complemented by an array of smoked fish platters, a lush spread of salads and the chef's selection of cakes, torts and cookies. The buffet is priced at $45 per person, $22 for children and includes mesmerizing eye-level vies of the 24 /7 animated Times Square light show from its glass walled second floor perch. Brasserie 1605 is at 1605 Broadway, between 48th and 49th, in the Crowne Plaza Times Square. Reservations may be made via 212-315-6000 and more information is available at www.cpmanhattantimesquare.com/brasserie-1605.html

Less of a culinary commitment will be available at the stylish Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, New York's premier Eastern Mediterranean restaurant which will present its new Weekend Brunch and Mediterranean Marketplace menus, now available every Sunday (and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m.) The brunch menu offers platters of Pera's take on midday classics given an Eastern Mediterranean accent. Witness soujouk (Turkish air dired seasoned beef) eggs Benedict with smoked paprika Hollandaise, smoked salmon with fresh-baked simit, cream cheese, caperberries, onions, sumac virgin Mary and lamb "French dip" sandwich, thin-sliced roasted leg of lamb on toasted baguette, feta cheese fondue, lamb au jus & beer battered onion rings. Individual offerings range from $8 to $19, including intriguing mezes, lush salads, multi-component brunch platters and some of Pera's signature specialty meat preparations. A fixed price option for $17 includes a cocktail brunch platter and coffee of tea. After 3pm, the restaurant morphs into a "Mediterranean marketplace" with a lavish display of fresh whole fish, seafood, shellfish and meats along with seasonal vegetables from which Mother's Day diners can select the elements of their meal prepared to their specifications. Alternatively, they can take advantage of the city's only weekly lamb roast - three appetizers, oven roasted lamb and housemade lamb sausage, complemented by three sides, all served family style for just $29, two diner minimum. For reservations, call 212-878-6301. For more information, visit www.peranyc.com.