1. Prune
54 E. 1st St., nr. First Ave.; 212-677-6221
As genuinely New York as Barney Greengrass, but facilitated by an exhilarating Bloody Mary menu.
2. San Domenico
240 Central Park S., nr. Broadway; 212-265-5959
San Domenico’s brunch is thoroughly Italian (even though Italians don’t do brunch) and downright luxurious, from the carafes of prosecco and orange juice to eggs blanketed with basil-scented tomato sauce.
3. 202
75 Ninth Ave., at 16th St.; 646-638-1173
The jaunty café inside Nicole Farhi’s Chelsea Market boutique fuses a seasonal spirit, a global pantry, and the best of British cuisine (that’s no longer an oxymoron).
4. Queen’s Hideaway
222 Franklin St., nr. Green St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn; 718-383-2355
If Mom is a freewheeling sort, take her to this quirky spot where the chef-owner cooks from the heart and follows her culinary muse from Mexico to the American South.