If brunch places had a national holiday, it would be Mother’s Day.

Easter is probably up there in terms of a day when masses of folks want a celebratory brunch. But there’s something about going to brunch on a Sunday morning in May, with mom, that seems extra special.

So with the holiday fast approaching, on May 12, we thought this would be a good time to highlight some of the new brunch options in southern Maine, as well as places offering something special for Mother’s Day.

Here are a bunch of new spots to consider as you make your brunch plans, so you don’t have to leave your decision up to a hunch.

OCOTILLO
211 Danforth St., Portland

This brunch restaurant in the West End opened in early April and is under the same ownership as Terlingua, another Portland eatery. It offers a menu of dishes inspired by Texas and Mexico, including breakfast tacos, tortas, benedicts with house-smoked meats, a brisket hash, and homemade churros. It’s currently open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, with brunch all day, and plans to open daily in late June. There is indoor and outdoor seating, and reservations are accepted. For more information, go to ocotillo.me.

CHERISHED PUB & BAYOU 2
64 Auburn St., Portland

This Cajun-inspired eatery opened in February next to the Cherished Possessions consignment shop in North Deering. The place licensed the menu and recipes of Bayou Kitchen, a longtime Cajun breakfast and lunch spot on Deering Avenue. The new place is open for breakfast from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, so you can pick your own brunch time. Breakfast and brunch fare on the menu include a Cajun scramble with crawfish, andouille sausage, jalapenos and cheddar, and a Mudbug Madness omelet with crawfish, andouille and homemade salsa. For more information, go to bayou2atcip.com 

THISTLE & GROUSE
10 Cotton St., Portland 

This gastropub opened late last year in the Old Port spot where Rivalries sports bar had been and features a two-story dining room. Brunch is served Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the menu includes chilled Maine oysters, Maine Grains cornmeal waffle, a benedict with smoked salmon or house-made sausage, sourdough and smoked salmon toast, and buttermilk pancakes, among other dishes. For more information, go to thistleandgrouse.com.

CATFACE CAFE
17 Alfred St., Biddeford

Catface Cafe opened in Biddeford in early March. The new restaurant is co-owned by Krista Cole, owner of Sur Lie in Portland and Gather in Yarmouth, and Tyler VanScoy. It has brunch offerings on Saturday and Sunday. These include The Mainer, a Maine blueberry popover with maple pastry cream and vanilla sugar, and French toast bites with cinnamon sugar, dulce de leche and seasonal jam. The venue’s name honors Biddeford’s history in the logging industry: “Cat face” refers to a healed wound in a tree or log, because the scarring looks like cat whiskers. For more information, go to catfacecafemaine.com.

THE GOOD TABLE
527 Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth

The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth will start serving brunch again on Saturdays and Sundays, beginning May 18, according to Chef Matt Ginn. The Good Table has been around since 1986 and was known for its Sunday brunch. It was purchased by Prentice Hospitality Group last fall and reopened in late March. That group’s other local restaurants include the Chebeague Island Inn, Evo Kitchen + Bar and Twelve. Ginn said the restaurant’s brunch will include “the beloved Good Table cinnamon roll,” plus a variety of egg dishes and lunch sandwiches. For more information, go to thegoodtablerestaurant.com.

MOM’S THE WORD 

Here are few places offering Mother’s Day brunch special menus or deals.

The Eighteen95 Restaurant at the Portland Regency Hotel is located in a beautiful old brick armory building in the heart of the Old Port. It was built – you may have guessed – in 1895. Mother’s Day brunch fare will include salted pecan butterscotch pancakes, seafood frittata and quiche Lorraine.

Sea Glass restaurant at Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth is offering fixed-price menus for adults and children ($76 and $36) with starter, entree and dessert options in each. So you can bring the kids and grandkids along on Mother’s Day.

Another seaside Mother’s Day brunch is happening at Stage Neck Inn in York Harbor, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., reservations are required. The menu, $84.95 for adults, includes a champagne toast, a carving station, a raw bar and a smoked salmon display, among other food and drinks.

Looking for a Midcoast Mother’s Day getaway, with brunch? The Camden Harbour Inn in Camden is offering such a package. It includes a two-night stay, a five-course dinner, a Mother’s Day gourmet station brunch, a massage, and other goodies, starting at $668 per person.

Luna Rooftop Bar & Restaurant, overlooking Commercial Street and Portland Harbor, is offering a Mother’s Day Brunch buffet for $60 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will also be complimentary of portraits of mom by blind contour artist Josie Colt.

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