My First Mother's Day

One of the strangest things about living in the Southern Hemisphere is the opposite season effect.  In September it is just starting to get nice outside, over Christmas it is usually in the 90s and May marks the beginning of fall.  This has me constantly trying to remember what month it is, and this time of year seems to be the most confusing because the leaves are falling off the trees over springtime holidays such as Mother's Day.  Any other year this may have me scrambling last minute to figure out what to do for my own mom, but this year I had this particular holiday etched in my memory because it is the first year that I, too, get to consider myself in the ranks of those we call "Mom".  And what a Mother's Day it was.

My fantastic husband arranged to take me, and his parents who were also in town visiting, to a lovely brunch at the Four Seasons Hotel (Recoleta, Posadas 1086: 4321-1200) here in Buenos Aires, something that we had been talking about doing for over a year.  If you are considering attending this brunch let me make two recommendations; 1) Don't eat for at least 24 hours before going to maximize on the amazing food. 2) Wait for a special occasion to go, it truly is remarkable. 

The hotel itself is a stately looking tower that is very nice, but doesn't stand out compared to the other beautiful architecture of the city.  Brunch is held in an extension of the hotel, a renovated home that for obvious reasons is called La Mansion. 
La Mansion is a part of the hotel, and available to be reserved either as individual rooms or as a whole house reservation (which we've heard unofficially that it costs $35,000 per night in its entirety.  We also heard that Coldplay rented it and stayed there last year when we went to their concert).  The brunch dining room is located off of the lobby entrance-way, where you are greeted by a claw footed bathtub holding bottles of champagne and a smiling hostess that hands you a glass.  

Towering Glasses of Delicious Salads

The dining room is comprised of four rooms, each room is decorated as one of the four seasons, three of them are used for seating and the fourth is filled with brunch stations. 

Each station is prettier than the last, from the salad tower to the iced ceviche tub to the paella stand, the food and the presentation is artful. 

Tub Full of Cevice

Bubbling Pan of Paella Surrounded by the Ingredients

We were seated in the "autumn" room, which, lucky for us, doubles as the dessert room.  The hardest thing about brunch is making sure you save room for dessert. 

Incredible Dessert Spread

Baby Gretchen Slept Through the Whole Afternoon

 It was also a special day for our own moms, who were both celebrating their first Mother's Day as Grandmothers!

It was an amazing day, made better by the fact that Mother's Day in Argentina isn't until October so we didn't have to deal with the restaurant craziness that is American Mother's Day - huge bonus!  What an incredible way to celebrate being a mom - Happy Mother's Day!