Famed French writer Honore de Balzac once wrote, “A mother's happiness is like a beacon, lighting up the future.” This weekend is a chance for sons and daughter of all ages to light that beacon brightly, because Sunday is Mother’s Day. And if you are looking to go beyond the standard greeting card and flowers, our resident insiders J Squared—Jared Bowen and Jan Saragoni—have you covered. They join us with some ideas about how you can make sure the mother in your life has a very happy—and very hip—Mother’s Day.

Jan's Picks

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EVENTS
Both the Franklin Park (Boston) and Stone Zoos (Stoneham) are offering FREE admission on Mother’s Day. Goodie bags for the first 100 mothers. Both zoos will honor their celebrity animal moms, including gorilla Kiki with her five-month-old Kambiri @ Franklin Park and emperor tamarin (that’s a monkey) Snoopy with her baby named Wally (Stone Zoo). Meanwhile, the birds are back @ the Stone Zoo. Masters of Flight: Birds of Prey features 16 different species, including the Egyptian vulture, the white-bellied stork and Emily’s favorite, the barn owl. The birds will swoop in from overhead and strut their stuff. Daily show times 11:00, 1:00 and 3:00.

Haya Linde Spring Jewelry Show at Axelle Fine Art Gallery, 91 Newbury Street. 6 – 8 reception.
Also see the dazzling paintings of Fabienne Delacroix, the youngest child of the artist Michel Delacroix, whose son owns the gallery. What mother wouldn’t love a little art and jewelry in her life?

DINING OUT
Restaurant dante, Cambridge
Chef Dante de Magistris will cook recipes handed down to him by his grandmother. Three-course meal including antipasto, entrée and dessert. Also a la carte menu for kids under 12. Chitarra carbonara made with guanciale (a kind of pancetta) organic egg and parmigiano reggiano. Also Italian eggs benedict; prosciutto, grilled lemon rosemary hollandaise, roast potatoes. Outdoor dining on patio. $55 per person. The family also owns Il Casale in Belmont Center.

Canary Square, Jamaica Plain
Will feature smoked onion and potato frittatas, bacon Bloody Marys all served on the street-side patio. For $14, you can grab the light picnic lunch and head over to the lilac fest at the nearby Arboretum.

Met Back Bay, Newbury Street, Boston
Sunken Newbury Street courtyard dining. Heat lamps available if it gets chilly. Pork-stuffed has browns and the kitchen sink chopped salad. 10:00 – 3:00

OM Restaurant, Harvard Square, Cambridge
Chef Patricia Yeo will be serving a multi-course Dim Sum brunch. Did you know that “dim sum” means “touch the heart”? Me neither. Following Dim Sum tradition, customers get to choose from sixteen dishes for $40. Every mother gets an orchid and $5 drink specials include Bloody Mary’s Lychee Bellini’s and mimosas.

Taste of the North End, tomorrow May 6, 6 – 11 p.m.
Twenty-six North End restaurants under one roof, including Antico Forno, Lucca, Ducali and Mike’s Pastry. TBilly Costa of ‘BGH’s very own “quiz show” will host with music by the James Montgomery Blues Band. Steriti Memorial Ice Rink on Commercial Street. $99 ticket price to benefit the North End Community Health Center children’s programs. Great cause, great food.

Speaking of food, upcoming event to honor the late Jack Sidell, called “Jack Sidell’s Circle of Legendary Boston Food Friends.” One of his daughters is Kathy Trustman Sidell, who owns the Met Restaurant Group and the other is Stephanie Sokolove, owner of Stephanie’s on Newbury Street. Chefs in the circle: Lydia Shire, Jasper White, Todd English, Steve DiFilippo of Davio’s. Sidell is credited with helping to launch Boston’s food scene when he owned U.S. Trust in the 70’s. The celebration takes place May 16 at the Galleria, at 10 Saint James Ave, Boston. Tickets are $150 per person, couples $275, proceeds to benefit Mass. General Hospital Heart Center.

CINEMA
Bill Cunningham’s New York, Kendall Sq Cinema in Cambridge
Documentary celebrates the New York Times photographer who chronicles high and low fashion in streets of New York as well as the galas and benefits and openings that make the city tick.
 

Jared's Picks

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DINING
Max Brenner, 745 Boylston Street , Boston
A new restaurant that fosters chocoholism with an array of decadent desserts including waffles, crepes, cookies, sharing desserts, fondue, ice cream and lots more.

SHOWS
Passing Strange, New Repertory Theatre
A raucous new show following a young, restless man finding himself through travel and performance in Europe. A Tony-winning Broadway musical, it makes a terrific New England premiere here at New Rep with an exceptionally talented cast.

Boston Ballet OFFSTAGE
Tonight at 7pm see the Ballet’s spectacular Bella Figura. Then attend OFFSTAGE, the Ballet’s post-performance event series held at BiNA Osteria. Intended for young professionals and art enthusiasts. Enjoy complimentary appetizers and Cinco de Mayo-themed specialty cocktails. I’m told everyone from the Ballet usually attends—making it an unofficial cast party.

29th Annual Elliot Norton Awards
Boston’s version of the Tonys honors excellence in local theater. Bestowed by the Boston Theater Critics Association, this year’s awards are presented Monday, May 23rd at the Paramount theater. Doors open at 6:15. Ceremony is at 7pm. See all of your favorite Boston theater stars. For tickets visit nortonawardsboston.com

Opening Night at the Pops
The 126th season opens at 8pm on May 11 with incomparable singer Linda Eder in a musical tribute to Judy Garland. Conductor Keith Lockhart has crafted a season-long celebration of the American Songbook. Other performers this season include Michael Feinstein, Kenny Loggins, bluegrass king Ricky Skaggs and Pops Laureate conductor John Williams.

Let’s face it. It is hard to go out in winter. You have to get the scarf...and the hat...and the gloves...and the coat. Then you have dig your car out or negotiate a labyrinth of semi-shoveled walkways on your way to the T. And of course your feet get wet. Then freezing cold. Most nights, it is far easier to stay cooped up under a few blankets, order some Chinese food and catch up on the 4th season of Dexter on DVD.  But hey, people! The snow is gone. The days are getting longer. The birds are chirping. Winter is actually over. And while the crocuses and tulips are just starting to blossom, the city is already in full bloom, with new restaurants, museums exhibitions, concerts, and special events waiting for you. Our resident insiders J squared—WGBH‘s Jared Bowen and Jan Saragoni—are ready to spring you from your house and into spring with some not-to-be missed events around town.

Jan's Picks

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Events/Concerts
•    Fourth Annual Art & Design of the 21st Century: The Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts, April 7–10
•    Big Apple Circus: City Hall Plaza, through May 15
•    Tower of Power: Scullers Jazz Club, April 19
•    Neil Young: Providence Performing Arts Center, April 22
•    Harry Connick Jr.: Colonial Theater, April 26

Flower Power
•    Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum's new “April in the Courtyard” horticultural display. Gorgeous displays of spring bulbs and flowering plants, miniature citrus trees.  Sadly, no orange nasturtiums this year – the growing conditions were not favorable.
•    Ricky’s Flower Market, Union Square, Somerville. Located in a former Citgo Station, indoor and outdoor flower market. Terrific!

Time To Dine
•    5 Napkin Burger, Huntington Ave. Boston. (Opened last week at the Prudential) Reasonably priced – $7.95 to $12.95. And they also serve sushi!
•    Tico, 222 Berkeley Street, Michael Shlow’s new place. Flavors of Spain, Mexico & South America

Let's Go To The Movies
•    “The Leopard” at Coolidge Corner Theater: Luchino Visconti beautifully restored 1963 epic based on the Giuseppe di Lampedusa’s novel. Burt Lanchester (Prince of Salina), and a “smoldering” Claudia Cardinale.  April 11.

Jared's Picks

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Wonderland
•    Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass at the Museum of Fine Arts April 10th through August 7th. 40 years of the prolific glass artists large-scale work is installed at the museum. It’s colorful, magical and truly stunning.

Midsummer Nights In Early Spring
Four of the city’s most esteemed performing arts organizations are all offering programs related to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Tickets are discounted for patrons seeing more than one event.
•    Boston Ballet presents George Balanchine’s Midsummer ballet at the Opera House April 7-17th.
•    Boston Lyric Opera presents Benjamin Britten’s Midsummer opera sung in English
•    Arts Emerson presents Susurrus based on Britten’s music. Part radio-play, part sonic art and part stroll in the park (Boston’s Public Garden) Starts May 20th. Billed as “a play without actors and a stage...a sensual reinterpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a contemporary edge.”
•    A.R.T. ‘s Midsummer-inspired The Donkey Show plays every Saturday night at 8 and 10:30.

Celebrity Style
•    My fellow Emerson College alum/Access Hollywood correspondent/NBC news contributor Maria Menounos appears in Boston April 15 & 16th with her new book “The Everygirl’s Guide to Life.” She has a book-signing at Emerson’s Barnes and Noble store on Friday afternoon and then offers celebrity style tips at a CambridgeSide Galleria fashion show. Also appearing are 7News Anchor Frances Rivera and Stylist Lydia Santangelo. Proceeds from tickets purchased to a VIP Hollywood Glam Bash from 5-6 benefit Maria’s charity Take Action Hollywood!

Step Up!
•    Step Up! Pride and Passion 2011 is A benefit for Greater Boston PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). The event is a Gourmet Taste Around featuring Top Chef Masters including Jody Adams of Rialto. Also represented are Leana, Upstairs on the Square, Deauxave, Stella, Grill 23, Legal Seafoods, Bistro du Midi and Four Seasons Boston. Also appearing are The Beelzebubs (who appear on “Glee” as the voices of the Dalton Academy Warblers). Philanthropic dynamo Joan Parker co-chairs.

Good Eats
•    Bondir: Broadway in Cambridge. Billed as “a cozy, farm-house style restaurant with 28 seats and a small fireplace salon.” Superb hospitality, excellent sommelier and perfect food. All vegetables come from no more than 40-minutes away.
•    The Haven: Perkins Street in Jamaica Plain. A charming Scottish restaurant with great food, terrific Scottish ales (try The 70 Shilling special) and a ridiculously fun atmosphere. All this week the restaurant celebrates Boston Tartan Week. Scottish owner Jason Waddleton was in a band before opening this must-visit JP hotspot. Try the Scotch Deviled Egg, Sassitch and Mash (House made roasted garlic sausage, herbed Yukon mash, braised kale, warm bacon vinegrette) and the toffee bread pudding.