South End food trucks (and gallery crawl)

Un-flowery and self-explanatory, plus:

5Church celebrates first anniversary

5Church will celebrate its first anniversary with complimentary wine and beer during dinner May 16. That night it will also bring back favorites from the place's prior menus, such as roasted mushroom gnocchi and Indian-spiced potato pierogies, and offer a special three-course, fixed-price menu. Live music and "celebratory surprises" are also on tap. A portion of the night's proceeds will go to Levine Children's Hospital. 127 N. Tryon St.; 704-919-1322.

May is both BBQ and Burger months

With May serving as both National Barbecue Month and National Burger Month, Frank Scibelli's places are doubling up on monthlong runs of specials.
Midwood Smokehouse's special offerings: May 6-12: Memphis baby back ribs with BBQ spaghetti May 13-19: Argentinian smoked beef shoulder with chimichurri sauce and poato salad May 20-26: Asian soy-glazed ribs with peanut red chile sauce and slaw May 27-June 2: Kansas City Combo of double smoked beef, pork and ham with cheesy corn bake and brown sugar pit beans. 1401 Central Ave.; 704-295-4227.
And at Bad Daddy's Burger Bars (multiple locations): Week 1: Pastrami burger on rye with Swiss, charred tomato Thousand Island dressing, kraut, and Boars Head Navel pastrami. Week 2: Pittsburger (a burger with American cheese, hand-cut fries and spiced garlic ketchup) Week 3: Maple mustard chicken with Swiss, Boars Head Habanero ham and dijonnaise. Week 4: Torta burger (they're still working that one out).

Meanwhile, Gallery will also feature a weekly burger special for the Month.

Special F.O.O.D. dinner at Mint coming up

Siblings Fern and Halcyon and siblings Barrington's and Good Food on Montford will do a farm dinner June 10 at the Mint uptown, coordinated with the F.O.O.D. exhibition in the museum. That show, about 300 items (including the above Alessi citrus basket), brings together modern and contemporary objects, both made by hand and mass-produced, that are used to prepare, cook and/or present food. Tickets for the dinner go on sale April 26. For $120 ($105 for Mint members), you'll get cocktails (from Halcyon's Maggie Ruppert), beer (from Free Range Brewing) and snacks, followed by a guided tour of the exhibition, then a five-course meal. That will include roasted N.C. flounder salad; vegan cioppino; Southern fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits; balsamic-glased barbecued pork belly; and deconstructed peach and strawberry cobbler. Tickets: www.mintmuseum.org/happenings, or 704-337-2000.

Re-updated: Mother's Day plans

The National Restaurant Association says more than one-quarter of American adults will eat out on Mother's Day and about 7 percent will get restaurant takeout or delivery -- meaning 80 million American adults will eat restaurant meals this Sunday. It's the No. 1 holiday for dining out, says the group.

Let's hope they don't ALL end up at these:

The Liberty will do a three-course brunch (menu is here) for $24.95. 1812 South Blvd.; 704-332-8830.

Cosmos Cafe at Ballantyne will host a Mother's Day buffet 10 a.m.-3 p.m. for $29.95 ($8.95 for kids 12 and younger), with carving station, omelet station, chilled seafood and more, plus live music and drink specials. 8420 Rea Road; 704-544-5268.

The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge hosts afternoon teas 1-5 p.m. May 10 and 11, with a special menu: $32 for adults, $15 for kids 4-12. It will also offer a Mother's Day brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for $59.50 per person ($29.50 kids 5-12; free for 4 and younger). Brunch reservations required; 10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway; 704-248-4100.
Saffron will give a $10 gift certificate to mothers who dine at the restaurant on Mother's Day, either at the lunch buffet 11 a.m.-3 p.m. or for the a la carte dinner, 5-9 p.m. 2135 Ayrsley Town Blvd.; 980-297-7722.
Bistro La Bon will expand its usual Sunday Smorgasbord for Mother's Day, with prime rib, shrimp cocktail and roasted Scottish salmon joining Swedish meatballs, brioche French toast, chocolate waffles, house-cured gravlax and more 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $26 ($12 for children); reservations encouraged; 1322 Central Ave.; 704-333-4646.
Mama Ricotta’s hosts a buffet 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with a carving station, mozzarella bar and signature dishes (and will reopen at 5 for dinner). $23 ($12 for those younger than 12); 601 S. Kings Drive; 704-343-0148.

Mimi’s Cafe will give $10 gift cards (good for six weeks) to all Moms who spend at least $25 on an after-4 p.m. meal May 12, and wine will be half off. 10244 Perimeter Pkwy.; 704-509-5911.

Passion8 plans a three-course Mother's Day brunch for $35, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., with dinner 5-7 p.m. 803-802-7455; 3415 Highway 51 N, Fort Mill.

The Ritz-Carlton offers a tea 11 a.m.-3 p.m. May 11 and 12 at Urban Sip: tea sandwiches, warm scones with Devonshire cream and preserves, and sweets, plus a children’s tea menu. $32; $12 for children under 12; 201 E. Trade St.; 704-547-2244.

Blue will do brunch 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., with live jazz, for $39.95 ($14.95 for kids 6-12 and free for younger). 704-927-2583; Hearst Plaza uptown.

AZN Azian Cuizine's will offer a buffet brunch with "an Asian flair" 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (with dinner menu after that), plus a $10 gift card for each mom who attends. Buffet is $29.95 for adults, $10.95 for younger than 12; 980-819-9819.

e2 plans a brunch 10 a.m.-3 p.m. that will include bananas Foster pancakes, andouille and crawfish omelets and more. 135 Levine Avenue of the Arts; 704-414-4787.

Cinco

For Cinco de Mayo (May 5), Cantina 1511 will offer $5 food and drink specials and live music, and a portion of proceeds will go to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. 1511 East Blvd. and 7708 Rea Road. Paco’s Tacos & Tequila will offer Tex-Mex food and drink specials, plus music, contests and an outdoor Mexican beer garden, with proceeds benefitting Ace & TJ Grin Kids charity. 6401 Morrison Blvd.; 704-716-8226.

Maverick Rock Taco will hold a fiesta on its patio beginning at 2 p.m., with live music, raffle tickets and burrito and taco eating challenges. 1513 Montford Drive; 704-527-1400.

Now through May 5, at Mellow Mushrooms (two in the Charlotte area), you can enter to win a trip for two to Mexico by taking a photo with the Dos Equis "Most Interesting Man" standee at the restaurants. (Upload your photo to Instagram, using #CincoDeMellow.) The "Most Interesting Photo" will win the vacation, while other photos may earn other prizes. 820 Selwyn Ave. and 14835 Ballantyne Village Way.

Savannah Red dinner

Savannah Red hosts a Steele wine dinner April 24. Among the offerings: an oyster bar station (Blue Points, oysters Rockefeller with collards), with Steele Cuvee Chardonnay, Shooting Star Sauvignon Blanc and Steele Goodchild Chardonnay; pork station (cider-marinated tenderloin; Asian flavored braised belly and more); wild meat station (bison, elk) with Steele Stymie Syrah, Writer's Black Petite Syrah and Steele Pacini Zinfandel; and more. $65; Charlotte Marriott City Center, 100 W. Trade St.; 704-363-8161.