Jalea, Sarasota’s favorite Peruvian-Spanish downtown restaurant, honors mothers on their special day

At Jalea (pronounced Ha-Lay-ah), chefs and servers are ready to honor moms with the vibrant and bold flavors of their signature recipes which capture the culinary passion of both Peru and Spain. On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, all moms who come for lunch or dinner will receive a complimentary dessert and a $15 gift certificate that can be used on a return visit any day until July 15.

This is the 100th anniversary of America’s official celebration of Mother’s Day. President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in 1914. This came after years crusading by Anna Jarvis, a woman who never married and never had children, but wanted to remember and honor her own mother and all the mothers in the land. Her mother died in 1905 and Anna had the church filled with carnations, which she said symbolized pure love. The author Julia Ward Howe contributed to the campaign and it gained support culminating with the official signing in 1914. Today the carnation is the floral symbol of Mother’s Day and Anna Jarvis is known as “the mother of Mother’s Day.”

Some of the Jalea menu items to tempt moms on their special day include: paella, a selection of fresh ceviche, braised beef in red wine, duck confit, and Jalea, which is a flavorful lightly fried seafood mélange and a national dish of Peru. Desserts include Spanish bread pudding (award-winning), warm apple tart, flourless chocolate cake and an extraordinary sweet dessert of sautéed bananas, rich caramel and pistachios. Jalea, located at 1532 Main Street, offers lunch and dinner as well as a  Happy Hour, 3-6, Monday through Friday. Weekly specials. Open daily for lunch and dinner daily from 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. 955-8272.