Mother’s Day is more than just cleaning the house and buying flowers (though we’re sure she won’t object to it). It’s a way to celebrate the love moms give us, and to give that love right back. “Mother’s Day is a day of nurturing,” says Lashauna Jones, who runs The Sporty Dog along with her daughter, Daejonne Bennett. For Jones and her family, it’s fitting the holiday has always revolved around food. “People nurture their children through different things,” she said. “For me, it’s always been through food.”

This year, Jones and Bennett will be at the Baltimore Farmers’ Market on Mother’s Day offering Sporty Dog’s savory roasted tomato dog with basil. Here are some other Baltimore favorites that are serving up delicious morning deals for mom.

B&O American Brasserie: Head to this eatery inside the Hotel Monaco to treat mom to a buffet spread with a raw bar, carving station, customizable omelets, and a DIY crab cake slider bar with tons of toppings. Bottomless dishes will include turkey sausage, breakfast potatoes, Belgian waffles, and yogurt with house granola. 2 N. Charles St. $15-50

Blue Hill Tavern: This upscale Brewers Hill spot is offering beet-cured salmon, chicken saltimbocca, and blood orange sorbet as part of its Mother’s Day brunch menu. 938 S. Conkling St., $29.99, 443-388-9363

Cinghiale: This trendy Harbor East eatery is serving Italian-inspired items during their holiday brunch, including poached eggs on toasted brioche, pan-roasted orata, and strawberry semifreddo. 822 Lancaster St., $10-29, 410-547-8282

Citron: With its beautiful view of Quarry Lake and subtle sophistication, brunch at Citron will definitely be one for mom to remember, especially with sweet and savory dishes like caramelized banana and pecan French toast, Baltimore chicken and waffles, and pan-seared Norwegian salmon with spaghetti squash. 2605 Quarry Lake Dr., $6-46, 410-363-0900

Cosima: This swanky restaurant is offering tasty Italian eats like grilled asparagus with duck, Sicilian doughnuts, and a variety of pizzas made in a wood-fired oven for a unique and filling mid-morning meal. 3000 Falls Rd., $5-26, 443-708-7352

Emma’s Tea Spot: For the entire holiday weekend, the charming Emma’s Tea Spot in Hamilton is hosting a Mother’s Day High Tea. Take mom for a “proper British experience” close to home (no passport required) where she’ll be served delicious teas and chooses from three tiers of delicacies like boiled quail eggs, sweet and savory scones, chicken and mushroom vol-au-vents, and homemade truffles. 5500 Harford Rd., $38-42.50, 410-444-1718

Flamant: Head down to this intimate Annapolis spot for fresh takes on brunch classics like banana French toast terrine with blueberry salad, tarragon fried chicken, and omelettes with spring mushrooms and scallion tempura. 17 Annapolis St., Annapolis, $9-25, 410-267-0274

Gunther & Co.: This Brewers Hill favorite is offering fried Chesapeake oyster lettuce wraps, Gulf shrimp and cheddar grits, glazed citrus pound cake with passionfruit cream, and dishes with eggs from their family farm. 3650 Toone St., $28, 443-869-6874

Johnny’s: For the Maryland-loving mom, this Roland Park restaurant will feature a buffet of mini crab cakes, shrimp cocktail, and a customizable omelette station. 4800 Roland Ave., $19-33, 410-773-0777

La Cuchara: Take mom on a three-course, Basque-influenced journey at this Woodberry restaurant that will be serving dishes like grilled corn talos, patatas bravas, house-smoked salmon, and berry shortcake. 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., $39, 443-708-3838

Minnow: For a more savory start to your day, take the family down to Minnow for a three-course brunch featuring items like avocado toast with tomato vinaigrette and grilled zucchini, fried duck egg with chorizo and corn polenta, and spinach omelettes with piperade and raclette. 2 E. Wells St., $38, 443-759-6537

Orto: This Station North newbie is launching its first-ever Sunday brunch service on Mother’s Day. Start things off with a house Bloody Mary or bellini before digging in to dishes like charred sourdough avocado toast, grilled flatbread with prosciutto, and an Italian meat-and-cheese breakfast plate. 1709 N. Charles St. 443-759-7200

Red Star: In addition to their tasty s’mores pancakes, house made chilaquiles, and feta omelettes, this Charles Village hangout is hosting an exclusive champagne brunch featuring bottomless mimosas, Bloody Marys, and screwdrivers (and a whole lot of bubbles). 3224 St. Paul St., $1.50-18, 443-948-5539

Rusty Scupper: Take advantage of this deal and the views of this Inner Harbor staple for an all-you-can-eat brunch with items like ham with rum raisin glaze, blackened chicken Florentine with lump crab meat, an assortment of desserts, and complimentary champagne and mimosas. 402 Key Hwy., $28.95-56.95, 410-727-3678

The Turn House: This golf course go-to is hosting an entire family-friendly weekend with half-price dinner entrées for mom on Friday and Saturday nights and a buffet brunch on Sunday. The morning menu will consist of a granola and yogurt bar, a ham and tenderloin carving station, and (the best part) complimentary mimosas. 11130 Willow Bottom Dr., Columbia, Free-$50, 410-740-2096

Chef Catina Smith spent a few years refining her skills in kitchens all over the city—working at spots like Guy Fieri’s Kitchen and Bar inside Horseshoe Casino and Dovecote Cafe in Reservoir Hill, where she served as the executive chef. But, even with an impressive resume, when she saw an opening at Magdalena inside Midtown’s posh Ivy Hotel, she was admittedly hesitant to apply.

“It took several times for me to even think that I could work there,” she says. “I was like, ‘Oh this is some fancy place. I don’t belong in that kind of establishment.’ And I’m sure a lot of black women think that we only belong in certain types of kitchens just because that’s what we see. I still can’t even name a black woman executive chef leading a fine-dining restaurant. So it makes you think, man, representation really does matter.”

Now an integral part of Magdalena’s culinary team, Smith has launched Just Call Me Chef, an entire movement geared toward empowering female, African-American chefs and providing opportunities for future generations to work in whatever kitchens they choose.

“I want to shatter that stereotype and show people that you don’t have to be a white male to work at a fine-dining establishment,” she says. “We’re just as capable. People always say, ‘Oh, a black woman cooked this.’ But why do I have to be differentiated? I’m a chef just as much as anyone else. So that’s why I was like oh, ‘Just call me chef.’”

As one of the first fundraising initiatives, Smith has teamed up with local photographer Daniel McGarrity to create a wall calendar showcasing portraits of a dozen female chefs and some of their signature recipes—which she hopes will serve as a daily reminder of racial and gender equality.

Slated for release in November, the calendar will benefit local nonprofits Black Girls Cook, which teaches city teens about the importance of sustainable food and nutrition, and She Chef, an organization working to spotlight diversity in the culinary industry.

Many of the women featured in the calendar—which includes Keme Jones-Evans of Soul Kuisine Cafe, Jasmine Norton of The Urban Oyster, Amanda Mack of Crust by Mack, and LaShauna Jones of The Sporty Dog Creations—are gathering for a fundraiser at Showroom inside Motor House in Station North this Wednesday, October 10. From 5-7 p.m., the bar is donating $1 of every drink sold to Just Call Me Chef.

“I know what that feeling is like when you’re passionate about something but you’re not able to get a chance because you’re a woman or you’re black or whatever judgment they want to pass on you,” says Jones of Sporty Dog. “That’s why this movement is so amazing. We’re all able to speak out about how women chefs are putting together meals and concepts that are just as big and bold as anybody else.”

Building a network, says Smith, has been one of the most rewarding parts of the project. She has particularly enjoyed seeing how all of the women support one another—whether that means showing up to each other’s pop-ups or helping out with catering gigs.

“It’s always been important to me to bring people together,” Smith says. “It’s nice to know, if I can’t do something, that I can turn it over to somebody in the group. We kind of make sure that we never say no to a job so that we can always keep the money in the family.”

In the future, Smith has big plans to facilitate workshops, organize chef-to-chef mentorship, and establish scholarship funds for aspiring chefs to be able to cook in any kitchen, no matter what type of cuisine it focuses on.

“Everyone is teachable,” she says. “We just have to break down that belief that we don’t belong in certain spaces. I feel like my calling isn’t necessarily to be an executive chef of some restaurant. I think my calling is this right here. Putting people together and helping them out.”

There’s nothing more American than a classic hot dog with zigzags of mustard and ketchup. But, in a time when diners are becoming more conscious about what they’re putting into their bodies, franks are losing their luster.

“Every time we ask someone why they don’t eat hot dogs, they say, ‘Because I don’t know what’s in them,’” says LaShauna Jones, owner of local hot dog pop-up The Sporty Dog. “We started thinking a lot about how to remove that. We want people to know exactly what’s in them.”

In an effort to combat the hot dog stigma, Jones—along with her 25-year-old daughter, Daejonne Bennett—started their health-conscious food pop-up in the spring of 2017. The Sporty Dog uses all-natural, locally sourced products, including beef from Liberty Delight Farms in Reisterstown, to create unique franks topped with everything from strawberries and arugula to pineapple and caramelized onions.

“Yes, we put fruit on a hot dog—that’s just my brain being over the top,” Jones says. “No one would imagine that strawberries would pair so well with beef, but it’s ridiculously good.”

Jones previously worked as a government contractor for more than 20 years. When her contract came to an end in 2017, she decided to make the leap to start the business with her daughter, who had been pursuing a career in the culinary world.

“I was like, ‘Let’s do hot dogs, that’s gotta be easy, right?’ Jones says with a laugh. “Sometimes I’m a little more ambitious than I need to be.”

But the duo’s ambition turned out to be well worth it. They began selling their creations at the Greenmount West farmers’ market last season—where The Sporty Dog quickly became an anchor—and have been popping up at various community events around town ever since.

“A lot of people who aren’t from Baltimore don’t realize how socially engaging we are as a community,” Jones says. “We love social outings, grabbing a beer, and spending time with folks. We’ve evolved from people sitting on their stoops and conversing with neighbors to now having these very crafty community events. It’s a great way to bring the city together around food.”

Aside from the “Strawberry Delight” with feta and arugula, menu highlights include the “Pineapple Express” with grilled carrots and B’More Saucy Bayside Pepper sauce, and the “Ravens Dog” topped with a red cabbage curry slaw—an ode to the duo’s passion for sports and the concept’s name.

Another draw for customers has been the vegan dogs, which Jones and Bennett hand-form using white beans, blue potatoes, gluten, and signature spices. They then steam the cylinders and top them with fruits and vegetables from area farms, which diners are able to customize themselves.

“It gives people a chance to go somewhere beyond their boundaries,” Jones says. “People are open to trying pineapple on a hot dog, and that just shows you how bold a city like Baltimore can be.”

Jones is looking forward to expanding the concept by applying to more farmers’ markets, collaborating with local breweries (“Beer and a hot dog is such a no-brainer”), and, hopefully, opening a brick-and-mortar space in 2019. She is also eager to further explore the healthy side of the local food industry, starting with a pop-up at the In Good Health Wellness Expo in Harbor East on Saturday, November 17.

“Just from being in this industry, I’m learning how much people love their food,” she says. “Some might not think it’s a big deal in Baltimore, but healthy food is a big deal here.”