Take it from me, a seasoned mom. I love it when my three daughters spoil me, especially with a home-cooked meal. For decades, and still today, it’s usually been the other way around. After all, no matter how old your children are, a mother’s job is never done!

And I’ve found that there’s no easier way to entice your grown children to come over and hang out than with a homemade dinner.

For Mother’s Day this year, we’re all vaccinated and ready to get out of the house, so my the girls and Joel are taking me out. Knowing them, I’m sure it will be great. However, last year, when Covid kept us inside and my lovely ladies cooked for me, it was an evening I’ll never forget.

The dinner was a New Englander’s (like me) dream meal: creamy, bacon-infused clam chowder, buttery lobster rolls overflowing with sweet meat, crispy shoestring fries, and a sweet and tart key lime pie—all of my favorites.

Below you’ll find the recipes used to create this special feast, followed by my wine selections (hint: effervescence!).

Best of Both Worlds Lobster Roll

A buttery roll, chock full of sweet lobster meat. What could be better? Get the recipe from Bon Appetit.

Best Clam Chowder

Get the recipe from Reluctant Entertainer.

Homemade Shoestring Fries

Don’t forget the requisite sprinkle of salt at the end. Get the recipe from Divas Can Cook

Key Lime Pie

The heart-shaped pan was a bonus. Get the recipe from The Food Network.

The Wine Chef’s Beverage of Choice

My favorite pairing with this meal is sparkling wine. The palate-cleansing bubbles and lively acidity go particularly well with creamy clam chowder and rich lobster meat. Sparkling wines are also considered a classic combination with anything fried, in this case crispy shoestring fries. And these wines are versatile enough to pair with desserts too, especially one with bright, citrusy flavors like the key lime tart.

Here are three favorites:

Sokol Blosser Bluebird Cuvée Sparkling Wine 2018. ($32) Known since 1971 for their elegant Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, the winery also crafts a line of sparkling, white and rosé wines. The grapes for the Bluebird Cuvée come from both Oregon and Washington State, and include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Early Muscat, Muller-Thurgau and Riesling.

A Méthode Traditionelle wine, it’s crisp with bright acidity and fine bubbles. The Muscat grape gives the wine enticing, perfumed aromas of lychee, orange blossom and honeysuckle. A wonderful complement to the tart and sweet key lime pie, it can be purchased at sokolblosser.com.

Corvezzo Prosecco DOC Rosé Extra Dry Millesimato. ($13) Did you know that every year, one bottle of Prosecco is produced for every 2 people in the US? That’s a lot of bubbles. And, even better, it now comes in a pink version, as the Italian Ministry of Agriculture recently approved the production requirements for a rosé Prosecco.

And you know mom can’t resist pink bubbles! What I like about this one is that, not only does it taste like springtime in a bottle, it’s chemical-free—the winery is 100% certified organic.

This pretty-in-pink sparkler has tiny, persistent bubbles and is full of raspberry and lemony citrus fruit notes. Its surprisingly long finish adds to the appeal. Really delicious!

Gustave Lorentz Crémant d’Alsace ($28). You can’t go wrong with Alsace bubblies—they go wonderfully with food due to their crisp acidity and fragrant floral, apple, pear and citrus fruit notes. This one is fruity and fresh, with a long mineral finish that makes it perfect with clam chowder and a lobster roll.

Champagne Ponson La Petite Montagne Premier Cru ($45). Splurging on mom with Champagne is always a good idea! Made from organically grown Pinot Meunier (40%), Chardonnay (35%) and Pinot Noir (25%), this stunner is full-bodied and complex with fine and delicate bubbles. You’ll find yeasty, nutty notes, as well as buttery apple tart tatin, roasted apples and pears, and even a hint of mushroom. Highly recommended!

Note: All wines except Champagne Ponson were provided to me as samples. All opinions are my own.