Fancy a frittata? Craving crêpes? Pining for pancakes? You're in luck. Gregory's (111 Shannon Oaks Circle, Cary; 535-8821), for nearly a decade a local favorite for weekday breakfasts and lazy weekend brunches, is back after a three-year absence. Owner Greg Papadopoulos has revived the extensive menu virtually intact, with options including banana chocolate chip pancakes, Belgian waffle, seafood crêpes and just about any egg dish you can name, from huevos rancheros to eggs Benedict. A wide assortment of sandwiches and entrees ranging from grilled salmon to chicken and broccoli Alfredo is offered for those in the mood for lunchtime fare. The kids' menu alone includes 10 listings.

Gregory's is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is available at other times for private functions. The casually elegant dining room seats 300 and includes a full bar.

Let's see -- casually elegant, family-friendly, serves brunch -- are you thinking what I'm thinking? That's right, Mother's Day is this Sunday!

If you're planning on showing Mom your appreciation with a box of chocolates, you might find it worth your while to drive to Carrboro, where Miel Bon Bons (200 N. Greensboro St.; 967-2313) is now open in Carr Mill Mall. Owner Bonnie Lau's impressive resume includes Ecole Lenôtre in Paris and the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, and her experience shows in a wide range of artisanal confections that are as stunning to look at as they are a delight to eat. In addition to handmade chocolates (with daily changing flavor variations ranging from hazelnut to lavender to caramel clove), Lau's sweet temptations include French macaroons, petits fours, caramels and custom-made wedding cakes.

And I do mean "temptations." If you can resist ordering one of Lau's creations for yourself, along with a pot of French press coffee, and settling down at one of the handful of tables in her chandelier-dripping jewel box of a shop, you have more willpower than I do. Miel Bon Bons is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Or maybe you were thinking of taking Mom some flowers? Consider Halgo Flowers & European Grocery (4520 S. Alston Ave.; 321-2014; www.halgo-durham.com, which opened recently near RTP in Durham. Granted, the floral selection is modest compared to what you'll find in established florists. But Halina Gorzkowski, who owns the shop with her husband, Zbigniew, should be able to make up a nice arrangement with a little advance notice.

And besides, what other florist offers the chance to satisfy the foodie in you when you pick up your order? At Halgo, you'll find a broad assortment edible wares from the owners' native Poland and Eastern Europe. Explore shelves and refrigerated cases laden with more than a dozen varieties of pierogi, authentic kielbasa, Polish hams, Hungarian salami and other imported cold cuts, as well as hard-to-find Polish cheeses, imported canned goods, coffees and teas, and an assortment of sweets. Come to think of it, Mom might like a box of those chocolate cherry cordials to go with her flowers.