Reserve a table for graduation, Mother's Day or get tickets to a Bloomington pop-up dinner

May is a busy month in Bloomington with Indiana University graduation on May 3-4, Mother's Day on May 12 and high school graduations at the end of the month for many area schools. That means getting a seat at your favorite restaurant might make reservations a good idea.

Here are a few of the restaurants that will be offering specials:

Uptown Cafe, Scenic View for graduation, Mother's Day

Uptown Cafe, at 102 E. Kirkwood Ave., will offer special graduation menus beginning May 2. Uptown will serve breakfast from 8-11 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. From 4-9 p.m. it will offer a special graduation dinner menu. May 3 will have a brunch menu from 9 a.m.-2:59 p.m. followed by a graduation dinner menu 3-10 p.m. May 4 the brunch menu will be 9 a.m.-2:59 p.m. with the graduation dinner menu 3-11 p.m. On Sunday, May 5, it will be brunch from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. To check out the special menus, go to the-uptown.com/menus.

While the brunch menu for Mother's Day will be the normal one at Uptown, reservations are being accepted, something that's not the norm for the downtown restaurant.

Scenic View restaurant, at 4600 Ind. 446, will be open for graduation weekend. Hours will be 9 a.m.-3 p.m. May 3 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. May 4-5. All reservation inquiries can be sent via email to scenicviewgraduation@gmail.com. The restaurant, with views of Lake Monroe from its patio, will have seasonal specials including a coconut shrimp appetizer, a warm brie plate with fruit compote and crusty bread and a summer salad.

Pop-up dinners start up again at One World KitchenShare

Before the pandemic, One World KitchenShare often offered pop-up dinners, each with different fare created by area chefs. The pop-up dinners are returning. Chef Anna Leon will provide a five-course meal celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Veracruz at One World KitchenShare on May 5. Doors open at 6 p.m. with dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. The dinner will be served family-style. Cost is $75 per person and includes tax and gratuity. One World KitchenShare is at 2361 W. Rappel Ave.

Leon will first serve Camarones Empanizados, followed by Pozole de Pollo. Third course will be Empanadas de Pollo before Barbacoa de Res. Dessert will be flan Napolitano. Non-alcoholic beverages will be horchata and agua de Jamaica. Tickets are available at the One World KitchenShare pop-up group on Facebook. For more information, contact Jeff Mease at JM@bloomington.com.

Don't forget Food Truck Fridays, and Wednesdays in Ellettsville

Haven't stopped through Switchyard Park for Food Truck Fridays yet? Up to a dozen or so food trucks and booths offer fare including barbecue, gyros, Mexican, burgers, vegan and more. Two new places to try are Tab's Kitchen, offering south Indian cuisine, and Betty's Hot Dog.

Some other options recently have included Bloom Burger, Kebab on Wheels, Uno Mas Taco Truck, Little Bowl Thai, La Poblana, Doner Kebab, Planted, Arepa Burger, Elli May's BBQ, Pinoy Garden and Chocolate Moose.

Want more food truck fare during the week? Food Truck Wednesdays will begin the 2024 season on May 8. Some of the same food trucks will be there, as well as a couple others. Check it out in Marci Jane Lewis Park, 328 S. Park St., 4:30-8:30 p.m. in Ellettsville.

Bruster's Ice Cream offers strawberry shortcake sundaes, more

Bruster's Ice Cream at 4531 E. Third St. will offer some summertime treats beginning in May, including strawberry shortcake sundaes as well as black raspberry chocolate chunk, peach and peach melba ice cream flavors.

Contact Carol Kugler atckugler@heraldt.com