Brunch at Lineage in Brookline

A few Sundays ago, I joined the Boston Brunchers at Lineage in Brookline for...well, brunch.

Before attending this brunch, I found out that Lineage Chef Jeremy Sewall's current record also includes Eastern Standard, Island Creek Oyster Bar, and the upcoming Row 34 - and that Chef de Cuisine Alex Sáenz was the opening Executive Chef at Ten Tables in Provincetown. Needless to say, I was pretty darn excited about this brunch.

Oh, and Lineage's menu is printed daily so they can best accommodate what they find at the farmers' markets. Just F.Y.I.

Our meal started with a round of Lineage Bloody Marys ($8), which were perfectly spicy and seasoned. I also loved the addition of the olive - my all-time favorite Bloody garnish.

Random, but how neat are Lineage's salt and pepper shakers?

Anyway, we were then served Apricot Scones with Ginger Glaze, which were perfectly buttery and flaky. The scones were also clearly studded throughout with fresh bites of apricot, and the sweet ginger glaze was a wonderful complement to them.

As a table, we then decided to share an order of the Spicy Lobster Tacos ($14), which came with avocado mousse and mango salsa.

I loved the large chunks of fresh lobster combined with the creamy avocado and sweet mango. The salty, crispy taco shell was also a fun and delicious holder for everything inside.

A lot of this meal was family-style, so the next two plates to come out were the Buttermilk Pancakes ($12) with ricotta, strawberries, and cherries, as well as the Pullman French Toast ($12), served with maple syrup, white peaches, and Thai basil.

Although both of these dishes were tasty, my favorite was the pancakes. I adored the creamy ricotta paired with the fluffy, indulgent pancakes. The white peaches and Thai basil on the French toast were innovative and interesting accompaniments, which I appreciated.

Surprisingly, I was still able to eat after all of this, which was a good thing considering the next course was Huevos Rancheros ($16).

Black beans, cotija cheese, and Cholula aioli, all topped with a poached egg and served with an obviously homemade corn tortilla. (Lineage's Huevos Rancheros usually comes with flat iron steak, too). For me, one of the best things in life is a runny egg yolk dripping over everything on my plate, with some kind of carbohydrate on the side for sopping up the excess. Lineage's egg was thankfully cooked well, although not perfect, and the seasonings in this dish were spot-on.

All in all, we had a fantastic brunch at Lineage. Since their menu changes often, I'm eager to go back in the late summer and/or fall to see what Chef Sewall has up his sleeve.

Runny eggs: love 'em or hate 'em?

As part of my involvement with the Boston Brunchers, this meal was complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Brunch at The Fireplace

A few Sundays ago, I met up with the Boston Brunchers at The Fireplace in Brookline for a leisurely brunch. This was my first time dining at The Fireplace, although I had always wanted to check it out. I've always only heard rave reviews about this restaurant. 

Our brunch began with complimentary rolls, that were in the shape of scones. Our waiter didn't give us much information about them, but they were served warm, and tasted delicious. I just think it was a little too much bread to eat before a meal (who am I?).

As a table, we decided to share some of The Fireplace's salads. (Side note: The Fireplace's menu is massive, and they have a wide variety of salads to choose from). The vegetarian salad we tried was the vibrant Beet and Orange Salad ($13).

Served over Boston lettuce, the fresh beets and oranges were tossed with parsnip chips, toasted walnuts, Brebis Blanche sheeps' milk cheese, and a citrus vinaigrette. Although the price is a little more than I'd pay for a salad, this was by far my favorite dish of the morning. Everything was obviously fresh, and each flavor complemented the other beautifully.

For my entree, I ended up going with the Lobster Eggs Benedict ($22).

I only eat fish about 2-3 times a year, and the only time I eat it is when I know it's fresh...so ordering this was my own fault. Unfortunately, the lobster was a tad too chewy and cut up too small for my liking - I like big, fresh chunks of lobster. The eggs were also not perfectly cooked, although the runny yolk was acceptable. Sadly, though, the yolk did not help in making the overly toasted English muffin easier to saw through.

I really enjoyed The Fireplace's bustling yet comfortable atmosphere, and it was wonderful catching up with (and meeting some new!) Boston bloggers. However, I wasn't totally blown away by The Fireplace's food. Perhaps I should give them a try for dinner?

As part of my involvement with the Boston Brunchers, this meal was complimentary. The opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own.

Brunch at The Blue Room

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of joining The Boston Brunchers for a late brunch at The Blue Room in Kendall Square. Normally $27 per person ($13 for kids 12 and younger), this buffet-style brunch, featuring local, quality ingredients, is one that's not to be missed.

Our small group had to wait a few minutes for a table, and while we waited, we sipped on these delightful gin fizz creations. Despite it snowing/raining outside, the cold cocktail was a welcome refresher.

Once we were seated, our waitress explained that we could go up to the buffet anytime. The buffet was set-up along the restaurant's open kitchen, so you could see your food being made right in front of you. The Blue Room's buffet options are also put out in small batches, so your food is fresh, hot, and not chocked full of other patrons' germs (a pet peeve of mine at typical buffets).

The buffet had a wide variety of meat- and veg-friendly options to choose from. I tried a little bit of everything veg-friendly.

My favorites: Patatas Bravas, Spicy Tomato Soup, Marinated Beets, and the white beans (I forget the name of this dish). The beans were full of flavor, and had a luxurious texture to them. Each dish was also extremely well-seasoned - I almost always add black pepper to my restaurant plates, but this plate didn't need any.

My only gripe: The Iggy's roll I tried was really hard to bite into. It was chewier than it should have been, despite it not yet being stale. It was disappointing - I love my carbs, and the roll would have been a nice accompaniment to the rest of the meal. 

Next up was dessert, and The Blue Room also has a small, buffet-style table set-up for their sweet offerings.

Close-up of the Homemade Granola.

Despite the wide variety of treats to choose from, I sampled only a few, including the Flourless Chocolate Cake, Apple Cinnamon Muffins, Orange Anise Biscotti, and a Meyer Lemon Scone.

I loved the Flourless Chocolate Cake the most. It was incredibly moist, and packed with a rich, delightfully bitter dark chocolate flavor. I also loved how the biscotti only had a hint of the usually intense anise flavor. 

Around dessert time, Chef Robert Grant came out and presented the beautiful Black Currant Pain Perdu he made for our table.

I'm not sure if this is currently on their menu - their options change often to utilize the freshest, most seasonal ingredients - but this was a damn good dish. It reminded me of an Entenmann's Danish (which I loved as a kid), but much, much, much better. And not chocked full of preservatives.

I had only been to The Blue Room once before, for dinner, but I am so happy I had the opportunity to check it out for brunch, too. The wide variety of food options, use of local, seasonal ingredients, and a "clean" buffet (I've been to one too many "unclean" buffets) makes The Blue Room a fantastic choice for a lazy weekend brunch.

Are you a fan of buffet brunches? Where have you had a good (or bad) buffet brunch? 

My meal and drink were complimentary, but the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own. 

Common Ground in Allston

Few restaurant owners are as passionate as Bob O'Guin, owner of Common Ground Bar and Grill in Allston. I recently attended a dinner at Common Ground, with the rest of the Boston Brunchers  (Dinnerers?), and I was really impressed with O'Guin's enthusiasm and obvious dedication to his restaurant.

I have to admit, before I walked into Common Ground, I didn't know what to expect. Several people told me that they remember the Common Ground being a dive bar and dance club, when they were in college. Thankfully, the atmosphere at Common Ground - at least on this particular Wednesday night - was nothing like a college dive bar. The dark wood walls were shining with cleanliness, and I immediately fell in love with the exposed brick wall behind the [also very clean] bar. The setting is very casual, but clearly fit for the older-than-college crowd.

Common Ground had prepared a tasting menu for us bloggers, but, per usual, my difficult vegetarian self caused Chef Jaime Suarez to create several veg-friendly dishes. I was really impressed at how no one on their staff flinched at the thought of having to come up with meatless dishes on the spot. Several bloggers in our group had other dietary restrictions, too, that were met with the same ease. Very hospitable!

After a few words from O'Guin, we dug into our first course, which was Sweet Potato Soup (soups range from $3-$7) topped with blue cheese crumbles and green onions.

The soup was wonderfully silky in texture, and I loved the combination of the tangy blue cheese with the sweet soup. The cheese definitely helped to make this a savory vs. overly sweet dish.

After the soup, my omnivore diners enjoyed Brisket Turnovers ($7) and Steak Salad ($10). I heard mixed reviews of the Brisket Turnovers, but since I didn't eat them, I can't tell you for sure. Regardless, I enjoyed a steak-less salad, made with mixed greens, pickled red onions, and feta cheese, served with grilled pita bread.

Unfortunately, there was a bit too much Green Goddess dressing on my salad - I actually had a hard time finishing it because of that. The description of the salad also promised cherry tomatoes, which were nonexistent (this was also the case on all but one salad at my table). 

Thankfully, the Three Grain Veggie Burger ($10) made me forget about the salad mishap. Common Ground's veggie burger is one of the best I've tried in/around the city, hands down (and I eat a lot of veggie burgers). 

Made with white beans, lentils, and chickpeas, this hearty burger was also topped with fresh tomato and cucumber fennel relish, as well as tarragon mayonnaise. The cool, creamy mayonnaise was the perfect complement to this crispy-on-the-outside burger, and I loved the hint of fennel seeds in each and every bite. The soft, airy burger bun was also ideal - it allowed me to actually taste the burger, while still providing a necessary "glue" to prevent everything from falling apart.

As a table, we also shared some Truffle Fries ($5), which are steak fries topped with truffle oil and Parmesan cheese. Pesto mayo was served on the side for dipping.

The fries were beautifully crispy on the outside, with a fluffy, piping hot interior (I wasn't patient enough to wait for them to cool down). I loved the thick curls of fresh Parmesan melting over the top of the fries, too. Seriously addicting.

To wash all of my food down, I enjoyed a glass of Southern Tier Old Man Winter Ale, which was the perfect brew to warm up with...considering it was -500 degrees outside at the time.

Dessert ended the meal with a bang: Chocolate Butterscotch Bread Pudding (desserts are typically $7).

Topped with housemade whipped cream, this was one decadent dessert. I loved the combination of the rich chocolate with the sweet butterscotch, and the fresh whipped cream just enveloped everything as it melted. 

Overall, our meal at Common Ground was a very successful one, and I will definitely return for dinner or brunch (which is served seven days a week) sometime soon. The accommodating staff, the dedication to quality food, and the passion in O'Guin alone all made this a restaurant I'd highly recommend visiting. 

Where did you recently have a great meal out?

Our food was complimentary, but, as always, the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own.