Haven't seen any restaurant reviews posted here for quite some time (is it just my site??) Anyway, I recently was pleasantly surprised by a Sunday brunch/lunch at the (upstairs) restaurant at the Museum of Fine Arts. It started with a "bread" basket, or actually more of a muffin basket, with a blueberry muffin, corn muffin, coffee cake, etc. -- would have made a pretty respectable basis for a continental breakfast by itself! For entrees, we had the trout wrapped in apple-smoked bacon with garlic mashed potatoes -- a fantastic blend of flavors -- and the French toast, which was served as a "sandwich" of two slices of French toast filled with stewed apples and raisins, and served with warm maple syrup. We also had dessert, which was arguably gilding the lily, but they had them out on a table when we came in, and they looked too tempting to pass up. I have to say I found them disappointing though -- the mousse/chocolate layer cake was too sweet and airy for my tastes, and the chocolate bourbon cake struck me as almost a solid block of icing. Cappuccinos were okay. In any case, the entrees were well-executed, interesting but tasteful, the service gracious, and the ambience light and pleasant (we were lucky to get the last window table overlooking the courtyard). They take lunch reservations for 11:30am only, although the meal runs until 2:30pm. The dinner menu looks great too. Prices seemed reasonable for the quality (about $8-15/entree). The museum is at 465 Huntington Ave in the Fenway area; main number is 267-9300. If you're considering going to the MFA anyway, this restaurant might be worth a try. If you just want to go the restaurant, and not the museum, the museum admission fee is waived. Andy
Boston, MA