I went from brunching to never brunching…and now it seems as though I’m back on to brunching. I couldn’t be happier about it. Last weekend I headed over to Harvard Square to Club Passim to listen to some live music while brunching on some tasty treats. Brunch is served on Saturday AND Sunday. The venue offers an up close experience with the artist on the stage – the listening room is very intimate. They don’t take reservations, so come early if you want to grab a table.

Brunch included items such as the Brioche French Toast ($9) (pictured top middle) with vanilla egg battered brioche, topped with whipped butter, berry compote and VT maple syrup (they have a stuffed version too); a Passim breakfast sandwich ($10) (pictured middle left) with an over easy egg, has browns, cheddar and VT bacon with chipotle aioli on riddled brioche served with berries and banana; the avocado toast ($6)  (pictured middle) topped with tomatoes and herbs; or the avocado eggs benedict ($14) served with poached eggs, avocado, cherry tomato, herbs and olive oil on a black pepper biscuit and served with hash browns (bottom left).

I think that the sides were the dark horses of brunch. The BKK street bread ($5) (pictured bottom middle) looks like toast – but it’s so much more. A nice light sweetness to it, it is not to be missed. I also loved the chiang mai sausage, which is house made and has a serious kick to it (but not right away). Make sure to try it with the herb sour cream!

Service was good, our server was attentive. Parking is on street or in nearby garages.

Disclaimer: I was invited to Club Passim as a guest of New England Food Bloggers. My meal was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Club Passim

47 Palmer Street, Cambridge, MA

http://www.clubpassim.org/

https://newenglandfoodbloggers.com/category/passim/

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Leah and I met for lunch in Harvard Square to try out Tom’s Bao Bao. I love me some dumplings so I was in heaven. We walked in and spent a good ten minutes just staring awkwardly at the people behind the glass making the dumplings (and taking videos of them). All of the buns are made by hand and each employee is trained to steam and fold them. The restaurant has limited seating in the back by the register, but don’t worry, you can always do take out. They had 6 bao on the menu with one additional seasonal special.

So of course we tried one of each:

Juicy Pork ($3.25): pork, scallion, ginger, shaoxing wine

Curry Beef ($3.75): beef, potato, carrot, mild curry

Chicken ($3.50): chicken, cabbage, carrot, bean sauce

Seasonal Lobster (market)

Vegetarian ($3.50): bok choy, shiitake, smoked tofu

Sweet Potato ($3): sweet potato, orange zest

Seasonal Braised Pork and Apple ($4)

The buns are a bit doughy but we liked every one that we tried. My favorites were the juicy pork (the meat was so flavorful) and the sweet potato (it tasted like dessert – although I think I missed the orange zest flavor in there). The steam buns are reasonably priced for their size, you could definitely make a meal out of one or two (we were definitely pushing it with 3.5 buns each).

Tom’s Bao Bao

84 Winthrop Street, Cambridge

http://www.tomsbaobao.com/

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Just look at those chandeliers!

We started off with the crab cake deviled eggs. These are not your grandmother’s deviled eggs!

We also had the buffalo cauliflower with blue cheese yogurt dipping sauce ($11) which was just the right amount of spicy.

You won’t find this on their regular menu, it was a special the day we were there – but it was too good not to share. A brat on a pretzel bun with sauerkraut and dijon mustard served with a side of house made potato salad and a second kind of sauerkraut. Perfect for a fall day!

Beat Brasserie is known for their bowls, natural grain and salad bowls, with your choice of toppings. We went with the bowl azteca ($14.50) adobo spiced quinoa, tomatillo salsa, corn, squash, green beans, avocado and baby spinach. You can add a protein on, we chose the slow cooked pork shoulder (+$3) but you have a choice of artichoke falafel, roasted free range chicken, seared all natural shrimp, seared salmon, grilled skirt steak of seared za’atar spiced ahi tuna.

I wasn’t so sure about the artichoke falafel, but our waiter said that they were delicious, and we HAD to try them. Great recommendation on his part.The flavor was very subtle and really, the artichoke was put in the food processor, so it just added some moisture to the falafel.

How can you pass up a burger that sounds this good? “Prime natural beef hamburger ($18) with port wine aioli, crispy fried onions, and served with a side of fries”. We added on some cheddar and bacon for $1 each more. The bun was buttery and delicious and the burger had all the right  textures and flavors. The fries were crispy and sprinkled with just the right amount of salt.

Desserts are my thing. I love a good apple crisp and this one did not disappoint – served warm in a cast iron skillet, topped with vanilla ice cream and a nice oat crust, I gobbled up the majority of this even though we were ‘sharing’.

Generally I don’t waste my time with anything chocolate at a restaurant, let alone a mousse, but this one was excellent – I may have even liked it better than the apple crisp. It was light as air and the perfect texture so that it melted the second it hit your tongue. It was just the right amount of sweetness and you never wanted it to end.

Disclaimer: I was invited to Beat Brasserie to try their new lunch menu. My meal was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Beat Brasserie

13 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA

http://www.beatbrasserie.com

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I was lucky enough to be invited to Harvest for the Harvest x Food & Beer dinner in June. The event featured guest chef Daniel Burns and brewer Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, co-founders of the Michelin-starred restaurant Luksus and Tørst in Brooklyn. They were at Harvest to celebrate the release of their first cookbook, Food & Beer. These guest chef dinners, used to showcase their new cookbooks, are ongoing, so follow Harvest on social media to learn more about future events.

Guests enjoyed a unique beer pairing menu curated exclusively by both Jeppe, featuring selections from his own brewery, Evil Twin Brewing, as well as local beers chosen by Himmel Hospitality Group’s Beverage Manager Jason Percival.

First course was a snack of radish, sorrel and pain de mie that was paired with Evil Twin NOMADer Weisse. Not something that I would have necessarily ordered on my own, but a delicious way to start of the meal, I loved the crisp bite of the radishes.

Second course was a licorice cured trout with pickled beet root, rye crumble and dandelion that was paired with Blackberry Farm Abbey Blonde. Again, out of my usual wheelhouse, but I devoured this dish – there was a really nice combination of flavors and textures going on here.

Beef tartare was up next with pickled green almonds, arugula flowers, broccoli rabe flowers, garlic scares and pickled ramps. It was paired with Enlightenment Ales Titania Nordic Saison.

The black sea bass was served with shiso and fennel and was paired with Evil Twin Citra Sunshine Slacker.

For dessert, rhubarb with pine, bay leaf, and reship vinegar that was paired with Evil Twin Wet Dream Brown Ale.

Thanks to Executive Chef Tyler Kennett of Harvest for opening up his kitchen and to (former) Executive Pastry Chef Brian Mercury. Mercury can be found at the new restaurant Oak and Rowan later this summer in Fort Point.

Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to the dinner at Harvest. My meal was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Harvest

44 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA

http://harvestcambridge.com

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These days it’s hard for me to keep up. It was only 3 months late in taking my friend Julia out for her birthday when we headed over to Park in Harvard Square. Note that this was a few months ago, the weather was nice enough that they opened the windows and we sat just inside of them. I have more drafts in my queue than I know what to do with and am running so behind with posts, I guess that’s a good thing though, so many meals to share with you!

We started off with the trio of toasts ($10). I loved all of the different textures and flavors here, it was nice to get a little bite of everything. The trio changes seasonally, so these ones aren’t on the menu now. Currently, this is the selection:

They offer a local cheese board ($12), the types of cheese change daily. I love the presentation here, simple and rustic. I’m not generally a fan of blue cheese but this one was pretty mild.

I had the hand torn pasta ($19). I usually go for the meat pies, but thought I would mix it up a little. I liked the pasta, the texture was perfectly al dente. There was a little too much sauce that really overpowered the dish. They’ve since rotated this item off the current menu.

Park

59 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA

http://parkcambridge.com

Park offers free parking with your meal, Sunday after 10am, Monday through Wednesday after 5pm, and $2 off on Thursday through Sunday at the Harvard Square parking garage attached to the building.

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I had the burrata that was so creamy and delicious, a really nice texture when paired with the crispy toast.

The Verrill Farm corn pancakes never disappoint – they come whimsically topped with popcorn and shishito peppers ($13).

The charred broccoli with butternut squash, hummus, bianco sardo and cashew was delicious ($13).

Even though it was a weekend night, the service was excellent, our dishes came out promptly and our waiter was on top of the ball.

Trust me when I say “oh my gravy”…it was really delicious!

As a side note, who can’t wait for Scelfo’s Naco Taco to open in Central Square?

I loved the cauliflower dish – maybe even more than the broccoli…

The great thing about Alden and Harlow is that they have tapas style plates – you can order a bunch of things for the table and share – allowing you to try a little bit of everything.

They were out of the secret burger that night, so we went with the steak instead, which came beautifully plated and the flavor did not disappoint.

For dessert we had the smoked chocolate bread pudding with Jacobsen Salt ice cream ($9). The smokey flavor definitely pulled through and the salt just elevated the dish to another level.

My favorite dessert of the night was the buttermilk and lemon pound cake with torched blackberry compote and almond whip ($9). The flavors were simple and clean and yet after licking the plate clean I found myself craving more!

Alden and Harlow

40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA

http://aldenharlow.com/

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How do you pass up a dish called “bacon 3 way”? ($12) This app features pork belly with black pepper and piperade; roasted garlic, bacn jam, and pickled shimeji mushrooms; and brown sugar bacon, Buffalo brussels and local blue cheese.

The crab cake I think, which is no longer on the menu.

The gnocchi, also not on the current menu, was delicious – I loved the dumplings but found myself eating around the veggies. The winter veggies were good, but the dumplings were the star of the dish for me!

We also ordered the brisket (not on the current menu) ($19) served with white bean cassoulet, and caramelized vegetables. The meat was tender and the winter vegetables were a nice, healthy addition to the meal.

The salmon with Brussels sprouts was a light and healthy option. I’m just not  a salmon kind of gal

Apple Upside-down Cake ($7) served with apple butter and cinnamon ice cream for us all to split – I couldn’t get enough of this dessert!

Park

59 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

http://parkcambridge.com/

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Follow the Honey was involved in the dinner I went to over the summer at Cuisine en Locale – see the recap here. I went to the shop on a hunt for Shira Melen’s special honey macarons – made exclusively for Follow the Honey. They did not disappoint – perfectly light and crisp with a hint of sweetness.. Check out my previous post on Shira’s macarons here.

Stop in today and pick up a jar of my favorite honey from Red Bee.

Follow the Honey

1132 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA (Harvard Square)

http://www.followthehoney.com/

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We grabbed a corner table inside. You may know the Sinclair as a live music venue, but have you tried their food?

No donut holes, bummer. So we go with the brunch tots ($8) that come with cheese sauce and red jalapenos. They were good but a little difficult to eat with a fork.

I had the baked French toast with salted bacon fluff (whaaaaat!?!?!?!), maple syrup and fresh berries ($13).

We also had the waffle burger, grass fed beef on a buttermilk waffle bun with shallot jam, applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, fried egg, and maple syrup with a side of tots ($15). One word. AMAZING. All of my favorite things wrapped up into one sandwich! It was little messy to eat, but oh so good.

And the  turkey hash ($14) with turkey, crispy potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, 2 poached eggs and five spice. Another really great, really flavorful dish. Service was ok, considering that it was the tail end of brunch. Will definitely be back again for brunch, everything on the menu looked and sounded delicious.

The Sinclair Kitchen

52 Church Street, Cambridge, MA

http://www.sinclaircambridge.com/kitchen/

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This time, we ate before the music started for the evening.

The restaurant is much lighter and it has a very different feel to it.

We have the smoky chipotle ribs ($14) which were delicious as ever – the meat is so tender and the frozen grapes are a nice contrast.

We have the crispy tuna spring roll ($12) which was pretty tasty, the tuna was super fresh.

We ordered the Inca bowl with skirt steak: Quinoa, Kale, Carrots, Sweet Potato, Avocado, Soy Beans, Hominy, Tomato Posole, Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette ($27). A large portion of food – every bite is delicious – some really nice bold flavors here.

The prime hamburger with bacon and cheddar cheese ($16) was delicious – well season meat and the fries were just the way we love them, thin and crispy.

We also had the chicken picatta ($23) served over gnocchi. I didn’t love this dish as much as my last meal. The gnocchi was tasty, but I wasn’t wowed by the flavoring of the chicken. Again, the portion was generous, I ended up taking half of this home! The service was good tonight. We have been telling all of our friends about Beat Hotel and how it is a “must try”.

Beat Hotel

13 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA

http://www.beathotel.com/

Make a reservation with Open Table.

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