liz

Heck I live between both and why shouldn't I have a great Sun. brunch, even when I'm not traveling? Anybody else in this area love eating out? Tell me more.

betsy

Appetito in Boston's South End has a great Sunday Brunch. There is also a location in Newton Centre--I've never been to that one, but I'm sure they have Sunday brunch also. The Boston location is on Tremont St (between Arlington and Berkeley Sts) and the Newton Centre one is on Centre St.

Beth

I've never been, but I keep hearing great things about the brunch at Henrietta's Table in the Charles Hotel in Cambridge. I went once to the gospel brunch at the House of Blues. The food was only so-so, but it sure was a lot of fun. I'd go again in a minute.

As far as I've been able to discover there are NO great brunches out in the Greater Worcester area. Of course, there are barely any good restaurants out here either I have been to the Sunday brunch at Indian Meadows in Westborough. It wasn't bad, just pretty standard.

Michele

So Liz, you live near 'Woostah'??? I do too. Indian Meadows in Westborough? Puhleeze, no wonder Beth hasn't found a good brunch/restaurant in the Worcester area!

Harlequin's at the Beechwood Hotel (across from the UMass Med. Center), Tatnuck Booksellers used to serve a great brunch, The Old Mill in Westminster (outstanding 'sticky buns').

As far as restaurants are concerned, I have enjoyed very good food in Worcester at Arturo's, Thymes Square on the Hudson, Tatnuck Booksellers, O'Connor's, Nantucket Seafoods, Sweetheart Indian, and in Princeton Sonoma's. There are several others but either I'm drawing a blank or the idea of all that delicious food is making me hungry!

Erin

Here's another vote for Henrietta's Table at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge; an easy ride into the city from your area...

Boss Ton

First of all, this is a GREAT topic--for travelers and locals. Thanks for bringing it up.

The Lenox hotel in Boston's Copley Square has a very good buffet brunch, with a jazz combo. Huge gourmet spread, with everything including:

unlimited fresh squeezed orange juice
various salads
made-to-order omelettes
roasted lamb
several desserts which I had no room for.

When you consider that this equivalent to eating TWO full meals at a fancy restaurant, it is worth the $28 price.


Also, The Hampshire House (on Beacon Street, in the same building as the ridiculous "Cheers Bar" tourist trap) has an elegant brunch (also with jazz combo) in a beautiful dining room which is the library of an old mansion, and has a great view of the Public Garden.

Neal Sanders

Liz, the three great, definitive Sunday brunches in the Boston area are at the Ritz-Carlton, Meridien, and Boston Harbor (at Rowe's Wharf) hotels. All are in the $38-42 per person range, but they are well worth the price.

The Ritz-Carlton's is the toniest, with jacket and tie required for the gentlemen, but the service is just wonderful as is the presentation, and the dining room just drips with Brahmin style. The Meridien has just finished a renovation of its Cafe Fleuri, and having brunch under that huge skylight is terrific on even the grayest day. The Meridien has the most inventive dishes. The Boston Harbor has gotten Boston magazine's "Best of" award for several years, which is a good indicator.

A splurge? Only if your idea of brunch is huevos rancheros and a bloody mary. These three brunches offer a dozen or more "stations," each with 6-12 dishes. If you finish in less than two hours, you hurried. Go. Enjoy.

Beth

has anybody tried the brunch at the Nashoba Winery Restaurant in Bolton? Its another one I've heard very good things about, but have yet to try.

Ann

After being in the deli biz for many years, I guess the thought of going out to brunch is a bit foreign...so we only go "foreign". Our brunch is a Sunday morning, no later than 10am to avoid the huge crowds, in Chinatown, for dim sum. There have been recent threads on this topic, so I won't go into it here, but the price is amazingly reasonable (if you hit $7/per person you'll skip dinner) and the food is the sort you will never prepare for yourself at home! It's really fun. The brunches Neal and Boss Ton describe sound fantastic, but not at all in my price range. Oh well, maybe someday someone will treat!

Oh, by the way, the Appetito in Newton Centre is on Beacon Street, not Centre Street. Never been there for brunch, but dinner was excellent.

liz

Thanks Betsy Beth, Michelle, Erin, Boss ton Ann and Neal.

I was talking about a really important occassion, so these were great picks.

For a great little Italian restaurant at really great prices, we love Michael & Maria's on rte. 122 in Worcester. Call at the number for City Lights a bar upstairs. We also had a good fresh seafood lunch today at the Mattapoisett Chowder House on rte.6. The blueberry pie was good for $1.50, including whip cream on top. Not at all sweet. Want to try the Cactus Grille in Hopkinton, while my husband in on vacation. How about a good French place? Went to NYC last week to find that one.

We're originally from NYC and LI Came here via Florida, NJ and CT, most recently. Been here for 3 years.

Thanks.

Neal Sanders

Liz, one final suggestion: choose a Sunday that isn't otherwise special. Even the best run brunch turns into a zoo on Mothers Day, Fathers Day (etc.) and, in Boston, on "parents' weekend." By choosing one of the "off" weekends, the crowds will be thinner and the service even better.

Amy

By far the most astonishing sunday brunch has been at the Boston Harbor Hotel. 8 tables of different foods to choose from, omelettes cooked to order (of course) filled with naything you wnat including caviar. Oh so decadent.

You've probably eaten and then some since you posted this, but couldn't resist giving you another option!

Neal Sanders

We were at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston for brunch this past Sunday. FYI, the all-new tariff is $52 per person (plus tip and tax). Incredibly, it is still a bargain. Being able to watch the passing parade on the Public Garden from our table made it all worth while.

Ann

Here's my two cents. I did a report on my brunch at the Marriott Long Wharf recently. It was not as pricy as Neal's or Amy's, but the view was probably equal to the Boston Harbor Hotel. Huge selection (Omlettes to roast lamb) and champagne was included for just under $30 including tax/tip, and parking was free for the first two hours.

Christie

The brunch AND the Bloody Mary buffet/bar at East Coast Grille in Cambridge on Sundays is a BLAST, not to mention good.