I get bored really easily. I hate doing the same thing over and over again and I’ve been known to say that “change alone is good for change’s sake.” As a kid I loved rearranging the furniture in my room so that I could wake up to a new environment. In general, I love diversity and I’m always looking to see, taste, and experience new things.
How does this translate to food? Well, for one, I love family-style dining because it allows you to try many more dishes at one meal. In fact, I really dislike the traditional Western way of dining which typically involves 1) a big chunk of meat 2) a side of vegetables, and 3) a side of carbs. I get so bored working my way through that hunk of meat.
This is exactly why I love the concept of buffets. At a buffet, not only can you choose from a huge variety of dishes, you also have absolute control over the portion sizes of each different dish.
Of course there are drawbacks. The food at a buffet usually cannot be nearly as refined. Furthermore, buffet food needs to taste good long after it’s been cooked, since it sits under those heat lamps or warming stations for an indefinite amount of time.
In spite of all that, there are a few buffets around Boston that have nailed this challenge and are able to serve very good food in the buffet format. Join me as I take you down the fantastic Sunday Brunch buffet line at the Blue Room in One Kendall Square, Cambridge.
Mesclun Greens with Mango Vinaigrette
Beet and Cucumber Salad
Chinese Noodle Salad
Watermelon Soup
I loved this one – I think it was one of my favorite dishes!
Mahi Mahi Ceviche
Top Left: Scrambled Eggs; Top Right: Avocado Quesadillas; Bottom Left: Grilled Salmon with Chunky Fennel Vinaigrette; Bottom Right: Roasted Lamb
Buttermilk Pancakes
Enrique’s Famous Home Fries
House made pork sausage
Sweet Plaintains with Chipotle Ketchup
Barbecued Ribs
Braise Beef Brisket
Awesome Dessert Table
Banana Walnut Bread Pudding, Dark Rum Orange Cheesecake, Hazelnut Biscotti, Raisin Scones, Lemon Buttermilk Pudding, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Apple Tart Tatin, Chocolate Nut Brownies, Fresh fruit, bread
The Blue Room cooks manage to keep the buffet food fresh by preparing small batches and constantly refilling the dishes. Although you have a few standards such as buttermilk pancakes, most of the dishes have a creative twist to them, which makes it fun if you are an adventurous eater who doesn’t mind veering from the norm.
For a buffet, this food is very very good. It still doesn’t quite match the nicest sit-down meals I’ve had. Nevertheless, it’s still a great bargain at $23, especially considering the quality and the diversity of food that you get. You couldn’t pay me enough to cook all that!
This is so not your average brunch buffet!
$23 includes coffee, tea, and that crazy dessert spread you saw in the pictures earlier. They even had French macarons the last time I was there! You can check out the online menu here, although keep in mind they often add seasonal, off-menu items to the buffet. For example, summery items such as the beet & cucumber salad and the watermelon soup are not on the regular menu.
Seating is limited, as they only take two reservation times (11am or 1pm). Brunch ends at 2:30pm.
Definitely make a reservation if you don’t want to wait for a seat!
The Blue Room
1 Kendall Sq
Cambridge, MA 02139
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LOVE the Blue Room for their brunch. It is a bit pricey but it for those special occasion brunches!
I just had lunch at the Blue Room and was thinking I needed to bring my camera along some time so I could post about it. I’ve never been to brunch there, but it does look really interesting. Definitely not run-of-the-mill offerings!
wow, what a spread! i bet my dad would love to go there when he’s in town 🙂
This place is typically SUPER busy on Mother’s Day, but interestingly, Bryan and I went on Father’s Day and we were able to land a seat with no wait! I guess most fathers prefer different types of food? In any event, if you do take your dad there, maybe you’d be able to get a table w/o any trouble. 🙂
For some reason I always thought their brunch was more expensive then that (in the $40 range). Thanks for correcting that misconception 🙂 Now I can’t wait to go! It is pricey, but if you go to the 1pm sitting I’m guessing it can be breakfast, lunch and all you need is a light dinner.