Ah, Sunday Brunch!
A great tradition if ever there were one.
What better way to start the day or (for the more ambitious) to take a break from your day of rest?
And where better to do either than right in the heart of downtown?
That is what makes the recently-returned brunch at Turner Fisheries such a perfect treat.
For $39 per person ($19 for children under 12), the attentive and international team at Turner turn on the charm and turn out a four-course meal that is fit for a king or queen.
As you enter from either the street level (which, as it sits across the street from the Boston Public Library, makes Turners a great spot for a “study break”) or the Copley Place Mall (no explanation necessary), your natural light-bathed path will take either own the winding back stairs and past the long and inviting mirror-backed bar or straight to the friendly and attentive hosts. Either way, you will immediately notice the deep blues and browns reminiscent of the sea and shore from which Turners takes its tantalizing treasures; a theme that is enhanced by stained glass set with bronze clam shells and batik-y murals of dolphins and other sea creatures. The low and cozy booths are punctuated by oversized lamp shades that bring a verticality to the place, pointing back up to the second floor entryway and the angled open windows. In the background, chipper Jazz from the likes of Cole, David, Ellington, and Fitzgerald pipes in at just the right volume to be pleasing without interrupting your conversation and dining.
Ah yes, the dining- That is the reason you are here.
And a very good reason it is!
Depending upon your tastes, you can kick off the gustatory excursion with either a selection of fresh juices or such traditional brunch beverages as floating vodka Bloody Marys and sparkling Mimosas. As you consider the rest of the courses to come, the wait staff take your “water order” (tap or bottled) and offer a light and tasty selection of homemade pastries (muffins, cornbread, croissant, and peasant breads) with a hand-canned jar of preserves. The basket is tempting, but beware- there is a lot yet to come.
Among the selections available for the “first bites” section (of which diners may chose two) are a succulent and soufflé soft taste of Brioche French toast, an award-winning clam chowder, the house’s signature clams casino, a parfait of tangy Greek yogurt and sweet and chewy granola and dried cranberries, an egg and sausage quesadilla or some simple exotic fruits. May we recommend choosing different options from your dining companions so that you may all sample as many as possible?
Next up is the main event (a.k.a., the “large bites” section). Among the offerings here are
A potato crusted rack of lamb, a pan seared lemony chicken breast, a grilled Atlantic salmon, a lobster frittata and a grilled flat iron steak. Though the choices are fewer, they are just as difficult, as each option is beautifully presented and delicious. And if the main course selection were not difficult enough, each “big bite” comes with a choice of one “side bite,” the list of which includes a thick and fluffy pancake of hash browns, a fresh and flavorful chopped salad, a creamy combo of spinach and artichokes, and double smoked bacon.
Once you have made all of these many choices, the greatest challenge still awaits- Dessert!
From a “designer” ice cream sundae resting in a hand-shaped almond cup and topped with Jimmies (ask someone from Boston) and a shot of bittersweet chocolate sauce to a gigantic lavender, infused crème brulée to a blood orange and kiwi salad (for you dieters) to a design-your-own chocolate dessert that offers its own choices of multiple mousses and a bevy of fresh fruit fillings, you can’t go wrong, but you my be able to go more right.
All of these many offerings are served on a variety of plates that, while diverse in size and shape, keep to a clean theme as they continue to fill the table. The challenge then falls to you to make each one disappear. And while the challenge may appear daunting, it is one you should eagerly take up, for while you may not be able to eat again after finishing it all (or as much as you can), you may never want to eat anywhere else on Sundays either. And with all the may choices, you can easily and happily pass at least a month of Sundays without ever retracing your culinary steps.
Turner Fisheries
Ten Huntington Avenue (at the Westin Copley Place), Boston, MA
617 424 7425