The whole point of the week, is the weekend – Angela Montenegro

I had been looking forward to eating Brunch at Harvest since I first saw the pastry creations their pastry chef made and shared on Instagram. Sometimes it’s hype, sometimes it’s real, and in Harvest’s case, it was all real. From start to finish every interaction we had was real and wonderful. Hector our server made us feel completely welcome and Jeff the general manager made sure we were taken care of every step of the way.

We were seated in a cozy corner next to the window and fireplace. Really, the perfect place if you ask me. I remember saying, “oh I love it in this corner, I have the light for my photos and the fire to stay cozy and warm”. The restaurant is warm and inviting and they have a gorgeous patio area that has string lights, heaters, and a gas fireplace. This was a great addition to their already inviting indoor dining.

Harvest has been around for over 40 years in Harvard Square, a legitimate New England staple, and I can see why. They have a sumptuous menu filled with old classics and modern twists on old classics, inventive patisserie, and tasty cocktails. Everything we ate from start to finish was perfectly done and left us constantly wanting more no matter how full we got.

We went for brunch on a cold, Sunday afternoon. Harvard Square as of late, like most of the city, has been very quiet lately. It was a tad bit surreal going to a previously bustling city and seeing how much it has changed. It reminds me how much restaurants rely on tourism, foot traffic, and local supporters. For a staple like Harvest even more so as they have been around for so long. We parked and took the quick walk over to Brattle street which is where Harvest is located. Immediately upon arriving, we knew it was going to be a good time. I tend to always know how people treat you and the vibe you get off a place. Harvest gave off such a good vibe that I couldn’t wait to eat.

We ordered a variety of items off the Brunch menu and I would’ve ordered more if our stomachs could have taken it.

Cocktails

Harvest Sangria

Kumquat Duet

Eclairs

Savory and Sweet

Starters

East Coast Oysters

Entrees

Benedict

Buttermilk Pancakes

Desserts

French Macaron Trio

Housemade Ice Cream/Sorbet

Cheesecake

The cocktails we started off with were super refreshing, Ani had her Harvest sangria that was strong and fruity and I had the Kumquat Duet which was a gin-based drink. Super tasty and refreshing

Harvest Sangria: Red wine, citrus, apple cinnamon & ginger | Kumquat Duet: Bay infused Gin, cranberry+kumquat, kumquat shrub, port-rosemary gastrique

The eclairs, OH MY GOD. So we decided to go with both options for the eclairs, and the second we received them I felt like Paul Hollywood on the Great British Bake-off show, I was admiring how well the choux was made, how the filings were piped, and then I took that first bite. I was completed unprepared for the savory eclair, my brain thought it was going to be sweet and was pleasantly surprised by that parmesan mousse. The sweet eclair took me on a sweet trip down rum raisin road, so perfectly done.

Savory Eclair: prosciutto, parmesan mousse

Sweet Eclair: almond cream and rum raisin

Fun story about oysters. I first tried oysters a week before lockdown in March of 2020 at a local restaurant in Newburyport, MA. I had always been wary of trying but made the leap into the world of oysters since it was part of the supper club menu we were at. Fast forward to my second time eating oysters here at Harvest I went in with the expectation I would like them as much as I did before. Well, I was wrong, I LOVED THEM even more. They were east coast oysters, two different varieties. One was fresher and more citrusy and the other darker and smokey. ( Is this proper oyster language?)  Regardless, they were perfect.

East Coast Oysters: mignonette, cocktail sauce, lemon

We went with two entrees for sharing, one savory and one sweet.  I feel like you must always do this with brunch. The pancakes were fluffy and so delicious. Loved the touch of coconut and blood orange. The benedict was super flavorful and the side salad was the second star of this entree. The dressing was delightful in every way and a perfect complement to the richness of the hollandaise.

Benedict: housemade bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise, English muffin, home fries & salad

Buttermilk Pancakes: toasted coconut, blood orange, whipped cream, Vermont maple syrup

By the end of this meal, as you can imagine were stuffed but decided to get a dessert so we could try. The GM then brought us a couple more to try on top of that, so we got our fill of sweet things. Everything was so tasty and unique, the cilantro sorbet? Wow was that good.

Housemade cilantro sorbet, such a great palate cleanser and so good.

Cheesecake with brittle and pomegranate. Super unique.

Such a great experience at Harvest, I really can’t wait to go back and try other options on the menu. Thanks again to the team for making us feel so welcome and making our brunch so amazing.

Such a great spread, we enjoyed every minute of it!

xoxo,

Life as a Maven