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The Fireplace welcomes guests to brunch with warm potato bread, but it would be a shame not to order some freshly made apple cider doughnuts ($2.50 each). The cinnamon flavored treats are served with a trio of gooey dipping sauces: Deep dark chocolate, sticky butterscotch, and a tangy apple cider. And, they’re good at either end of the meal.
However, the demurely delicious pizza topped with house-cured salmon ($14) and a creamy mild New England soft cheese, somewhat like a richer crème fraiche, makes a nice savory starter, to share. Or not. The slight saltiness of the salmon is wrapped in the light creamy cheese and the thin crust adds crisp texture. It’s a very grown-up pizza, indeed.
Among the entrees is a selection of hash, including a crispy duck ($16) with fried eggs and toast. The duck is roasted with duck fat and has a rich, nutty flavor. Turkey and vegetarian ($15/$13), each with poached eggs, are also offered. The colorful salads section numbers a tuna tatare ($17) with arugula, shaved fennel, and frisee lettuce, which are a tossed together in a punchy, piquant cracked olive vinaigrette and served with a “27-year-old” sour dough crisp, named for the age of the yeast in the bread’s starter dough.
Though the décor of this Brookline favorite four miles southwest of Boston is modern and split over two floors, it has a rich warmth to it. Vintage American flags greet the eye, with one denoting the original 13 colonies of the new world. Small portraits of John and Abigail Adams indicate the bathrooms. The restaurant is inspired by New England traditions and appropriately, this being greater Boston, there’s a side dish of those famous baked beans. The Fireplace’s are a tender, sweet smoky stew served with fruit bread ($6).
There are many meticulously researched colonial era dishes, too. A fruit buckle ($8.50) pudding pairs lightly stewed fruit with a biscuity base that absorbs the fruit juices during baking, something like a bread pudding might. It’s topped with a brown sugar and nut crumble, combining two old English recipes in a way. The Maine wild blueberry and Friendship Farm cream cheese ice cream ($8.50), which is made to the restaurant’s recipe by a local creamery, examples the modern culinary principles: ingredients are chosen for the lightest carbon footprint and sourced from sustainable practicing farmers, and preferably local and organic. The Fireplace is certified by the Green Restaurant Association.
There’s another New England tradition that welcomes guests when they walk through the door, too: The Fireplace, in this case one that burns real logs. Originally, the fireplace was the heart of a Boston home. In cold weather, it’s still a really warm welcome.
Brunch at The Fireplace – $12/$18
Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.