Celebrations often include a meal out at someplace special. I’ve recently been fortunate enough to have had two celebrations that were marked with dining in Boston. The first was a reunion with college friends. For some time, I had had my eye on high tea (or “classic afternoon tea”) at the Boston Public Library, so I suggested it when the topic of meals came up in planning our special weekend. Tea at the BPL lived up to expectations and added an elegant, celebratory note to our reunion.
Once seated in the beautiful Courtyard Tea Room, we were each handed an old book with the tea menu tucked inside, which was a lovely touch. There were 20 teas to choose from, ranging from more typical such as oolong, a jazzed-up Earl Grey, and varieties of green tea, to herbal, latte, (the chai latte was delicious), and even iced tea. Choosing one’s tea was the only decision of the meal. It was served in individual pots, after which a parade of preset goodies commenced, starting with seasonal soup and salad; ours was cauliflower-apple with a quinoa salad.
The centerpiece of the experience, besides the tea, of course, was a three-tiered tower of goodies, starting with the bottom tier that held an array of six types of small sandwiches, including mini lobster rolls (when in Boston!) and the classic cucumber sandwich. The middle tier offered a delightful selection of four types of mini pastries from macaroons to flavorful pumpkin cupcakes. Chai spice and traditional (plain) scones with small ramekins of decadently thick Devonshire cream, lemon curd, and marmalade topped the tier. Though the items were small, there were plenty. No one left hungry. Service was excellent (one friend had called ahead and requested gluten-free, which was cheerfully accommodated).
Tea at the Boston Public Library is run by The Catered Affair. Reservations are recommended and can be made online. If you are a group of seven to 15 you will need to complete an online form to check availability. All bookings are for 90 minutes.
On the waterfront
A month or so later, I celebrated a birthday that we wrapped into a family weekend in Boston. I had read an article in the online restaurant site eater.com about new restaurants in Boston and was captivated by photos of Mida on East Boston’s waterfront. (This location joins others in Newton and Boston’s South End). So, we booked it for a birthday lunch. It was so warm the day we visited that I wondered if we would have the option of sitting on Mida’s patio. Alas, no outside seating is offered in December, but the floor-to-ceiling windows still gave us the amazing view across sparkling water to Boston’s skyline. A large bar centers the space, with three sides for bar seating. Tables run along the three windowed walls. Decor is trendy, yet nautical. It’s the view that makes the place special. We could imagine night views being even better.
For our meal, we started with arancini, rice fritters, which were nicely crisp with just enough tart marinara. For the main course, our younger daughter loves mussels, so ordered those, while her sister went for the Mida Slam (eggs, bacon, sourdough toast, roast potatoes and a pancake). Dad ordered the crispy chicken sandwich, and I ordered the clam pie mentioned in the eater.com review; it is offered only at the East Boston location. This pizza had white sauce, not tomato, along with marinated clams, peppers, parsley, and grana padano cheese.
The mussels were well-seasoned and in a delicious broth, but slightly overcooked. The “Mida Slam” was a lot of tasty food, especially the super crisp roasted potatoes, though my daughter did not love that the maple syrup was accidentally spilled out of the side cup onto the plate before serving. The pancake probably should have been served on its own plate. My husband really enjoyed the chicken sandwich, which was dressed with tomato aioli and raisin jam. “It sounds odd,” he said, “ but it really makes the sandwich.” The clam pie had a thin crust with a slight char, and a good mix of flavors. Its grana padano, which is like Parmesan, was pleasantly crunchy from the oven.
Because we had noted my birthday when we made the online reservation, Mida treated us to a tiramisu dessert, including a candle, served in a fun way: The espresso was poured over the dessert at the table. Little nibs of espresso beans added a satisfying crunch to the silky dessert. Delicious!
Alice Bartram leaves much of the cooking to her husband, though she has many Instagram-saved recipes that she’ll get to one day as, really, she finds eating out more fun than cooking.
