The thing about fine dining is that you leave the restaurant comfortable. That cuts both ways for me. Within an hour of the meal, my girlfriend asked me, "did you eat something yet?"
Harvest has been home to New England's most celebrated chefs. Think Lydia Shire, Chris Schlesinger, Barbara Lynch, Frank McClelland, Sara Moulton, Bob Kinkead and Scott Bryan. Now the kitchen belongs to Chef Mary Dumont and she put together a great meal. The food told the story of the seasons and was New England with French inspiration: a veritable mix of the Seine and Charles. I think that's supposed to sound appetizing?
Ambience: Tucked along a cobblestone pathway, the restaurant decor delivers on what its name promises and provides understated elegance. We were seated facing an outdoor patio with a fire burning.
Source: Architecture Boston
Variety: We had a set meal for Restaurant Week ($38) that featured three courses. There were two vegetarian starter options, and one entree option. I was pretty happy with each course, though I would have liked to choose between entrees rather than giving the nod to the only one I could eat.
Organic Mixed Greens: Great Hill Blue Cheese Terrine, Walnuts & Cider Gastrique
Wild Mushroom Tart: Quinoa, Parsnips, Spring Onions & Herb Salad
Lime Gingersnap Parfait: Lemon Ginger Sauce & Raspberries
Quality: The idea of the restaurant was to celebrate New England ingredients and styles. Harvest made farm-to-fork New England cool before most other restaurants caught-on. And I found innovation in each course. The problem was that I just couldn't connect to the food. And that's usually not a problem for me. I usually connect a little too much with my food. Not sure what was missing. It was a great meal, but forgettable.
Bottom line: Give it a shot. People that know much more about food than I do love this place. I personally think there are better options at this price-point for vegetarians.
http://www.harvestcambridge.com/
Nice photos!
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