The holidays and colder temps are upon us. ’Tis the season to shop and feast, and what better way to do so than a warm and cozy brunch with friends after a trip to the mall or hitting the gym. I’ve got my regular local stops of Source, the Margeaux Supper Club and Half Shell around the corner, but am always open for something new and far-flung – something that’s not a 10-minute waddle from my apartment. My latest comfort discovery is Puritan & Co. in Inman Square, a place we know well for its seafood (at the adjacent Oyster Bar) and savory fare; for brunch, the folks at Puritan serve up killer pastries, fresh oysters and the best hash and eggs you may ever have.
Puritan & Co. is the base for Will Gilson and his Cambridge Street Hospitality Group, which also runs destination eateries Cafe Beatrice, The Lexington and Geppetto in Cambridge Crossing as well as the ever excellent Middle Eastern accented Amba in East Cambridge’s First Street Market. The delta between Puritan proper and the Oyster Bar is negligible – on one side you can get a stuffed quail, on the other, caviar cones and a seafood tower. At Gilson’s establishments, service, quality and consistency are job one, and you can taste it.
Puritan’s lesser known as a brunch spot, but is a cozy, intimate spot for group meetups even if the group has widely varying tastes in midday meals: This menu has a shakshuka, brown butter pancakes and fish tacos. Be sure to check out the the alluring pastries at the end of the bar – if not as a side, as a snack for later on at home. Also, since that Oyster Bar is next door, you can start your nosh with some big, plump shellfish. The Breakfast Summer Sangria (passion fruit, grapefruit and bubbles, still on the menu despite the season) is another refreshing start or a side sip to go with your coffee.
Get the turkey tip hash and eggs and prepare to be wowed. The tips are so tender and juicy they can be pulled apart with a fork like perfectly braised or pulled pork. Lean and delicious, they are unlike any turkey tips you’ve had. The fancy hash comes with golden potatoes and roasted peppers and is topped with perfectly done sunny-side up eggs and honey mustard crema to add a flavorfully nuanced accent. It’s so satiating and different, you’ll wish Puritan was open Saturday so you could come two days in a row. (Alas, Puritan is Sundays-only for brunch.)
Puritan & Co., 1166 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge
Cambridge writer Tom Meek’s reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in WBUR’s The ARTery, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, The Rumpus, The Charleston City Paper and SLAB literary journal. Tom is also a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and rides his bike everywhere.
A stronger
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.
We are now a 501(c)3 nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.
Please consider a recurring contribution.
