Ryles Jazz Club, Cambridge, MA

Ryles is a symbol of Inman Sq., much as S&S -the deli across the street, of the same owners- is. It is THE place to go to listen to jazz musicians (known and unknown), and to go dancing on its upper level dance floor. On Sundays, they hold a Sunday Jazz Brunch, which features the same menu as S&S (an S&S-specific review will come in the near future) but on a more somber room, with plenty of space between the tables and a calmer and more relaxed atmosphere. This tranquility is created, paradoxically, by the live jazz band that is playing. On the Sunday we went it was the Yoko Miwa trio. And they were so good that, even though people kept chatting and brunching, the noise level in the room was ridiculously low. So, it was possible to have a nice and lively conversation without rising one's voice (not bad, considering we were less than three feet from the stage) and without being constantly interrupted by loud laughs from the next table (as it is sometimes the case at S&S). This is particularly surprising as there were large parties brunching and many kids running around. Apparently, jazz seems to have a hypnotic effect on the kids, and they were most content with open-mouthedly staring at the stage without interacting with the other brunchers.
In addition, the waiters were pretty inconspicuous and non-intrusive while, at the same time being perfectly attentive and aware of the tables' needs.
So, what did we have? By now, you should know what constitutes the usual for us... well, at least for Diego. He had "Eggs Copenhagen" which replaces the traditional bacon or ham in Eggs Benedict with one slice of thickly-cut smoked salmon. They looked great:
but Diego complained of one egg being slightly runny. His plate also came with homefries, which I found to be on the dull side, as they were closer to have been boiled and then sauteed with onions rather than actually being fried. Diego explained that they were in the jewish tradition, S&S being a New York-style deli and all. He still did not convince me.
But, I got to have my favorite brunch dish; which is everywhere in New York, but a rare find in Boston.... I had bagel and lox!
The salmon was great. Being a deli, they have such a large demand of cold cuts and smoked fish, that everything is super fresh. What else can you ask from lox? On top of this, I ordered a strawberry mimosa which seemed as if it was prepared with fresh OJ and strawberries (I did not ask if this was indeed the case) and tasted delicious. My only criticism, if any, is that I was not asked what type of bagel I wanted... I really did not care, but maybe someone else will.
So, I guess that while it was not the perfect brunch, they do have pretty decent versions of our perfect brunch plates and a really nice atmosphere. We are getting closer...