Henrietta's Table, Cambridge, MA

Last week the The Quest for the Perfect Brunch turned one year old. And we wanted to celebrate in style. Where else could we go than to Henrietta's Table, the mother of all brunches in the metro-Boston area????
Henrietta's has been awarded "Best brunch in Boston" by the Improper Bostonian for the past 10 years. And rightly so. The all-you-can-eat buffet is decadent and fresh, covering a raw bar (all-you-can eat oysters!, shrimps, smoked salmon and gravlax); a grilled vegetable and salad station; a nice variety of local and imported cheeses, terrines and pates; pastries; several hot plates (including eggs Benedict, pasta, fish, chicken and beef), made-to-order omelets and a luscious dessert table.

You can have as much as you want of any of this, plus unlimited

OJ and coffee for the not so moderate amount of $45. The secret

is to skip dinner the night before and the night after and pack up three meals in one! We ate so much that we couldn't even think of eating anything else for the rest of the day. Not only did we have our favorites ---Diego had one egg Benedict (now he is complaining he should have had more!) and I indulged in at least one quarter pound of lox on a bagel with scallion cream cheese--- but we also tried steak, goat cheese and mushroom pasta, waffles, pates, potato and caesar salads, peach cobbler cheesecake, and countless of other things.

Henrietta's also has a very interesting and complete menu of cocktails and wines. But, as much as we would have enjoyed a Bloody Mary or a Strawberry Rhubarb Martini we had to keep our budget under control... Maybe next year if, when we celebrate the second anniversary, we are also celebrating a higher income! In any case, the free flowing coffee (a bit on the light side if you like strong roasts) and OJ kept us hydrated throughout.

It is not only that the food is tasty, fresh and

made from local and organic ingredients. The ambiance of the restaurant is that of a sun-filled New England farm, relaxed but elegant. The servers are quick, efficient, unintrusive and very friendly. And, with so much food around you can sit back and enjoy a paced, quiet and long meal without being rushed out or bothered by endless churn.

And there's always the casual celebrity sighting...this time we had Rene Russo brunching a few tables from us.

So, is this the perfect brunch? Well if it's not, it comes in pretty close. They have everybody's

favorites and then some. And they even have outdoor seating (although this last weekend with the record heat wave, outside seating was a big no-no!) and a relaxing atmosphere. Who said money doesn't solve it all? Unless, of course, you are on a budget..., or your brunch favs are pancakes (I guess it is just impossible to make them to order and get them right each time), or like your bennys straight out of the kitchen, or you don't live in MA...

The quest lives on!