Lineage Review

Overall rating: 83

Food rating: 85

Lineage: Good food in Coolidge Corner

We first went to Lineage a number of years ago, and I remember thinking the waitress serving us seemed overly snooty for the quality of the food. We didn't go back for a long time, but recently my wife wanted to try Lineage again as she recalled enjoying the food a fair bit.

On this recent second visit, our waiter was friendlier and more attentive, and the place had a reasonably welcoming feel. On a Saturday night it was a somewhat older crowd than I might have imagined, not that I should talk....

Lineage is just off Coolidge Corner in Brookline, and we had no trouble finding metered parking on a Saturday evening. The space is moderate, tables aren't too close to each other, and the noise level is fine, though for some reason it doesn't have a romantic date feel to it.

I started with a cocktail that our waiter said was their signature: the bee keeper; it was rye with honey, coriander, and lemon, and was nice enough but tasted mostly like a whiskey sour and so was not as interesting as the description. A later glass of wine was excellent for the price.

Dinner rolls were delicious, and I would happily have had a second had it ever been offered. For appetizers, I got an heirloom pumpkin soup that was extremely creamy and seemed as if it had some cheese in it (I wrote that and then went to their online menu and note that the cheese was pecorino, something I apparently hadn't noticed while ordering; it also had walnut oil drizzled on top). The soup was good, if something of an odd color. My wife got the lobster tacos (their signature appetizer, per our waiter, made with avocado mousse and mango salsa) and had two complaints: the lobster was disturbingly cold, and the mango wasn't quite ripe. By the time I tasted one of the tacos, it had warmed up a little, and I thought the preparation was delicious but for the under-ripe mango.

For an entree, I got monkfish, prepared with an eggplant/olive/amaranth accompaniment. The monkfish was tasty but just slightly overcooked. The accompaniment was extremely tasty and made the dish. My wife got the scallops with parsnip puree, pomegranate, and Brussels sprouts. The scallops were also slightly overcooked, but more importantly the whole dish while perfectly tasty was less interesting than many other scallop dishes we've eaten at good restaurants in and around Boston (where scallops are always on the menu).

We left before dessert as none of the ones on the menu sounded that interesting.

Overall, Lineage was better than I had remembered it and worse than my wife had remembered it. The food seemed appropriately priced for the quality, and the drinks were a good value. There are similar quality and value restaurants closer to us, but if I were eating in Coolidge Corner, Lineage seems like a nice option.

Bergamot Review

Overall rating: 88

Food rating: 88

Bergamot: Very good restaurant and a nice value

Bergamot is on the Somerville/Cambridge border, and since first going there a few years ago, we've headed back pretty regularly. They serve locally sourced foods that they describe as "progressive American", and are in the same general ballpark in terms of cuisine as a place like Craigie on Main but are less meat-centric and less likely to serve odd cuts. The food is not as intermittently amazing as what you can get at Craigie, but is typically reliable and tasty. Mixed drinks and wines are quite good and reasonably priced.

The location can be a bit hard to spot, but they have a small parking lot attached to the building complex where you can usually find a spot, and there is also free on street parking available. The dining room is airy and welcoming, and generally the acoustics make it possible to talk and listen.

On a recent visit, I had short rib ravioli for an appetizer. This was tasty but perhaps a bit under-seasoned. For an entree, I had sea breem that was cooked perfectly: light and flaky and with a crispy skin. Dessert was a "caramelized banana Bavarian", which was a deconstructed dessert as is typical of Bergamot. It was served with Chantilly and peanuts and was quite good.

Bread served with the dinner was excellent as usual, and they always serve interesting flavored butters for the bread. Service was helpful but not intrusive.

Bergamot has a prix fixe (appetizer, entree, dessert) every night for $39, and this is definitely a draw. It is probably the least expensive high quality food that you can get in the Boston area on a Friday or Saturday night.

All this said, I don't want to imply that this is a cheap restaurant with mediocre food -- it's one of the better restaurants in the Boston area. Meals there are consistently enjoyable. However, not far from Bergamot are places like Oleana, TW, Hungry Mother, and Craigie, all of which are more likely to wow you, but at a higher price point. Although the menu at Bergamot isn't large, there's enough variety that almost anyone looking for good food can eat there and have an enjoyable meal at a very reasonable price.