St. James Room @ Fairmont Copely Place Hotel

I was disappointed when a few weeks ago I stopped by the Oak Room for the much desired (at least by me) Oysters Rockefeller only to find them closed.  Last weekend when I took an out-of-town friend there and they were still closed, I asked the doormen what was going on.  Unfortunately The Oak Room will reopen in the summer...

So I was forced to walk around to the St. James room.  I was not totally disappointed.
The floor manager/hostess was pleasant and even checked with the chef to see if he was able to make the oyster for me that evening.
NOTE: If you are going alone and not in a social mood, I would recommend checking out another place in the area.  The bar does not have stools for individuals to sit.  Instead it is surrounded by a 'lounging scene' with table and chairs set for 2 or more guests.

The bartender and general manager were friendly and accommodating.  Our drink orders remained simple: Black Label and a Champagne with St. Germain.

We started with a hearty crab cake served over a roasted red pepper coulis.  The cake was large, meaty, and seasoned well, but the binding could use some work.  It fell apart almost immediately.  I was NOT a fan of the lobster roll.  I can usually deal with cold lobster rolls if there is a rich mix/dressing/sauce on the meat and the bread roll stands out.  In this case, the lobster was fresh and tasty, but the dish overall left much to be desired.  The salmon entree was lovely.  The salmon was perfectly cooked and seasoned and served with a grilled garlic clove and a gravy boat of the roasted pepper coulis that came with the crab cake.  The coulis was unnecessary as the salmon was seasoned to perfection.

The atmosphere in the lounge area and the more formal small dining area is pretty low key...dark and intimate.  Though on this particular evening, the Patriots were beating Denver to a pulp and the crowd (spilling over from a wedding reception) was loud and rambunctious at times...I chocked it up to being the Boston way!

Brunch @ Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, 528 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (Kenmore Square)

ES has always been a fabulous place to meet up to sample their classic and signature cocktails around their beautiful expansive bar.

My first Brunch here was amazing!
The quiche of the day was a mushroom, spinach, and feta quiche served with a fresh arugula salad.  The crust was thick but flaky and buttery.

The slow roasted brisket hash was delightful!  Tender portions of brisket, home fried potatoes, roasted red bell peppers, in a light jus with a poached egg atop.  This dish was great!  It was served in a small skillet.

My companion had the pancakes and cheddar omelet with bacon on the side, which he seemed to enjoy.

With our meals, we had brunch cocktails from either side of the spectrum.  Him, with a classic Irish Coffee (just Jameson, no Baileys and of course no whipped cream).  Me, with a modern cocktail called the Corio Coupe described as an aperitif cocktail of apricot vodka & bubbles.  It had a nice kick and beautiful color, garnished with a slice of apricot.

We both finished with classic whiskey smash (bourbon muddled with mint and lemon garnished with a sprig of mint).

The hostess and wait staff were fantastic as per usual.

I recommend adding Eastern Standard to your list of favorite Boston brunch spots as I have!

Also check out their great dinner and late night menus!

http://easternstandardboston.com/
Eastern Standard accepts reservations via www.Opentable.com