How To Do Brunch At The Langham Hotel Boston

Brunch at the Langham Hotel Boston is definitely an experience. I have been hearing about it for years now, and finally, as part of a Boston Brunchers event, I made it there yesterday.

After partaking in this incredible morning and afternoon of eating, I decided to compile a list of tips to help you make the most of the brunching experience should you find yourself there some time soon.

Ask good friends to join you, and make a reservation in advance.

Brunch is one of those meals that should be leisurely and fun, and it's best to enjoy good conversation while dining. I shared a table with Melissa, Daisy, Bridget, Lara, Justin, Katie, and Meghan. Renee, Sarah, Emily, Jacki, Athena, Brian, and Bianca sat at a table adjacent to ours.

And I always recommend making reservations for popular dining locations with limited serving hours like this. Reservations are available at 11, 11:30, 1, and 1:30.

Once you settle in at your table, start with a cocktail.

Feel free to have some coffee and orange juice too if you need the caffeine and vitamin C, but don't pass over the cocktail list. Bloody Marys, mimosas, and bellinis are all served at the brunch. A light morning cocktail will help you relax and prepare for all the eating ahead.

I tried a bright, bubbly raspberry bellini.

Take it all in and map it out.

The best way to approach any buffet is to walk around and take a peek at all the offerings before committing to any particular items. You'll be able to figure out exactly what you must try, what you might like to have if there's any room left in your stomach, and what you could pass on.

And then you can come up with a plan of attack.

The brunch options at the Langham range from savory to sweet and somewhat healthy to decadent.

Ask yourself what kind of mood you're in. Do you focus on savory items for breakfast, or do you prefer to mix it up? I tend to like egg dishes, but I often like a bite of a pancake or a waffle too. And because brunch encompasses both breakfast and lunch, I like to have some other more savory dishes (the more lunch-like choices) and follow those up with some sweet, decadent dessert items.

Work in rounds, and don't be afraid to share.

Now that you've got a plan in place, collect the items for your first course. Return to the table and enjoy these items.

Maine Shrimp "Martini" With Boston Lettuce And Organic Tomatoes

I'm not sure why I decided to start with shrimp, perhaps it was the creative presentation in a martini glass, but this ended up being one of my favorite dishes of the day. The tomatoes mingled with the shrimp and provided the perfect complementary flavor.

Jonah Crab And Champagne Gelee

This dish sounded great in theory, but the Champagne flavor with the crab just didn't work for my palate, and I'm thinking maybe I don't really love the texture of a gelee. The crab was tasty on its own.

Roasted Beets, Lakes End Goat Cheese, And A Marcona Almond

This was exceptional. The beets were roasted to perfection and paired so well with the soft, creamy goat cheese. The Marcona almond topping the whole thing off was just the decadence it needed.

Mushroom And Parmesan Phyllo Turnover

 Heavy on the parmesan and light on the mushroom, this was a buttery treat.

Duck Prosciutto Wrapped Roasted Red Pear With Lavender Honey

Sadly, this dish was the only one that fell really short of my expectations. The honey was lovely, but the flavors of the pear and duck prosciutto just didn't work for me.

Take a deep breath after the first round, and move on to the second.

Beef Carpaccio With Truffle Aioli, Arugula, And Parmesan

This goes right up there with the beets for being an exceptional little bite. Not only was this delicious with the permeating truffle oil and hint of sharpness from the Parmesan, but the presentation was beautiful too.

Butternut Squash Agnolotti With Amoretti And Sage

While I absolutely loved the flavors of the agnolotti -- spicy, reminiscent of fall -- I would prefer it to be served hot. It's obvious that these did not get cool by sitting out but rather it was a decision to serve them cold. It definitely has to be difficult to do a ton of hot offerings, so I do understand, but my personal preference would be to cut into these to reveal a steaming filling. Again though, the agnolotti itself was tasty.

Farfalle With Roasted Brussels Sprouts In A Lemon Sauce

This dish was very simple but didn't lack in flavor. I am a huge fan of brussels sprouts, so I loved the use of these oft-overlooked veggies in the dish.

Eggs Benedict With Canadian Bacon And Chive Hollandaise

Eggs Benedict is my usual brunch go-to. I absolutely love the open-faced egg sandwich with a thin slice of Canadian bacon and creamy hollandaise. Sometimes I'm a little disappointed though because the best part of this dish is the runny yolk of the poached egg, mingling with the hollandaise and moistening the crisp English muffin bottom. A lot of places overcook the yolk. Did the Langham's Eggs Benedict pass the test?

Cutting into the Eggs Benedict reveals a perfectly runny yolk

Why, yes, it did. Just look at that beautiful runny yolk. This was definitely one of the more filling things I ate, but it was worth every bite.

Lobster Mac And Cheese

This is where the sharing tip comes in handy. Bridget actually brought this little pot of mac and cheese back to the table and very kindly offered me a bite. A bite is all I needed of this cheesy, warming dish. By sharing, I was able to taste the lobster mac and cheese but not fill up on it.

Honey Strawberry Banana Smoothie

I just had to get one of these smoothies because of the adorable little glass it's served in. The light, fruity smoothie ended up being the perfect thing to help me transition from my savory courses to a sweet course.

I went back up to fill another plate and while I was wandering around, deciding what to get, Daisy passed along a little tip: I could get a crepe with a splash of St. Germain. Sold!

I headed over to the crepe station and ordered a vanilla crepe with dark chocolate, strawberries, and St. Germain. And on the way back to the table, I picked up a mini belgian waffle, which I doused with some raspberry sauce and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Both the crepe and the waffle were such a treat!

Strawberry And Chocolate Crepe With St. Germain And Belgian Waffle With Raspberry Sauce And Whipped Cream

While I was gone, a woman had come by with a basket of just-made, warm beignets. Meghan shared half of hers with me, and I relished each bite of the sugary doughnut.

Warm Beignet

After I switched to these sweet items, I started to feel full, and once I spied Katie's prime rib, I thought that would be just the thing I needed to shake up my system. Usually, once I have something sweet, that signifies that I'm done eating, but since I wanted to keep eating a couple more rounds, I figured something savory would do the trick. I headed back up to the buffet for more food.

Shrimp And Ginger Dim Sum With Soy Dip

This was another dish that had been decidedly served cold. I usually love dumplings, and while I enjoyed these, I would have liked them much more if they were piping hot.

Prime Rib With Horseradish Cream

The meat was tender and juicy, and the horseradish cream, while on the mild side, added just enough flavor. I am one of those people who only likes their meat when it's on the rare side, so this prime rib was right up my alley.

Finally, I was ready to finish up the brunch with some desserts.

Triple Chocolate Cake

I think here a picture is worth a thousand words. This rich, decadent, moist chocolate cake was every bit as good as it looks.

White Chocolate Strawberry Parfait

I honestly took this by accident. I saw blueberry panna cotta next to this and thought it was strawberry panna cotta. I don't usually love white chocolate desserts, but this was pretty good, as the strawberry is the stronger flavor in the pairing.

Raspberry Mousse Dome

There weren't any of these left when I went to pick out my desserts, but Melissa shared a bite of hers with me. The mousse sits on top of a thin wafer and has a refreshing raspberry flavor.

One of the dessert tables

Lucky for me, Daisy correctly selected a blueberry panna cotta and shared with me. She knows panna cotta is one of my favorite desserts. This one was incredible.

And then... I threw in the towel.

One final thought: Don't forget to take breaks.

There's a lot of food to get through, and it's okay to stop in between rounds. This gives you the opportunity to chat with friends, snap some pictures, and lean back in your chair and enjoy the live music.

So... are you ready to do brunch?


A huge thank you to Renee of Boston Brunchers and the Langham Hotel Boston for putting together this awesome opportunity. I won my spot at the brunch and therefore only paid for my drink, drink tax, and tip. As always, even though the Langham provided us brunch free of charge, these thoughts and opinions are my own.