Red, Green… Blue!(stone Lane)
After nearly autopiloting into Felipe’s Taqueria just two doors down — an honest mistake, I promise — a friend and I encountered a serendipitous breath of fresh air: 27 Brattle Street’s Bluestone Lane, an Australian-inspired cafe chain that recently opened in Harvard Square.
Just by stepping inside, you notice the white brick-pattern walls extending up along its slanted, fern-green wood-paneled ceilings, modern spotlights illuminating the interior and glinting off of rounded wall mirrors. Clusters of leafy plants sit in wall shelves on the right, and there is a quite massive tree sprouting from the center of one of the high-chair counter tables farther on the left. This decor, coupled with wicker-pattern and light-blue chairs, framed ocean photos, and a surprising second-floor balcony, evokes the calm of a mild, sunny spring afternoon spent on an outdoor patio. You could almost forget that it was an absolutely mediocre, drab, winter Tuesday in Cambridge, at the divet between post-Valentine’s blues and midterm season hair-tearing.
If looking for coffee or a bite to-go, Bluestone Lane visitors can order at the counter to the right of the entrance, where a small display case houses slices of zucchini bread, chocolate croissants, and other baked goods (each is around $4, which may warrant a quick mental cost-benefit analysis based on the pastries’ modest size versus your hunger level). However, unlike other coffee shops, you must be seated by staff to stay at a table — elevating their peaceful, cafe dining experience beyond the traditional frenzy of coffee-shop counter and online orders. And luckily, since the cafe was not particularly busy that Tuesday around noon, the waitress warmly invited us to sit at any of the tables, whose seats along the walls were laden with comfy, leaf-patterned throw pillows, and peruse the menu.
Indeed, anyone who enjoys a classy, feel-good brunch would take to their menu offerings, which are typical of an upscale, American-style cafe but with an occasional “Aussie” twist. They have usual tea and coffee fare, but also nine-dollar cold-pressed juices, beet lattes, and a couple of enigmatic choices, like the magic (akin to a less-diluted flat white), or the Aussie iced latte — where vanilla ice cream meets espresso and whole milk ($5.50). After stealing a few sips of my friend’s wonderfully sweet Aussie iced latte, I turned to my ordered hot matcha latte: served on a cute glazed blue dish, but in a rather small glass meant for cold drinks, which surprised me. Nevertheless, as a recurrent matcha-latte drinker, I was satisfied with the rich, spring green hue of the latte foam and the strong, grassy flavor implying the higher — and much appreciated — matcha content.
But of course, Bluestone Lane’s food would be the main temptation, for students and tourists alike. Their “Brekkie All Day” ranges from tantalizing Lemon Ricotta Pancakes for $14 to their featured Big Brekkie of poached eggs, avocado smash, kale, and roasted tomatoes with toast for $17. Their “All-Day Lunch menu” also offers sandwiches like their Spiced Cauli, served with golden raisins, toasted almonds and dressed greens, and also bowls, such as their Rainbow Bowl of farro and mixed vegetables with turmeric ginger yogurt dressing.
After my friend and I chatted for just a few minutes, sipping our respective lattes, our waitress arrived with our dishes, placing in front of me my “Red Baked Eggs”: tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, and baked eggs served in a hot skillet, topped with crumbly white feta and leafy microgreens on top; and a hearty slice of multigrain toast, all served atop a wood cutting board ($14). My inner photographer was ecstatic at the eye-pleasing contrast of white feta, greens and egg white atop the rich crimson skillet — and may have taken more than a few photos, along with my green matcha latte for a Christmassy red-green snapshot. Beyond the aesthetic presentation, the slightly sweet yet savory sauce of the juicy and freshly cooked vegetables was a wonderful dip for the toast, which was toasted just to the edge of browning, and drizzled with olive oil for a bit of added fragrance. And, the wholly-cooked eggs, with the yolk intact and hidden in soft, occasionally crisp egg-white, were on par: though they might not be as appealing to Eggs Benedict or Shakshuka fans that are fond of more runny yolk.
Fascinatingly enough, I discovered via some Yelp investigation that the “Red Baked Eggs” were originally called “Shakshuka Baked Eggs” — but changed in name, likely to contrast the dish my friend ordered that was similar, but included spinach and more greens: aptly titled, “Green Baked Eggs.” As for the portion size itself, it left me just perfectly satisfied and swiping up the last streaks of tomato with crunchy toast crust — though, since I speak as a five-foot statured person who admittedly still has a decent appetite, that may be a point of caution for more ravenous cafe-goers seeking sustenance. My friend, a fellow foodie, was also quick to note that despite the similar, slightly-higher-than-comfortable -for-a-college-student prices, a similar Harvard Square cafe’s Shakshuka portion is significantly more generous (a place called Latte?). So, it might be safe to say that Bluestone Lane — which closes at six p.m. and is not open for heavier dinner meals anyhow — seems to value flavor and visual quality over quantity.
Once we had paid and had conversed lightheartedly with the waitress about our day, I was quite sorry to exit that peaceful alcove of affogato and avocado toast. Indeed, it is hard to deny the appeal of Bluestone Lane’s fresh, familiar yet also novel menu offerings, presented with their extra touch of sophistication, to our American foodie and coffee culture. In fact, Bluestone Lane is Aussie-inspired but based in New York City, with most of its shops located in NYC, Los Angeles, and other US cities (the only international locations being Toronto and the Cayman Islands). So, how “Aussie” their coffee or food is may be up for debate. Nevertheless, with their refreshing ambiance, solidly delicious drinks and brunch fare, and friendly and quick waitstaff, all encapsulated in their upscale, aesthetic cafe experience, Bluestone Lane offers an appreciated reprieve from school-year woes and the bustlings of Harvard Square — albeit in a slightly pricier fashion.