The Garden Restaurant at the Peabody Essex Museum

I had the most divine lunch at the Garden Restaurant at the Peabody Essex Museum today. Kudos to Chef Brooke (and the weather)!

Truly one of the hardships (or not!) of this job is having to be familiar with the destination. With that in mind, Stacia and I headed out for lunch in the garden at the PEM. It was a perfect day. If you prefer to dine inside, the restaurant does have that option. We sat outside and we felt like we had found a whole new destination within the destination.

And then the food came.

I had a cup of chowder and a raspberry chicken salad. Delicious. Stacia had the Citrus Crab salad, and she said it was the best salad she has ever had. The best. My salad was great, but I can can't wait to go back and have the Citrus Crab.

Oh, and the basil lemonade was the most refreshing lemonade I've ever had. I've no idea how the basil was infused into the lemonade, and that's okay!

The presentation was lovely, as you can see, the food delicious, and the service top notch. It is a fairly formal and quiet spot for lunch - not necessarily appropriate for kids. Perfect for ladies (and gentlemen, although you loose the alliteration) who lunch! It is open daily 11:30 - 2:30 for lunch only.

You can also rent the space for private functions - showers, small weddings, etc. The catering staff is from the Hawthorne Hotel, and some of the menu items are on the menu in the Tavern and Nathaniel's, so if you are only in town for dinner, and I've inspired you, head to the Hawthorne.

And here's an interesting bit of trivia that I did not know until Chef Brooke told me today: The Peabody Essex Museum has five (count'em, 5!) kitchens within its walls. Perfect for special events or grabbing the best salad ever in the garden!