Now that I’ve calmed down slightly after the Pats game, I can write up yet another kid-event/meal combo.
We went to the Puppet Showplace Theater in Brookline Village yesterday for the first time. (Charming, wholesome, old-fashioned fun, if you’re into that kind of thing. 
). The show ended around 2 pm which means lunch. Of course, in that 'hood, which we haven’t been to in ages, my thoughts turn immediately to Matt Murphy’s. We just missed the lunchtime rush but with enough occupied tables/seats at the bar to make it feel cozy and convivial. There’s something about Matt Murphy’s that I just love. The warm atmosphere, the welcoming service (Saturday was no exception…our waitress was fantastic). And the food. I was suffering from a bit of a stomach ailment so I went “light” with the sourdough toast topped with white bean puree, tomato, and shrimp. B got the fish and chips (as good as always). But the toast…oh wow. This was a new-to-us dish…it was so rich and decadent, we were blown away. We chatted enthusiastically about it with the waitress, who mentioned that it’s a tough dish to describe to people but once they try it, they understand. It’s one of her favorite dishes there (listed under “bar plates”). She even brought out a complimentary taste of the very sweet and boozy bread pudding with an espresso cup of real whipped cream, which spring onion gladly polished off. Don’t forget - it’s cash only.
I had been reading Barbara Lynch’s “Out of Line,” which I couldn’t finish because I found it way too self-congratulatory but her memories of Siobhan Carew put Matt Murphy’s back on my brain. This was our best excursion yet in terms of food and kid activity. Incidentally, we also walked by the new Sichuan Garden/Blossom Bar space and that is tempting, too. I think we may have more puppets in our future.
