Harvest

Years

1975 – present

Location

44 Brattle St., Harvard Square

Profile

Culinary landmark. Upscale, contemporary, seasonal New England cuisine

 

 

History

Julia Child had a regular seat at Harvest, as it was her favorite restaurant for years. Some of Boston's best-known names worked the kitchen here and went on to run restaurants or "institutions" of their own: Lydia Shire, Chris Schlesinger, Barbara Lynch, Frank McClelland, Sara Moulton, Bob Kinkead, Scott Bryan, Bob Sargent, and Jimmy Burke. The '70s-'80s Harvest was a happening social mecca, sharing patronage with neighboring Design Research, the influential modern home furnishings store. Those were some exciting and crazy years then, according to some of its veteran staff. It's character mellowed after 1998, when it was bought by the Himmel hospitality group. In 2002, Harvest threw a grand party for Julia Child's 90th birthday, a memorable event which reunited old staff and tickled the birthday girl pink.

Photo by Rain Robertson