Junkfood

I ate at the Sunday Brunch buffet at the Museum of Science on October 23, 2005. It's catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering and served in the Skyline Room, on the sixth floor. There are two seatings: 11:00am and 1:00pm. Brunch is $32 and includes exhibit admission, a ticket to a show, and parking (brunch-only is available for $24). http://www.mos.org/

The room itself has floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, with a panoramic view stretching from the Zakim Bridge, down the Boston riverbank, across the Charles River, up the Cambridge riverbank, all the way to the Royal Sonesta. I chose to sit so I could dine with a view of the Zakim Bridge.

I ate at the 1:00pm seating, and the room wasn't very full (perhaps 30 diners). I believe that the 11:00am seating may have been busier and that it finished late, as the staff was still hurrying to turn the room as the 1:00pm seating began. Wolfgang Puck Catering runs an elegant operation. I was somewhat hoping that Chef Puck himself might make an appearance to check up on things (he was in town the night before, at the gala opening for the Museum's Star Wars exhibit), but no such luck.

The food was good. My favorites were, in order:

1. Almond Crusted French Toast stuffed with Mascarpone-Ricotta Cheese Filling. (I don't usually eat French toast, but this was really good.)
2. Mixed Green Salad with Herb Goat Cheese Crostini and Olive Tapenade and Balsamic Dressing. (I liked the Crostini with goat cheese and tapenade.)
3. Pan Seared Chicken with Sauteed Spinach and Cabernet Butter Sauce

Info and Tips

• Advanced reservations are recommended, and I get the impression that they really want you to purchase tickets in advance. Unfortunately, the only way to purchase tickets is by calling the museum. You can just buy them from the online store.
• You get to the Skyline Room by going into the museum, into the Green Wing, and taking the elevator.
• If you arrive early, you can go up and sit outside the Skyline Room.
• Dress is museum casual. However, given the food, ambiance, and level of service, you may want to dress up a bit more.
• You may want to arrive early to have a better choice of seats.
• There are restrooms there on the sixth floor.
• I get the impression that food-wise, it might be better to eat at the early seating.

Below is the menu from my brunch. There were a few other items available that weren't listed on the menu. One was grilled asparagus. There was also fruit stuffed with a creamy filling. I'm embarrassed to say that I was unfamiliar with this type of fruit, and I still don't know what it was. (Perhaps it was passion fruit?)

The Menu:

• Assorted Breakfast Pastries
• Bagels
• Croissants
• Assorted Tea Breads
• Rosemary Scones
• Assorted Muffins
• Dill Cream Cheese
• Yogurt Parfaits
• Fresh Fruit Platter
• Fritata Station
• Pancetta and Fontina
• Roasted Peppers and Spinach
• Scrambled Eggs
• Breakfast Buffet
• Apple Wood Smoked Bacon
• Maple Glazed Breakfast Ham
• Roasted Potatoes
• Buttermilk Pancakes with Vermont Maple Syrup
• Almond Crusted French Toast stuffed with Mascarpone-Ricotta Cheese Filling
• Brunch Buffet
• Mixed Green Salad with Herb Goat Cheese Crostini and Olive Tapenade and Balsamic Dressing
• Caesar Salad with Lemon Anchovy Dressing and Parmigiano Reggiano
• Yukon Gold Basil Potato Puree
• Sauteed Autumn Vegetable Melange
• Penne Pasta with Wolfgang's Bolognese Sauce
• Pan Seared Chicken with Sauteed Spinach and Cabernet Butter Sauce
• Carving Station
• Citrus Brined Pork Tenderloin
• Soy Glazed Flank Steak
• Sweet Chili Glazed Salmon
• Cranberry Chutney, Chinese Mustard, Dill Cream, Apricot Marmalade
• Assorted Wolfgang Puck Specialty Desserts
• Cheese Cake
• Chocolate Mousse
• Pear wrapped in Phyllo
• Coffee Cake