A Theobromine Holiday
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 21 December 2011 13:00
- Written by Matt Robinson
Max Brenner brings “health” food to a new level
If a little is good, a lot must be better, right? So where better to go to get healthy than Boston’s newest chocoholic haven- Max Brenner (www.maxbrenner.com)?
Located across from the Prudential Center, Max Brenner is the latest outpost for this Israelbased international sensation that stretches from Tel Aviv to Sydney to Vegas and beyond. And with its large selection of sweet and savory offerings, it is a perfect place to rest from a day of shopping, to take a break from a hectic day at the office or to catch up (or meet up) with someone special and get the love juices flowing!
Painted in an appropriate palette of rich, warm browns with swirling impressions of Max’s beautiful bald head shining down amidst funky choco-inspired graphics, Brenner’s welcomes diners and desserters with a choco-copia of yummy sights, smells, and sensations that all make up Brenner’s chocolate culture. The lower area features high-top tables and a marble bar that serves up full meals and specializes in the venues’ famed shakes, cocoas, and fruit drinks (with or without “the stuff”), as well as the Max Brenner retail shop where guests can pick up chocolate tomes (including Brenner’s Chocolate: A Love Story(, t-shirts, and other treats to go. Up a few stairs (or the convenient lift), guests are dropped into the middle of the fantastic chocolate factory, complete with spoking pipes of milk and dark and beakers and test tubes topped with marshmallows and other accouterments. Wherever you look, there is chocolate, much of it delicately smeared on the corners of smiling mouths.
As it is a restaurant that has a clear specialty but also triumphs elsewhere, Max Brenner offers two menus. On the recentlyrevised and often updated main menu are such signature cocktails as the New Fashioned (a combination of Ketel One, blood orange puree, lemon juice and 7-up), Max’s mélange of magnificent mojitos and margaritas, and the Vegas-inspired chocolate martini with its scrape-off-able ganache rim. There are also a selection of romantic (and romance-inspiring) libations, including the Berry Nutty Professor (peanut liqueur Frangelico, Chambord, and milk chocolate), the Psychedelic Caribbean Punch (spiced rum, triple sec, and a smash of exotic juices) and the well-named Satisfaction Guaranteed (peanut and caramel liqueurs with milk chocolate). There is also a solid handful of reds, whites, and bubblies as well as selection of bottled beers that includes, of course, a chocolate stout. Once properly lubricated, it is time to move on through what will hopefully be a leisurely but never dull dining experience to one of the many “things to dip”, which include white con croquettes (individual or by the plate) dry-rubbed chicken wings, cocoa-dusted fries and black and tan beer-battered rings with chocolate ranch dressing. For those who want a lighter bite, an array of ample salads help save calories for later and Max’s dinner pizzas are almost as delicious as the chocolate dessert pizza that may follow. Other hand-y helpings include the B.A.L.T. (with A-vocado), the “yummy” Baja style fish tacos, the sandwich of the sea, and the Brenner Burger (featuring Max’s “secret” sauce and a side of chocolate- dusted fries). For those who wish to use a knife and fork, there are also hearty helpings of crunchy mac and cheese, sesame salmon, blackened steak and mushroom quesadillas, Max’s “Sunday mood” pasta which is sure to satisfy you any day of the week.
While there is plenty to enjoy on this menu, savvy diners often look at the other catalog of offering before ordering so they know what to save room for. In this informative booklet, Max shares his philosophies on chocolate and some of his favorite things to do with it, including crepes, fondues and tiramisu, dip-your-own popsicles, the aptly-entitled euphoria peanut butter chocolate fudge sundae and the words-out-of-yourmouth O.M.G. chocolate chunk cookies. The “side” menu also offers cocoas and shakes served in custom-made cups, flavored coffees and even some drinks that are actually choco-free yet still delicious and refreshing.
While Max Brenner is always a treat, two of the best times to go are brunch (when the menu is enhanced by an array of waffles, pancakes and omelets all infused with the chocolate groove) and special occasions (when the restaurant offers its signature Wish Dish to the lucky celebrant). No matter when or why you come, however, you are sure to leave satisfied and smiling!
