09/10/08

Best restaurant in Coolidge Corner

by rigby123

If I had to eat at only one restaurant in Brookline it would be Lineage. The menu changes from time to time, with different versions of their excellent scallops, roast hen, etc. The cocktails are perfectly prepared, but they are a little small. Servers are always knowledgeable and helpful. The staff provides a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere. It can get busy during dinner, so it's good to call ahead. Sitting and eating at the bar is a nice alternative on busy nights. We've been to Lineage an uncountable number of times, and it has never been anything but excellent.

• Pros: Food, service, location
• Cons: small cocktails

08/11/08

Sadly, a let down!

by micjayson

Friends and I went here for the first time recently because of reviews. Not sure how long ago those were written because what we found was completely opposite. The decor was tacky, and the menu was WAY overpriced! The experience was horrible from the minute we walked in the door when we had to wait 10 minutes for a staff member to even look at us. We were then taken to a cramped table by the annoying and uncomfortably fake owner. The food wasn't bad, but some of our meals were luke warm or even cold like it had been premade or sitting out for a while.

Oh and our server smelled of body odor so bad that we wanted to leave before our food came.

Save yourself the trouble and go to the Fireplace for half the price.

• Pros: dessert

05/15/08

From its crackling wood-burning oven to its friendly staff, this welcoming Coolidge Corner restaurant provides a most inviting space in which to enjoy gourmet seafood.

by Eric Grossman

The Scene
Coolidge Corner's most sophisticated spot for modern cuisine, Lineage sports a pair of airy dining rooms and a welcoming little bar that faces a fiery wood-burning oven. Pleasant, well-informed servers point out the menu's specialty ingredients to a wildly diverse patronage that includes dressed-down area residents and gourmands of all ages. A lengthy, international wine list and fully-stocked bar provide diners with plenty of drink options.

The Food
Sewall's menu features plenty of items that demonstrate his deft touch with seafood (he won national acclaim during his stint at Great Bay). A starter of braised cod cheeks with chorizo and golden raisins benefits from its time in the wood oven, as do entrees like oak-roasted chicken and a succulent pork loin. A crisp crab cake gets a kick from a tangy mango salsa, while a roasted swordfish entree is fleshed out by green lentils, celery root and a truffle vinaigrette.

02/02/08

Good for a fun night out or a fancy celebration

by jwong83

You can't NOT have a good time when you go to Lineage. Just to show you how popular they are there's always a line of people waiting to eat during dinner. Their menu changes frequently and their seafood is always super-fresh. If you like seafood this is the place to be. Try the fish dishes but I recommend the lobster (since the owner's cousin supplies them with only the best catches). I also recommend the chicken, tuna tare-tare, and crab cakes. Their staff is friendly and accomodating, the place is nicely decorated and painted a nice and cheerful yellow, the food from beginning appetizer to the last spoonful of dessert is wonderful. Make sure to save room for dessert because the butterscotch pudding and their blood-orange float is the type of dessert you dream of after you leave the restaurant. Also their interesting historical ties to Brookline adds one extra layer of intruige. So what's not to like?

I brought my mother-in-law who is extra-picky about food quality, taste, and cleanliness (on top of the fact that she's a super-healthy eater) and the restaurant passed with her stamp of approval which says a lot.

Also check out their website for more info: www.lineagerestaurant(dot)com

• Pros: consistently satisfying from appetizer to dessert
• Cons: metered parking only

11/14/07

Fresh seafood and unique flavors - definitely rival many NY and SF restaurants. Excellent service

by jenniferma

I consider myself a foodie, so am regulalry disappointed when visiting "fancy" restaurants where the food is unimaginative. Lineage definitely does not disappoint. After my first visit there two weeks ago, I haven't had the desire to try another restaurant. I find myself ordering a lot more than usual just to taste everything! Also great great service. Servers are super friendly. We tried the "tasting menu" this time; it was just correctly proportioned to leave a little room for dessert. BEST CRABCAKE EVER!

• Pros: Simple and elegant setting
• Cons: Great if you live on the greenline (not I)

06/03/07

Eh..

by bugmenot21856

I've eaten here twice, the atmosphere is pleasant, the staff is nice, and the rolls are delicious with kosher salt baked on the top and cooked right before they're served. But the entrees are overpriced for an unmemorable meal. I just didn't like the food that much. With a place so expensive and formal, I expect more. The bathrooms are very clean and pretty.

• Pros: bathrooms, atmosphere, service
• Cons: food isn't that great, expensive

06/02/07

best seafood in Boston area

by eatouttons

I travel and always stay in the area, Lineage has won me over. Great people, great space and really great food! This is a hidden gem that the everyone should experience. I can eat cheap at the bar with a few appitizers or go big, I love it. The wine list is smart and easy. Great neighborhood place that should be in every neighborhood!

• Pros: great seafood, fun place to eat at the bar
• Cons: busy on weekends, hard to get a seat

03/17/07

Great customer service

by mjg980

Lineage is my "must go to" restaurant when I visit the Brookline area. The staff is warm, friendly and efficent. They represent the wonderful restaurant owned by Jeremy. Jeremy is the chef as well and does an incredable job with the quality of food, the variety of menu and hiring the most wonderful people who make you feel like you are "home" when there. Tammy is an exceptional example of this as the manager. I don't remember everyone's name but Andy, the bartender is a great guy, as was Josh, Joanna...etc, etc. They immediately become "family" and you want to return! This is a very special restaurant and a prime example is the way they took care of 26 people who were staying at a local hotel for a wedding on a snowy evening who called just minutes before to ask if they could come for dinner. The restaurant had fewer waitstaff as they didn't expect many people due to cancellations because of the weather. The people arrived, the orders were taken, the food prepared in a timely manner and served beautifully. The owner allowed the people to remain as they talked after dinner as many hadn't seen each other in some time. The staff remained after the normal closing hours and were still smiling when we left. Yes, that is it...you go to Lineage and you leave smiling!

03/15/07

going to Lineage is like going home

by brookline31

I have been dining at Lineage regularly since it's opening one year ago (Happy Anniversary!) and although I often recommend it my close friends and clients, I now feel as I should share it with the world- or at least the Brookline side of the world. Anyway, every time I walk in the door, it's like coming home. I usually see the same smiling faces and if not, I see new smiling faces. I always feel like the staff is truly happy to see me and genuinely happy to be there themselves. I love the menu. It totally reflects the chef's committment to "farm fresh, seasonal fish and produce" or what they call 'modern American.' I love to see certain favorites available like the Maine crab cake (which really is mostly ALL CRAB MEAT!) as well as the seasonal items like sweet Maine shrimp risotto with bloodorange sauce. No matter what I order it is always cooked to perfection. I eat so much that I always hope to skip dessert but never can - whether it's the decadent chocolate cake (aptly named) or the house favorite butterscotch pudding..I can never resist. I never regret visiting Lineage and the staff always makes me feel like family. I don't hesitate to bring anyone I know there whether it be my elderly very finicky parents (who are always accommodated with a smile) or my children (who are just as bad but always eat something that makes them happy) because I know we'll all be glad we came. Oh, and my mother especially appreciates the clean restrooms (she'd be hurt if I didn't mention that). Ok, after all this, my point is: Go there! It's great. Oh, and try the butterscotch - trust me.

• Pros: staff, food, cleanliness of restrooms
• Cons: no valet, no tv

03/15/07

excellent food, wonderful staff

by osc

Whenever we get into town, my husband and I never miss dinner and brunch at The Lineage. Besides the food being cooked to perfection, the staff is always so warm and friendly. What a great feeling we get when the manager and her staff even remember our names. It's so nice to see the same faces everytime! I recommend this kind of dining to all ages.