I enjoy almond croissants from Swiss Bakers in Allston and Reading.

Whole Foods has a great salad bar, specifically the one at Charles River Plaza near MGH.

Flour has great salad options, and they will also turn any of their fantastic sandwiches into salads (yes, a BLT sandwich does make a delicious salad!). They're far from inexpensive, but a tasty treat occasionally.

I love brunch at the Wenham Tea House, but not sure if they can handle a big of a group. Still, definitely worth calling!

Wenham Tea House has lovely space and can be rented for events like bridal showers. I've eaten breakfast/brunch there many times but have also sampled their tea selections. Their food is top notch.

http://www.wenhamteahouse.com/

I went to Winfrey's in Rowley today (Easter Sunday - they were open!) and got some really tasty chocolate treats. There were still lots of bunnies left to buy; not sure if they discount.

Their prices are very reasonable and their chocolate is top notch.

Western Ave itself does not have much to make it appealing as a destination. The streetscape is terrible. Swiss Bakers is a worthy addition, and I hope to see more interesting things there in the future.

When I went, I saw no customers arriving by foot. All visited by car, and one by bus. Small sample size, I'll admit.

I tried Swiss Bakers today.

First: the location is awful. No view to speak of whatsoever. Not sure what Harvard can do to improve this, but there's no charm in that portion of Allston.

Next: the staff are uniformly cheerful, almost to the point of annoyance. Almost, but not quite.

The decor is nice, very (dare I say it) Swiss-European.

The food (couple of sandwiches and a raspberry berliner) was very good. I only wish I'd seen the convection oven before I ordered. I wonder if they warm sandwiches up? I brought half of a sandwich home and stuck it in the toaster oven and it was even better than when it was cold.

Their bread, of course, is very nice, and it wasn't the first time I'd had their bread (been eating it from Whole Foods for years).

I'll be going back!

Petsi Pies in Cambridge make very nice breakfast sandwiches. Add on a scone for a tasty treat.

Flour does not have a griddle and bakes their eggs. They do a spectacular job on their bacon (always very well done, almost to the point of overcooked).

I still prefer Petsi Pies egg sandwich.

donlan tried the village pancake house in rowley. Unimpressed.

I find their grilled food greasy, both their egg sandwiches at breakfast and their paninis.

I will agree their baked goods (cookies, brownies) are very good.

If you want excellent breakfast in the area, try Flour Bakery, which is a 6/7 minute walk away.

I just bought some from http://www.nuts.com/ - very tasty!

Glad you enjoyed it, it's one of my favourites! Wenham Tea House certainly doesn't skimp on the maple syrup with the pancakes.

Sultan's Kitchen in the Financial District
http://www.sultans-kitchen.com/
(beware, the site plays music

It's not fancy, just a few tables, but the food is fantastic.

Wenham Tea House can't be beat. They recently (about a year ago?) reopened under new management.

I have yet to find better pancakes in the Boston area (and I eat many pancakes).

http://www.wenhamteahouse.com/

The wait at The Paramount will depend on many factors. I rarely go on a weekend, but have walked by (I live in the neighborhood). "Craziness" = line out the door. This may be tenable in May, not so much in December or January.

The Paramount, Beacon Hill Inn & Bistro, and Panaficio do not take reservations. Not sure about the Liberty Hotel.

I've tried most of the breakfast places on Beacon Hill, and can report the Paramount has the best atmosphere, although not the best food.

Clink at the Liberty Hotel is also fun, but more pricey (probably twice as expensive as the Paramount for the same/similar food).

Beacon Hill Inn & Bistro food is excellent, but service is very slow.

Panaficio can be very chaotic.

Note about the Paramount: depending on when you go, there may be a line. Normally I'd advocate getting there at open to avoid the craziness, but it sounds like you're looking for more "traditional" brunch timing.

I tried Clink at the Liberty Hotel on Charles Circle today.

The pancakes were probably a B, not too huge, served with a closed jar of bottled syrup (I asked for and received more). The accompanying omelet was the right size, but the bacon inside was not well done (even though I'd asked for well done).

The service, on the other hand, was absolutely fantastic. Coffee in a carafe on the table, no need to ask for refills. The waiter walked the line between being attentive and intrusive successfully.

On the menu for future attempts:
XV Beacon
Omni Parker House

Still searching for pancakes as good as Wenham Tea House.

donlan always sits by the window at the Paramount. The leaden pancakes are deadly when one has to go to work after consumption.

Beacon Hill Inn & Bistro was attempted again, but they still didn't bring enough syrup (even after asking), although their omelet was absolutely perfect.

The next pancake taste test will be The Liberty Hotel on Charles Circle (there will be a subsequent report).

It can be difficult to get out of Boston during the week.

Has anyone tried the Village Pancake House in Rowley?

I've been looking for the best pancakes in the Boston area, and have this to report so far:

Deluxe Town Diner in Watertown: Rated highly, but I didn't like their sour cream and buttermilk pancakes. Fun setup, though.

Paramount on Charles Street: Great atmosphere (I never go on weekends, just weekdays), fantastic view. But the pancakes are deadly, practically made of lead.

Beacon Hill Inn & Bistro: A little dry, and they provided maybe 1/4 cup of maple syrup, which isn't enough to warm up these cakes.

Further afield, the Wenham Tea House has fantastic pancakes (and they heat their maple syrup), but they're rather far for a weekday jaunt.

Any other suggestions? I haven't even tried the Friendly Toast, I have heard from several reliable sources that their offerings are (1) huge (2) substandard.

I'm blogging my experience (see my profile for details) and will report back here, too.