Rifrullo Cafe — Restaurant in Brookline

One of my favorite cafes in Brookline. Low-key, a bit out of the way, but worth the detour.

Cafe from Chef Colleen Suhanosky, the same mind behind the kitchen at Beacon Hill Books & Cafe. Location-wise, kind of far from all the other hot spots in Brookline and tucked away in a more residential part, so it’s a perfect spot to unwind or get some work done. Menu’s a bit more casual than her Beacon Hill flagship, but there’s a similar approach in how things are seasoned. Clean, thoughtful, and never heavy-handed.

I’ve mostly stuck with their plate section rather than the sandwiches. My all-time favorite was The Lox plate (sadly no longer on the menu). Just cured salmon, crispy potato cake, fried egg, and a creamy herby sauce. But it was one of those combos where every element was done right. The cured salmon especially—some of the best I’ve had from a cafe. Still miss it.

Tried the crispy salmon cake most recently. Good texture, but what I really loved was the salad on the side. Just like the farro salad I had on a previous visit, it didn’t depend on vinaigrettes or dressing for flavor. Instead, they used bright citrus (like oranges) and fresh herbs to make it pop. Subtle but clever. Just...

cute atmosphere and the cashier was nice. they charge a fee that goes toward kitchen staff wages, which i support in principle, but it was not listed until i got my receipt emailed to me, nor was tax, so my smoothie ended up being over $15 with tip. even $12, the listed price, is insane. i was in a pinch and it was so far from worth it. the "cholesterol fighter" "blendie" tasted straight up old, like the ingredients had been sitting in the back for years, and the texture was gritty. i think they put it in an opaque cup so customers won't be immediately put off by the speckled mud brown. tried it despite feeling it was overpriced, no way...

I attended an event at this cafe, so the menu was pre-decided and pre-ordered. We started out with bread and oil. The bread was soft and just melted in my mouth. Then out came salad - it was so fresh - it was the most amazing salad I've ever had !! For main course there were two dishes..one was gnocchi in pesto sauce and and the other was fish (but I am vegetarian so I didn't eat that)....oooo....mouth watering...delicious delicious...I'll never forget the blissful taste of gnocchi. And the dessert !!! The plain vanilla ice-cream with a hint of ginger and the plum pie...so fresh...so tasty ...everything was...