Morgan C.
Yelp
"Fuuuuuuuutuuuuuure... Fuuuuuuutuuuuuure..." To paraphrase the quote from Spongebob, that's exactly how you'll feel when you're dining at Clover Food Lab. It's a truly out of this world restaurant that combines cutting edge technology with local purveyors and a sense of culinary playfulness that comes together to create a memorable and unique experience. The Boston-based mini-chain is popping up everywhere, even inside of a couple of particularly lucky Whole Foods grocery stores out in the 'burbs. MIT alum and company founder Ayr Muir surely knew what he was doing when he started out from a food truck back in 2008, and ever since then, Clover has been a leader in the Boston food scene for pioneering and championing cuisine that's as tasty as it is environmentally conscious.
The Downtown Crossing location is fairly new to the Clover family, but it doesn't lack any of the precision and quality of the older locations. When you enter the rather stark space (all of the Clover locations vaguely resemble a science lab to me), you'll be almost immediately confronted with a large electronic menu that updates in real time to tell you how long each category of food will take to prepare and if anything has run out throughout the course of the day. You can also check it out online, and this can be a huge godsend if you're craving a mezze platter and have limited time for lunch, only to roll up and find they've been out the entire time. More restaurants should take a page from Clover's book and adopt the real-time menu motif. It's wonderfully helpful and very customer-friendly, and very much appreciated.
I usually keep it simple at Clover, and order something that used to be on the kids' menu - the Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich. I think so many adults ordered it that it graduated up to the big kids' table, but no matter how old you are, you'll enjoy the sweet simplicity of this satisfying sando. They also have a new and glamorous sibling to the PB&H, the Peanut Butter and Marmalade Sandwich, which I will try next time! Both are served on freshly made house pita bread, and the ultimate result is a warm, filling, and truly delicious light lunch or hearty snack. Try it with one of their house made sodas - I highly recommend the Blood Orange flavor, which is the perfect combination of tart and sweet.
Like many other health food purveyors, Clover ain't cheap, but it sure is worth it. It's healthy without feeling like you could feed the stuff to your pet rabbit. It's ethically sourced without talking down to the consumer. And it's just really quirky and fun. Want to see for yourself? Sign up to attend one of their Food Development sessions in Cambridge! Not only is it a great way to eat free food, but it's also awesome to sample new menu items before they debut, and offer feedback to the company, which they actually take into consideration. It's a hidden gem experience, and a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Sign up on their website - you won't be disappointed! Clover is one of my go-to Boston restaurant stops, and I'm glad to add the Downtown Crossing location to that list!