When the 1895 fire station was being converted to a full – service hotel, owner Charlotte Forsythe and daughter Briar Rose Forsythe – Fandetti wanted to ensure the hotel’s restaurant would support the hotel’s past. The Black Sheep Restaurant was named after the firemen who once served there, and the menu was developed from the women’s own personal recipe collection; tried and tested through-out the years amongst family and friends.

Long time family friend and chef consultant, Dalu Aruda assisted the two women with opening the hotel’s eatery, The Black Sheep Restaurant.  Her artistry in the kitchen was astounding and after launching the Black Sheep, Dalu began working on her own interests including teaching cooking on a local television program as well as writing her own cookbook. But recently, Charlotte and Briar Rose convinced Dalu to return as Head Chef for the Black Sheep restaurant on a full-time basis.  The Kendall Hotel and Black Sheep Restaurant are thrilled to have Dalu back!

When it comes to Cambridge food establishments, there are many options; the trendy, the tasteful, the traditional, and the conventional chefs – then there is Dalu, a true food artist.

Watching Dalu create in the kitchen is like watching a master artist complete his Mona Lisa.  Dalu’s soups each contain a “secret” ingredient; molasses in the Firehouse Chili and gin in her award winning Clam Chowder. She makes a simple from scratch Chicken Pot Pie with outstanding rich flavors – a five star dish!  Dalu also creates some special menu items like her wonderful gluten-free cheese rolls, which have soft centers and golden-brown exteriors.  Dense, warm, and chewy, they’re made with tapioca flour.

Dalu’s food is all American; fresh, honest and lots of it.  Her insistence on quality is apparent in all aspects of her kitchen including her daily trips to the fish and produce markets to personally choose the best product available.  Dalu demands perfection and nothing less is delivered to her tables.  And no skimpy portions are delivered either!

The Black Sheep Restaurant, located in lobby of the historic Kendall Hotel, is the classic dining destination from the Forsythe – Fandetti collection – where simple hearty American fare is thoughtfully presented, and where friends gather to dine, drink and converse.  For more information please contact us or make a reservation today!

We’re pleased to announce – with a bit of familial pride – that the winner of the Judge’s Choice award for best clam chowder at the 2011 Ipswich Chowderfest was submitted by Briar Rose Forsythe-Fandetti, daughter of the Kendall Hotel’s owners.

Briar owns and runs Willowdale Estate, an elegant event venue in Topsfield, Mass. She’s also the consultant for the Black Sheep restaurant here at the Kendall Hotel, the culinary artist who develops our recipes, including our homemade breakfast scones, Boston cream pies, delicious soups, and our renowned Firehouse Chili.

Ipswich, as you may know, is famous for its seafood, especially its clam “chowda” (as it’s pronounced locally). The Chowderfest, sponsored by the Ipswich Lions Club, draws hundreds of connoisseurs from the North Shore and beyond to sample and judge the cream of the crop of chowders from local restaurants and chefs, with proceeds going to local charities. To stand out from this distinguished field is quite an accomplishment!

We’re now featuring Briar’s award-winning chowder at the Black Sheep restaurant as part of our seasonally inspired menu of classic and innovative American home-style cooking. If you’re dining with us for lunch or dinner, give this delectable soup a try – and discover what all the fuss is about!

A destination for many reasons the Boston area draws in even residents of Massachusetts and surrounding states for the rich cultural and arts offerings.  Whether traditional or contemporary art, performance art, music, or any of numerous other options, the Boston area has much to offer.  There are also stops to engage the young and young at heart for many hours such as the Children’s Museum and the Boston Museum of Science.

The Kendall Hotel is a great landing place for weekends of arts exploration.  Family friendly, with on site parking, conveniently located near a T stop, and to all things Boston, come for the arts and stay at the Kendall!

Here are some places to check out for an upcoming visit:

• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
• The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
• Isabelia Stewart Gardner Museum
• American Repertory Theater
• Boston Center for the Arts
• Boston Symphony Orchestra
• Opera Boston
• Boston Lyric Opera
• Boston Children’s Museum
• Museum of Science, Boston
• New England Aquarium

Re-engineered & re-designed, our web-site is re-do is DONE!

To celebrate the Kendall’s new website, we’re offering a special deal for the month of March: reserve online through our new website and receive a free dinner entrée (up to $25.00) at the Black Sheep Restaurant, Monday through Saturday, or if you book for a Sunday night, get a $25 Legal Seafood Gift Certificate (located across the street from the Kendall Hotel).  Just type the promo code “FIRE” into the note field; valid on hotel’s online reservations only.

Extended stay in a luxury suite for the month of January just wasn’t enough — by popular demand, we’re extending our Boston Short-Term Housing Special through February 28th.  Book 15 consecutive nights in February at the Kendall Hotel, and you can stay in one of our beautiful one-bedroom luxury suites, with HDTVs, a Jacuzzi tub, and a full kitchen — all starting at just $149 a night.

You’ll also receive a 20% off card good toward lunch or dinner at the Black Sheep Restaurant, included washing and folding (no pressing) of laundry by our housekeeping staff, and discounted parking for the duration of your stay.

How “suite” is that?

Email brenda@kendallhotel.com for more information and to book your stay. Rates are per night plus taxes (14.45%) plus a per night hotel usage fee $6.95 for the availability and use of the full American Breakfast Buffet; Internet access (wired and WiFi); local and toll free calls; and our hosted wine hour, Monday through Thursday evenings.

*Change in dates, or length of stay could change the rate quote.  Maximum of four people can occupy the suite.The Kendall Hotel is a totally non-smoking.