Lazy Susan Boulangerie

Knowing what you want is overrated

by Devra First

"Can I take your order?" asks the multiple-pierced, sweetly smiling fellow behind the counter. He looks so eager that you hate to deny him, but, well, no. He can't take your order -- there's no menu in sight.

That's just the way it is at Lazy Susan, a mini bistro that adores yuppie ingredients, worships the garnish, and loathes predictability. Whatever's in the big glass case is what's for lunch. You'll probably find a pasta dish involving chunks of feta or gorgonzola, a salad constructed of nouveau vegetables such as jicama, something with the word "marinated" in its title, and some form of roasted or grilled meat. There is a method to this madness, though. Lazy Susan sticks to basic guidelines: a meat dish or two ($6.99-$8.99 per pound), a few side dishes and salads ($4.99-$6.99 per pound), some sandwiches ($4.50), and a large variety of swoon-inducing baked goods ($1.25-$4.50). I once watched a cook from the taquería next door actually stagger when he took his first bite of Lazy Susan's coffeecake; he looked up at me with glazed eyes and said, in the reverential tones of a new cult member, "This. Is. Really. Good."

The food selection rotates throughout the day, so at lunchtime, the staff may not know yet what it's serving for supper. That's okay. They'll make up for it by checking to see if you're allergic to the strawberry garnish or by picking the red onions out of your salad if you ask nicely. So stop being such a control freak and try some of that yellow stuff. Yeah, that stuff in the corner. No, to the left. In the blue bowl. Yeah, that one! Are those potatoes?

Lazy Susan, located at 96 Peterborough Street, in Boston, is open Monday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call (617) 450-9100.

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