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Needham Bank, Natick

Food drive on MLK Day to benefit Natick Service Council

January 16, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

MLK Day service efforts are challenging this Monday, Jan. 18 due to COVID-19 restrictions, but the Natick Democratic Town Committee has set up a food drive to benefit the Natick Service Council and those who need help in the community. Here are the details:

When: Monday, Jan. 18, 1-5:00 pm

Where: Natick Service Council (NSC), 2 Webster Street, parking lot behind the building

What to Donate: Although all donations of nonperishable, not expired, and unopened foods will be gratefully accepted, NSC can particularly use the following items:

  •    Apple Juice
  •   Crackers
  •   Granola Bars
  •   Tuna in water
  •   Macaroni & Cheese

Please do not bring food that is expired or has been opened: Natick Service Council cannot give it to clients and has to spend money to dispose of it.

How: Drop-off donations will be accepted in the back of the NSC’s remodeled van/mobile pantry, located in the parking lot behind 2 Webster S. Please wear a mask during your drop off, and maintain a 6-foot distance from all others present if you are waiting to drop off donations.

For more information, please contact Carol Gloff at cagloff@comcast.net.

natick service council van
Natick Service Council van outside…
natick service council van
…and inside

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Filed Under: Charity/Fundraising, Community, Food

Linden Square, Wellesley
London Harness, Natick Report

Lookout Farm’s new Greenhouse restaurant in Natick: First taste

December 22, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Lookout Farm in Natick has opened The Greenhouse, its new covered but open-air dining venue, and we were there on opening weekend to check out the generously sized space and the farm’s new menu. What we found was an enormous area that easily absorbed 37 generously spaced picnic tables, dozens of heat lamps, plenty of Christmas trees decked out in pretty white lights, and a festive-minded crowd out for a good time.

Lookout Farm, Natick
Lookout Farm in The Greenhouse

Beer and hard cider are on tap, of course, and the menu is devised to harmonize with Lookout’s farm-crafted IPAs, ales, and more. The Winter Wonder, a gingerbread hard cider, has proven to be a popular seasonal specialty, but we stuck to our favorite standby—an unfiltered golden ale with Belgian yeast and white wheat.

For dinner, the rock shrimp toast on roasted garlic bread packed a slight kick with its “dynamite sauce.” The small plate order was generously sized enough for dinner. I added the baby kale salad with Caesar vinaigrette, garlic bread croutons, and parmesan to my order to round out the meal. The kale was beautifully fresh, and the perky vinaigrette was served on the side, so no worries about too generous a hand in the kitchen with the dressing. The parmesan lacked flavor, but the garlic bread croutons made up for that.

The macaroni and cheese made with Vermont cheddar and fried onion bread crumbs was a big hit with our party. The generous portion and the creaminess of the cheese made this a welcome serving of wintertime comfort food. Chicken schnitzel with mashed potatoes was also eagerly devoured. However, the side of  pickled red cabbage went untouched by the diner. Oh well, fermented brassicas aren’t for everyone.

Lookout Farm, Natick
Rock shrimp toast on roasted garlic bread, and baby kale salad with Caesar vinaigrette, garlic bread croutons, and parmesan.

With the greenhouse’s high ceiling, and the distance between diners, the experience felt safe, much like the 180-acre farm’s all-outdoor summer dining in the fields. And maybe it was the second golden ale talking, but I was feeling a kinship with our brethren in Montreal, or maybe Quebec. I, too, can be the kind of person who doesn’t let little things like snow and the cold drive her into a state of months-long hibernation.

The experience felt maybe a little Canadian, with a dash of German beer hall spirit thrown in, along with a little bit of European sophistication. Lookout has pivoted yet again to endure times that try the souls of the hardiest New England farmers/restauranteurs. Let’s hope area diners don’t leave them out in the cold.

To know before you go:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Food, Restaurants

Page Waterman, Wellesley

Hot Doogy bringing Brazilian style to Natick

December 10, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Natick will soon have a new dining option in Hot Doogy, which boasts that “If you’ve had never had a Brazilian-style hot dog, your life is about to be changed!”

Hot Doogy

The new eatery plans to open in January or February in Sherwood Plaza on Rte. 9 east on the strip that contains the Christmas Tree Shop and in a space formerly occupied by Zoup, a soup restaurant. The address is technically 1300D Worcester St.

Hot Doogy already has been doing a brisk delivery business on the south shore based out of a commercial “cloud” kitchen. It will be bringing something different to Natick, which of course is no slouch on the hot dog front with the likes of Casey’s Diner serving up its popular menu.

Hot Doogy is the brainchild of husband and wife Thiago and Fernanda Andrade, who started the business about a year ago. They’ve also looped in Thiago’s mother, Izabel.
The Andrades got their start with Fernanda making hotdogs for their church.
“Everyone loved it so much and we decided to start this business,” says Thiago, who had a hotdog cart as a teenager in Brazil. “It all just became a natural thing to do.”
Natick was a natural spot to locate a storefront kitchen in that the Andrades have been congregating at a Baptist church in Framingham and have lots of friends in the area. “We found this opportunity and didn’t even think twice,” Thiago says.

Hot Doogy’s menu from over the summer included hot dogs—beef and other varieties—priced from about $6 to $9 depending on how much stuff you want on them. Toppings include everything from queijo (cheese) to ketchup to molho (sauce). You can order pre-set hotdogs or build your own with toppings.

From the looks of these gourmet hot dogs, you’re going to  need a few napkins. Or an apron.

“We believe that even though this is a pandemic time we can still provide quality and innovative food to bring a little bit of happiness to our customers,” Thiago says.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hot Doogy (@hotdoogy_usa)

(Hat tip: Chew on This)


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Filed Under: Business, Food, Restaurants

First taste of Natick’s Square Mfg. Detroit-style pizza

December 3, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The questions about what the heck Detroit-style pizza is can now be answered by locals.

We were among the first to get a taste of Natick’s new Square Mfg. Co.‘s Detroit-style pizza and fixings during the eatery’s soft opening this week at 935 Worcester St. (Rte. 9 West) at a space formerly occupied by a Pizza Hut. Square Mfg. is initially offering takeout upon its soft opening on Dec. 4, but hopes to add delivery soon.

We took advantage of a friends and family offer, bringing home three small pizzas, breadsticks, a salad, and cookies—the only item not delivered in a box. Most of their small pizzas go for between $13-$15 and large ones for $22-$25.

Square Mfg pizza
Let the feast begin

 

As someone with a tomato-free diet, I typically avoid pizza, but was pleasantly surprised to see Square Mfg.’s pizza menu divvied up between “Red sauce on top” and “No red sauce.” I ordered a white one with bacon on it, just to avoid any pretense about calorie concerns during this meal.

This was my first Detroit-style pizza, which Square Mfg. describes as “crispy on the edges but fluffy on the inside, just like Detroit.” I’ve only been to Detroit once, to catch a couple of Red Sox-Tigers game during the Pedro Martinez era, so I can’t speak expertly about the city. But I can vouch for the pizza being crunchy on the outside and airy on the inside. I was definitely more into the inside than outside, but found the pizza quite tasty and gobbled down all six pre-cut squares from my small pizza in one sitting.

My dinner mates choose plain cheese and veggie pizzas. They too enjoyed their entrees, citing the fresh elements of the veggie pizza, including bell peppers, roasted tomatoes, and mushrooms (we asked to hold the broccoli). The Big Cheese pizza blended parmesan and ricotta, plus herbs, with sauce on top. My dinner companions enjoyed the the cheese-infused crunchiness of the edges, and even the touch of carbon flavor. “Fight your friends for the corner pieces,” my wife says.

Pizza options on the menu also include Cacciatore, Buffalo Chicken Deluxe, and more, including make your own.

We started with breadsticks flavored with fresh herbs and a cheese blend, with sauce on the side. At first we weren’t sure when we opened the box if we were looking at the white pizza, but quickly enough it became apparent that these were the sticks and they were more bread-like than stick-like. But flavorful and filling. Between the breadsticks and pizzas, we’ve got leftovers for breakfast or lunch.

We were pretty much stuffed from the pizza and appetizers, so barely made a dent in the huge, round and thick chocolate chip cookies ($4 apiece) that came with the meal. Even our 20-year-old only made it about halfway through his…but he will return to it.

And I imagine we’ll return to Square Mfg. as well.

Owner Kris Gullapalli, who lives nearby, says plans are to open three locations over the next five years. She and her husband and fellow University of Michigan alum Kal Gullapalli have operated a variety of other businesses, from fitness clubs to European waxing spas.

Square Mfg., adds to Natick’s roster of well over a dozen pizza joints.

Square Mfg
Photo by Duncan Brown

 

Soft opening: Friday, Dec. 4

Expected hours:

Wednesday-Sunday: 4 pm to 9 pm

Monday & Tuesday: Closed

Hours will be extended to 11am – 9pm as Square Mfg. builds out its team.


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Filed Under: Business, Food, Restaurants

The Bagel Table is up and running in Natick Center

November 30, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

We stopped into the The Bagel Table in Natick Center when the doors first opened at a time when they were still working out the kinks. During that maiden visit we were told there would be a 25-minute wait to make the sandwich of our dreams due to a back-up of orders in the kitchen, so we passed on that. But we left The Bagel Table impressed by the crisp interior design of the space and the staff’s obvious commitment to keeping customers and staff safe.

Bagel Table, Natick
A “Hello Natick” presides over all. A big hello back, Bagel Table, and welcome to town.

There’s plenty of distance in the large dining space between the four tables that can seat ten. And staff members were certainly on their game with the ingredients information. We keep a nuts-free home, and were assured—accurately—that the cinnamon strudel muffins that caught our interest were made without nuts. They also were sure to inform us that the muffins were made in a facility that was not nuts-free, information that was very appreciated so that we might make our ordering decisions accordingly. We left with a bagful of the not-too-sweet goodies, and every crumb was devoured at home. Fresh bagels are also available (of course), and they were doing a brisk business in custom-roast coffee orders.

We vowed to return as soon as possible and try out the roast turkey sandwich that sounded so good. On our second visit the service was just as friendly, and this time the kitchen hummed with efficiency. In no time we had our roast turkey sandwich, made to order all toasty-warm, with a generous amount of high-quality turkey. A side of potato salad was a welcome addition that made our lunch complete.

Other menu items include: specialty bagel sandwiches; a wide variety of breakfast sandwiches; lunch sandwiches such as BLTs, Italian combo, chicken salad, pastrami, tuna salad, and ham; green salads; and a gorgeous array of breads and baked sweets.

Local celebrities also have apparently discovered the place. While picking up my to-go bag, I exchanged greetings with Ben Greenberg, owner of Debsan Decorating Store in Natick Center.

RESTAURANT: The Bagel Table
ADDRESS: 9 South Main St., Natick, MA 01760
PHONE: 508-545-1809
HOURS: Open daily for breakfast & lunch seven days a week:
Monday-Friday: 7am – 2pm
Saturday & Sunday: 7am – 2pm
OTHER: The Bagel Table has three additional locations, in Ashland, Boston Landing, and Chestnut Hill. Next on The Bagel Table’s quest for word domination: a Wayland location, expected to open in 2021.


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Filed Under: Business, Food, Restaurants

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