You don’t have to play pickleball to eat at the new Bosse complex’s restaurants at Natick Mall, though it’s possible you could catch the bug while eating there: Depending on where you sit, you’ll have a full view of some of the 21 courts.
None of our party of four plays the popular paddle sport, but we decided to dine at Bosse Enoteca on an early December Friday night to at least experience a bit of the buzz about the new “pickledom.”
Pickleball in view
Our waiter, Donald, informed us that the restaurant was still in its soft opening period. Though he and the staff from the host to the table-tapping general manager were all first class (the GM informed us that if you don’t find him on the restaurant floor, check the golf simulators upstairs…).
The restaurant is lit brightly, and you won’t necessarily forget you’re on the first floor of the mall. The space does have a different feel, from a bar without TVs (who needs ’em when you can watch pickleball?) to a wood-fired pizza bar to regular table seating that can accommodate small and large parties.
Interested in sponsoring our frequently searched Natick restaurants page? Learn more.
We were offered the wine and cocktail list soon after we were seated, and there is not surprisingly an emphasis on wine at this restaurant whose name in Italian means “wine repository” or “wine shop.” A few members of our party did opt for wine and were satisfied with their choices.
The food menu offers good variety but doesn’t overwhelm (though admittedly, we did have to look up a handful of the words in the entree descriptions. Chris Coombs, a versatile Boston chef known for restaurants such as Boston Chops and Deuxave, has partnered with former professional tennis player D.J. Bosse to open the sports and dining complex.
We started with burrata and caesar salad. One of our dining companions didn’t leave a single beet in the burrata untouched, and the salad was tasty and plentiful, though a bit overdressed. Starters run from $14 to $23.
Among the entrees we chose were with the lumache, a snail shell pasta dish heavy on the mushrooms, and a plate of spaghetti served with flavorful shrimp mixed with garlic, lemon, and roasted tomatoes.
Spaghetti with shrimp and roasted tomatoes
Two of us opted for the seared diver scallops, five of which were placed atop a tasty parsnip sauce with lemony gremolata. It did feel more like an app than a meal (maybe I should have picked up on that when the waiter initially asked if I wanted it served at the same time as the starters…). But this $32 dish did leave plenty of room for dessert. I sliced each of my large-ish scallops in half to pace myself.
Seared scallops atop a tasty parsnip sauce
A selection of pizzas are also on the menu, but we didn’t indulge in those.
All desserts listed were $15, and we went for the gelata, of which there were a variety of flavors, including espresso, hazelnut, strawberry, and pistachio. It’s served in generous portions of three scoops, and the frozen treat was delicious.
What about the pickleball noise you might ask? Enoteca featured pulsating but not overly loud background music. And thanks to the wonders of soundproof glass, not a single pickleball pop.
The Bosse Cafe, which you pass on your way into Enoteca, is closed at night. Though one of our companions had happened to stop in there recently in an effort to avoid the food court upstairs. She shared a good review, making note of a pastry intertwined with spinach. Bosse is quick to cite the French roots of its lead pastry chef.
Nonprofit human services provider 
