Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

Restaurants in Natick, Massachusetts

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Natick offers a variety of eateries, from fancy to homey to chains. A slew of Asian restaurants  dot the town, from sushi-and-more to Chinese to Thai. Or you can try out seafood standbys, Italian eateries, Indian cuisine, Turkish specialties, or an old-timey diner that’s served the community forever. And don’t forget those necessities — pizza, ice cream, donuts, and coffee. Natick’s got you covered there.

agostino's

At a recent lunch meeting at family-owned Italian favorite Agostino’s in Natick Center at 23 Washington St., we enjoyed the seafood cannelloni, a rich dish of rolled pasta stuffed with scallops, shrimp, lobster and ricotta. Delicious.

In addition to the Agostino’s dining room, there’s a cozy lounge area with a bar and some high-top seating. Heads up—it can be hard to snag a spot in the lounge, especially on a Friday or Saturday night.

You can read more about Natick’s restaurants on our specialty page: Where to Eat in Natick, Massachusetts.

Please reach out if restaurants should be added or deleted from our Where to Eat page, or if you have other relevant info: natickreport@gmail.com

MORE—Restaurants in Wellesley, Massachusetts

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Natick couple now running Wellesley’s Coconut Thai Cafe

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Natick couple Nui Phitpiboonlerd and John Mongkontavy have long dreamed of running their own restaurant, and they took steps recently to do so in Salem, N.H. through a partnership. They refurbished the place, and it looks great, but they decided it just wasn’t the right fit, for among other reasons, the long commute.

“It’s long in winter, but summer’s worse,” Mongkontavy said.

Finding the right spot closer to home wasn’t easy though. They looked at space in Natick, but then through a longtime connection were able to purchase Coconut Thai Cafe in Wellesley Hills, where Phitpiboonlerd once worked. A straight shot up Rte. 16—now that’s a commuting upgrade.

The space, with a manageable and cozy 12 seats for dining in, is just what they were looking for, too, as first-time business owners.

You may recognize Phitpiboonlerd and Mongkontavy from their days working at Natick Center’s Dah-Mee. In fact, that’s where they met in 2006, when Phitpiboonlerd was a waitress and Mongkontavy a chef. Both had moved from Thailand to the United States, and they’ve been in Natick since the early 2000’s.

Coconut Thai

 

The couple worked hard to refresh the interior of Coconut Thai during a brief restaurant closure earlier this year as the business changed hands. They did most of the work themselves or with friends, removing or painting over wallpaper, replacing lights and fans, and adding floral arrangements and friendly wall decor. The makeover includes the bathroom, which Mongkontavy insisted I check out (it didn’t disappoint!).

“This space is just the right size, just what we wanted,” Mongkontavy said. “With a bigger place, finding help is really hard.”

The new owners will redo the exterior as well, but they’re going to catch their breath first.

They have revamped the menu though, slashing the number of items from about 100 to more like 30. Among the new attractions is a hot stone pot that includes a mix of a meat (usually beef), rice, egg, and vegetables, and that sizzles as you eat it. “It’s the kind of thing you’d otherwise need to go into Boston to find,” said Mongkontavy, who coincidentally used to work at Brown Sugar Cafe on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, a Thai restaurant I’d visited a few days before I met him at Coconut Thai.

Such connections within the restaurant community helped Coconut Thai’s owners get to where they are now, and will no doubt keep popping up.

Phitpiboonlerd said she was delighted when Coconut Thai’s first customer turned out to be a patron she knew from Dah-Mee.

Coconut Thai Cafe (257 Washington St., Wellesley)

781-235-8255

Take-out & dine-in (delivery coming soon)

LUNCH : TUESDAY-SATURDAY 11:30am -2:30pm ,
12:00pm -2:30pm (only SATURDAY)
DINNER : TUESDAY-SUNDAY
4:30pm-9:00pm
CLOSED MONDAY

Coconut Thai

More: Where to eat in Natick

Where to eat in Wellesley

Natick business buzz: Casey’s gets local TV news love; Lunch at Eli’s; KOHR Golf heading indoors

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The latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Casey’s gets local TV news love

Casey’s Diner in Natick got some love from WCVB-TV this week when it aired a piece on local affordable places to eat.

Owner Pat Casey, the fourth generation owner, says during the segment: “It is hard to stay ahead of inflation these days, but I think we are still the best deal around.”

Casey's january

Lunch at Eli’s

Speaking of local diners, we grabbed lunch this Thursday at Eli’s in Natick Center, which promotes its Breakfast, Burgers & Brews.

Maybe the brews are more for the Friday crowd, but there was a great buzz in the restaurant around 1pm, when we arrived.

The crispy brussels sprouts were indeed crispy, though differentiated from others we’ve tried thanks to their balsamic glaze. We like them VERY crispy.

Our server wasn’t fazed by my pickiness, in asking for my pastrami reuben ($13) without much of the reuben stuff (sauerkraut and dressing), and I was delivered a juicy sandwich with plenty of meat. We also ordered a Turkey Rachel, an intriguing mix of smoked turkey, swiss cheese, dressing, and cole slaw on grilled marble rye bread.

eli's turkey rachel

 

eli's brussels sprouts

Meanwhile, drivers didn’t seem put off by the outdated signs calling for only Dolphin customer parking (the Dolphin restaurant closed in 2021, replaced by 7 South). The lot was full. Clearly, lots of insiders were at Eli’s that afternoon.

dolphin parking

KOHR Golf heading indoors

The largely snow-free winter has allowed golfers to hit the driving range outside at KOHR Golf in Natick, but the Speen Street business is excited to bring more golfers indoors as well to its newfangled KOHR Indoor Center, which is 5 years in the making and slated to open on Feb. 16.

The center offers opportunities to train on simulators and a putting green. Private events are an option, too.

KOHR Golf

More: Natick’s KOHR Golf on target with practice & training focus

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Natick business buzz: 1 South Main St. project could now break ground by mid-2023

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Natick’s most prominent undeveloped space, the fenced off 1 South Main St. plot resulting from the 2019 fire that razed a handful of businesses, could start returning to life by May or June.

“This is probably the site in town that I am most asked about… like when is something gonna come in there?” said Planning Board member Terri Evans during a Dec. 21 meeting of that body (discussion on 1 South Main starts at about the 9-minute mark of the Pegasus recording).

The team behind “The Block” project told the Planning Board during an update at that meeting that it found in initial marketing of the development as a pop-up hamlet for artists and other entrepreneurs that there was more interest in spaces at least slightly larger, and sometimes double that, of the 500 sq. ft. “jewel box” spaces first envisioned. A restaurant, for example, might require a larger space, or maybe a few restaurants could band together in a larger space that lets them share amenities.

the block

 

Developer Stuart Rothman added that the realization of the challenges involved in managing a dozen-plus retail tenants also factored into the proposed change of plans. That’s not to say a larger space couldn’t be leased by an outfit that would then manage a few tenants, or sub-letters, he added.

The project has morphed as its made its way through town approvals. There was lots of drama in early 2021, with the developer pulling his plans and then having a change of heart. Then there was talk earlier this year of expanding beyond two stories to three,  and perhaps some rooftop use. Now the thinking is to keep it at two floors for the foreseeable future, though shrink the number of spaces within it from 16 to 8 to accommodate larger units. There could be a mix of unit sizes based on demand.

A working group meeting was held in September, and things had been quiet since, at least publicly. The team came back to Planning at the Dec. 21 meeting with some proposed changes to stairways (moving external ones into the building) and an elevator location designed to better suit the shift to larger units.

the block

 

The Planning Board determined that the proposal added up to minor rather than major change (the latter of which would have triggered a public hearing), and approved the modifications. The development team’s architect suggested ground could be broken as soon as March or April, but developer Rothman said May or June is more likely. There was earlier hope for a groundbreaking this past spring, but the weeds have had a reprieve.

While Planning approved the new proposal, it was not without regret about the loss of some design features—”slightly quirkier elements,” as Evans put it. It feels “a little more formal, a little less playful,” she said of the structure, which does retain an inviting courtyard.

The project team tried to assure the Board that the development will still have a vibrant feel, including with the option for an open air deck on the second floor, plus spaces for locally-owned businesses. The latest renderings don’t feature the colorful sidewalk scenes of some past ones, so that might influence the impressions of those viewing them, said project team member Allison Yee of Upnext, which connects small retailers with pop-up space.

More: A whirlwind tour of Natick’s highest profile chain link fences (July 2021)

Natick business buzz: Fair & Yeager quietly exits prime downtown space for Needham; Maine Girl Cupcakes coming to town; Agostino’s for lunch; Shopper’s Find closing

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The latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Natick mainstay Fair & Yeager exits prime downtown space for Needham

Sure, Fair & Yeager is an insurance agency, not a flashy business. But for a multigenerational family operation whose long history has been so intertwined with Natick and whose location on Main Street is so prominent, the agency’s departure for Needham in recent weeks has seemed far too quiet.

Customers have begun receiving letters in the mail from Fair & Yeager leader Arthur Fair announcing the firm’s departure from its Natick base and reassuring with the usual benefits touted by firms involved in mergers. In its case, Fair & Yeager has melded with the oh-so-generic-sounding Provider Group. In the murky world of insurance, Fair & Yeager is also listed as a Cross Insurance subsidiary.

Other than that letter, there’s just a simple sign on the door at 10 Main St., letting customers know their account managers haven’t changed and that they’ll need to go 7 miles away to visit the new office. You’d never know a thing had changed inside 10 Main St., based on the fresh, festive holiday greens accentuating the white-and-brick office building exterior, nor by looking at the agency’s website or social media as of this posting.

That simple sign on the door pales, of course, below the distinctive gold-embossed lettering of “Fair & Yeager Insurance” that conveys the sort of class and tradition that gives downtown Natick its feel. The agency has been in that building since 1968 and has roots going all the way back to 1898.

A rich local history

A timeline on the Fair & Yeager website tells of a company that began near the end of the 19th century as F.E. Yeager. The Fair & Yeager partnership was established in the 1940s, with the Fairs getting their start at the original firm in 1914 in the person of Natick High senior Arthur Fair.

The agency, which resided at 32 Main St. before moving to 10 Main St., grew via acquisitions over the years. Fair after Fair family member joined the business and contributed to its growth.

Fair & Yeager celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1998. It was honored at Family Day on Natick Common and at the July 4th parade. The agency issued $500 grants to each school in Natick, according to its timeline.

The firm has been known as a strong community supporter throughout its run, with Arthur Fair III leading the way in recent years through his role with Natick Center Associates and the Natick Center Cultural District, which will now carry on without Fair & Yeager in the middle of it.

Fair & Yeager

Maine Girl Cupcakes coming to town

Maine-Girl-Cupcakes-logo-alt

The Marlborough-based business, which offers more than 100 flavors, says its cupcakes are made from scratch and baked to order. Concoctions include Pretty Pistachio, Two Lights Tiramisu, and Monkey Doodle.

A dozen cupcakes through the home-based business go for $36, though we’ll have to see what the pricing is at the storefront, located at 13 South Main St. between Sweetwaters and the Bagel Table.

maine girl cupcakes

 

Agostino’s for lunch

This isn’t so much news, as just a quick recap of our recent visit to Agostino’s Italian Restaurant in Natick Center for lunch on a Thursday afternoon, pre-holidays.

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Before entering the restaurant, which neighbors the hole-in-the-ground that will soon become a residential and retail development dubbed The Flats which took note of a festive display out front as well as a “Help Wanted” sign on the door. Indeed, our server was busy, even with a moderate number of customers (the bar area was more crowded than the main restaurant section).

agostino's

We introduced the restaurant to our friend Alice, who runs the Lincoln Squirrel, an independent local news site like ours in Lincoln, Mass. She was surprised at the generous size of the $8 bruchetta ordered as an appetizer, and we wound up taking a good chunk of it home.

We all enjoyed our meals. I went with the seafood cannelloni, which translates into rolls of pasta stuffed with scallops, shrimp, lobster and ricotta. A sweet dish, kind of wanted more, but it was rich, so probably best off with the portion served.

agostino's

Shopper’s Find closing

Shopper’s Find, the hodgepodge store that temporarily replaced Lord & Taylor at the Mall before that space presumably goes the bio lab route, has announced it is closing all 3 of its locations.

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