Where to chow
Alta Strada
Italian
92 Central St.
(781) 237-6100
Video review
Amarin of Thailand
Thai food
27 Grove St.
(781) 239-1350
Bertucci’s Brick Oven Ristorante
Pizza, plus
380 Washington St.
(781) 239-0990
Blue Ginger
Town’s most famous restaurant, known for its East-West cuisine and celebrity chef-owner Ming Tsai, who opened the restaurant with his wife Polly in 1998 (video from Chronicle TV show)
583 Washington St.
781-283-5790
Worth noting: Getting a reservation can be tough but it isn’t impossible. Make sure to mention you’re a local. We’ve gotten in on a Saturday night without a reservation (though sat very close to the kitchen)…. Ming’s Web site is slick, promoting his line of cooking goods and his public television program. BB
Brigham’s
Restaurant and ice cream
268 Washington St.
Phone:781-235-9749
Worth noting: Only two booths that fit more than 2 people; a half dozen or so for 2 people.
Our take: We sort of thought we’d be traveling back in time to the days of the ice cream shoppe, but the restaurant doesn’t really have that nostalgic feel to it… Struck us as sort of a less friendly and frenetic version of Friendly’s… We went on a Sunday night at around 6pm in April 2006 and were one of just two parties eating a meal, though a steady stream of patrons stopped in for ice cream… When you walk in you order your food at the counter, then a server delivers it to your table. We found the people behind the counter helpful at answering questions and efficient in bringing the food…. We ordered a cheeseburger, milk shake, kid’s meal ($4.30 for a bowl of mac and cheese, a drink of milk and a kid’s cone) and a ham and cheese sandwich and another kid’s cone and milk. Total: $23… The ice cream selection is excellent, with creative flavors. When we went we ordered a cone of Just Jimmies, which mixed chocolate jimmies and sugar cone into vanilla ice cream. The rainbow sherbet also had a twist, with lemon sherbet mixed with raspberry and lime…. Containers of ice cream are also available from a freezer. BB
Bruegger’s Bagels
Bagels, soups, sandwiches
97 Central Ave.
781-235-2358
Worth noting: They surprise you every so often with a special variety of bagel, such as red/white/blue for the Patriots’ most recent Super Bowl appearance.
Cafe Mangal
Turkish; breakfast, lunch and dinner
555 Washington St.
(781) 235-5322
Review: A video review of the restaurant by a local.
Worth noting: Closed Sundays; no dinner Mondays/Tuesdays.
Captain Marden’s/The Captain’s Table & TakeAway
Restaurant with adjoining retail fish market. Serves breakfast, lunch, Sunday brunch, and dinner. Closed for dinner on Sundays.
279 Linden St.
781-235-3737
Captain Marden’s doubles as a restaurant and retail fish outfit.
*Worth noting: Parking can be challenging at peak hours; kid friendly menu and service.
* Our take: (March, 2007): The dinner menu offers great variety, with plenty of seafood options, including specials, at reasonable prices (entrees between $9 and $16). We found service friendly, and it’s often provided by local high school students. Our oysters, claim strip roll, clam chowder and hamburger were all tasty and fresh. Seating includes inside and outside tables, plus a counter and a captain’s booth in the back, where a painting of the captain hovers over you. Alcohol isn’t served, but you can bring your own. (Jan., 2006):
This tidy, casual restaurant dishes up the usual breakfast eats of bacon and eggs, pancakes and muffins, along with extensive omelette choices. I had a Maine Mini omelette, which contained two eggs, real crab, cheddar cheese and zucchini. I had low hopes for the zucchini, expecting green mush, but it was folded al dente into the omelette and was very fresh. My dining companion was thrilled with his bacon, served crisp as he requested, and his croissant. Summer-quality watermelon was served to each of us. DB
China Sky
Family-owned and operated traditional Chinese food for dining in or taking out.
11 Forest St.
(781) 431-2388
Worth noting: Features a full bar.
CK’ Shanghai
Chinese
17 Washington St.
781-237-7500
Coconut Thai Cafe
257 Washington St.
781-235-8255
College Square Pizza
Greek pizza, sandwiches, salads
552 Washington St.
781-431-8585
Comella’s
Italian restaurant, with take-out and catering
288 Washington St.
781 235-7300
Worth noting: Townsman story on Comella’s return to Wellesley in 2006; signature offerings are called “Messes,” mixes of veggies, pasta and other foods; Comella’s also has a restaturant and market in West Newton.
The Cottage
Opened in 2007 by a Wellesley native who previously launched a restaurant with the same name in California.
190 Linden St.
781 239-1100
Reviews from Yelp and Chowhound.
Our take: (January, 2008) Our first visit to The Cottage took place on a snowy Sunday afternoon. There were 5 of us, including 2 kids. We arrived at noon and were seated promptly (no reservations taken), with kids menus/crayons provided without us asking. The restaurant was lively and pretty much full. As we’d heard, the interior is bright, even with cloudy snowstorms packing the sky. Our server was pleasant and took drink orders and meal orders quickly. The kids had peanut butter and fluff and macaroni and cheese. They both enjoyed their meals, though one order fruit as a side instead of fries, but was given the fries anyway. When notified of the error, the server immediately came back with a fruit cup. The adults order steak, a cheeseburger and a tuna melt. We were all satisfied with our meals, which were served together and hot (though my mom was accidentally given the fluffernutter…and everyone else in the restaurant knew it after she bit into it…). Warm bread was served before the entries and tasted great. Our server disappeared for a good long stretch after our meals arrived, but we did track her down to get the check. Overall, the food was good, the service was up and down. The kids meals were in the $5-$6 range, adult meals were mainly under $10, though more expensive offerings were also on the menu. We didnt sample the appetizers or desserts.
Deluxe Pizza
1 Forest St.
781-235-6811
Domino’s Pizza
868 Worcester Rd.
781-235-6800
Dorset Tea & Coffee
Serves afternoon tea, plus breakfast and lunch; opened by Khudairi sisters in spring, 2006.
352 Washington St.
781-239-8988
Dunkin’ Donuts
951 Worcester Street (Rte. 9) / 781-235-9815)
12 Washington St. / 781-431-7321
277 Linden St. (shown left)
Healthy Habits Kitchen
Ready-to-assemble, healthy, homemade meals to go
36 Washington St., Suite 2
781-235-6325
Herbs and Spices
Thai
15 Washington St. (Rte. 16)
781-237-7500
Jimmy’s Cafe
151 Linden St.
781-431-7616
La Riviera Gourmet
Breakfast, lunch, take-out dinner, ice cream
390 Washington St.
781-235-1885
Our take: (Feb, 2008) We stopped in for breakfast on a Saturday morning and were among the few people there. A quiet cafe with a host of treats on display and a good view of marathoners in training running up and down the race course. We had croissants, which were flaky and fresh, and a breakfast sandwich, which held together nicely and tasted good. We ordered at the counter and seated ourselves. Service was polite and efficient. You won’t find a lot of extras available for breakfast, such as yogurts or fruit. Many tempting lunch and dinner offerings were on the menu boards. Breakfast prices were quite reasonable. BB
Lemon Thai Cuisine
555 Washington St.
781-237-6995
The Linden Store: (deli)
162 Linden St.
(781) 235-9837 or (781) 237-9229
Maugus
A classic diner, with a Greek flair
300 Washington St.
781-235-9647
Video from the Chronicle TV show
Worth noting: In Winter/spring 2006 the restaurant began offering Jazz music entertainment with the HoneyMac ensemble on one Thursday a month from 730-930pm. Locals are invited to bring their instruments and join in.
Papa Razzi
Italian food, including pizza
16 Washington St.
(781) 235-4747
Our take: (June, 2006) Attended a night-time banquet, which was held in a back room. Good mix of traditional italian food provided. A bar is included in the room, which unlike some banquet rooms does have some windows out to the world, including a back patio where people could eat outside.
Peet’s Coffee & Tea
9 Central St.
781-235-0018
Peter’s Pizza
57 Washington St.
781-235-0031
Qdoba Mexican Grill
185 Linden St.
781-235-3390
Rosie’s Bakery
55 Central St
781-431-2532
Starbucks Coffee
68A Central St./ 781-235-2390
101 Linden St. / 781-237-5282
Susu Bakery
Breakfast items, cookies, cakes
575 Washington St.
Phone:781 237 7977
Tian Fu
Chinese
442 Washington St.
781-235-1111
Truly Yogurt
Ice cream and frozen yogurt
35 Grove St.
781 239-1356
Our take: (June, 2006) Fast, friendly service. We saw them handle a pack of rowdy kids without a problem. Among the offerings: Soft serve ice cream with “flavor burst,” a sort of swirled in flavoring, such as raspberry or bubble gum.
Vela
Owner Frank Santonastaso (meet him here in this video), after five years as executive chef at the North End’s Lucca Restaurant in Boston, opened this Italian restaurant in Wellesley in late 2005.
312 Washington St.
(781) 235-4449
Worth noting: The Townsman’s review (archived)
Vidalia’s Truck Stop
Family fare. (closed winter 2007)
13 Central St.
Phone:781-431-0011
Vidalia’s Truck Stop.
Wellesley Bakery
Baked goods, soups, sandwiches
542 Washington St.
781-235-1171
Wellesley College’s Collins Cafe
Next to Davis Museum and Cultural Center on Wellesley College campus
781-283-3379
Wellesley College’s Lulu Chow Wang Center
Coffee shop, dining room, Cafe Hoop, bar (Punch’s Alley)
Wellesley College campus
(781) 283-35001-
Weston Rd. Cafe
Breakfast, lunch diner, with salads, sandwiches/subs
336 Weston Rd.
781 235 1116
Worth noting: Easy to miss, nestled in a spot between Rte.9 and Weston Rd.’s Fells Market, etc….motto is “A place where you can meet anybody.”
Our take: (July 2006) We had lunch and were happy with our choices, a pastrami sandwich on wheat bread ($4.50) and a tuna melt ($4.95). A pretty standard selection of soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea (we went exotic and choose a Brazilian Guanara soda, a sort of Mountain Dew-ish offering). We sat inside, where the cozy restaurant includes a dozen or so tables (a few seats are available outside as well). The service was friendly and efficient, despite having its hands full with a steady stream of painters and others stopping in for take-out lunches.
White Mountain Creamery: Ice cream
552 Washington St.
781-239-0676
The Wok
Chinese
180 Worcester St (Rte 9)
781-235-0238
Yama Japanese Restaurant
245 Washington St.
781-431-8886
What others have to say about Wellesley restaurants:
Boston Globe: Assorted reviews
TripAdvisor: Assorted reviews
GrubHub: Take-out menus.
