• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

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

  • Advertise
  • Wellesley Square
  • Deland, Gibson Insurance Athlete of the Week
  • Camp
  • Private schools, sponsored by Riverbend
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • Seniors
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • Live government meetings
  • Raiders sports schedules & results
  • Fire & police scanner
  • 2023 Town Election
 
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Restaurant review: sneaking over the Wellesley border to Heritage in Sherborn

June 17, 2015 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Heritage of SherbornOnly for you, dear readers, would I force my family to leave Wellesley and cross over into the wilds of Sherborn. I know, I know, I’m the one who says, “Sherborn? They’re dead to us,” if anyone dares suggest that we expand our horizons just a tad by covering events in other towns. And strictly speaking, we mean it. It’s Wellesley or nothing for us. Except lately, with school ending and all, we’ve been feeling a little less strict, a bit more free, maybe downright relaxed, and ready to try something new.

So when Heritage of Sherborn, the replacement for The Sherborn Inn, which closed its doors in 2014, opened last week, we went for it. Yes, it involved driving from the safety and comfort of Wellesley Square all the way down Washington St. until it turns into Eliot St. in Natick. And as if that weren’t scary enough, from there we drove right through South Natick and into Sherborn, through the part of Route 16 with the swamp on either side until, at the end of this terrifying 5.5 mile, ten minute, traffic-free drive, we arrived at Heritage.

Heritage isn’t just a restaurant. It’s also an inn, a gastro-pub, a wedding reception and private parties destination, and a store that offers coffee, wine, and provisions. For today, I’ll stick to the restaurant side of things. According to owners Josh and Jennifer Ziskin, who also own La Morra in Brookline, Heritage features “…farm-inspired cuisine offering seasonal menus of fresh, local ingredients showcasing the rich flavors of New England.”

Did we have reservations to try out this fresh and local fare, the very young, very capable front-desk staff asked. We didn’t, and were told there would be a 20-minute wait. But in the time it took me to wander around the place, poking into back rooms and chatting up (or rather, distracting) staff, they seated us in the gastro-pub section of the restaurant.

Heritage of SherbornYou remember that part, it’s the section the Sherborn Inn used to call the pub, and it’s much unchanged and much altered all at the same time. The bar is still there, and it still offers beer, wine, and mixed drinks, and the tables are arranged as usual. What’s different in the gastro-pub and throughout the establishment is the light and bright, uncluttered feel to the space. Gone are the window treatments, dark paint, and the farm tools decorating the walls to remind you of Sherborn’s agrarian past and present. This new look, achieved without knocking down a single wall, is modernity itself, housed in a structure that dates from the 1700s.

And now, let’s get down to it: the food and the service.

Mirroring our positive experience in getting seated, our table service was also great. There was a lot of young friendly, and attentive staff on hand to fill water glasses, clear away dishes, and bring extra napkins. At the start of our meal, before we even noticed that the Pepsis were taking their sweet time getting to us, our server let us know that a glass fell and broke in the ice bin and they were dealing with that situation, and the sodas would be out ASAP.

When ordering drinks just remember, this is a gastro-pub. All that means is don’t go asking for a Bud Lite or some such. Think craft, small batch, quality refreshments. I was surprised they didn’t have lemonade available, the official alcohol-free drink of summer. Maybe next time.

Drinks in hand, our waiter took our order. For an appetizer, we tried the Kale and Chicken Nachos with apple-knocker cheddar, chive sour cream, and smoked salsa ($10). Nachos are something that we as a family have plenty of experience with. My kids like their nacho chips piled high, their cheese stringy, and everything else that comes with nachos served on the side. Any deviation from this formula means that the nachos get labelled “pretentious,” and so was the fate of those from The Heritage. The kale component of the dish didn’t help.

But there are two sides to every story, so I’ll chime in from an adult’s point of view. When I saw the lovely, tidy presentation of 3 large, circular nachos laid on the plate just so and covered with not too much cheese, I thought the following: 1) Hooray, no one is going to fill up on chips;  2) So that’s what real cheese looks like in a nachos app; 3) I always suspected that an appetizer-sized portion of nachos isn’t really supposed to look like it could feed a family of four for a week; 4) Yum. The smoked salsa is awesome.

Also on the appetizer menu, the chicken wings with barrel-aged hot sauce, gorgonzola cheese, and radishes ($12) might have suffered the same “pretentious” label, due to its involvement with gorgonzola cheese, but the hot sauce got respect and carried the dish into approval territory. The crisp radishes served with it were a nice switch from the usual side of raw carrots and celery.

On the entree side of things, the fish and chips battered with Stormalong Cider and served with German coleslaw ($18) was a good-sized portion, and the batter was light and crispy, while the fish was firm and mild.

Pan roasted hake with Dowse Orchard asparagus in a white wine and thyme sauce ($19) was a light meal and got a big thumbs up, as did the burger with local lettuce, Vermont cheddar, and radishes ($12).

Other things that looked enticing:

Steamed mussels ($12), Frito pie ($7 as a side), Pizzas ($14), and Shepherd’s pie, apparently reimagined and a staff fave ($21).

For now, the gastro-pub only is serving lunch and dinner. The main dining room is scheduled to open in July.

Heritage
33 North Main St.
Sherborn, MA 01770
508-655-9521

Gastro-pub hours are:
Tuesday-Thursday:
Lunch: 11:00-2:30
Dinner: 5:00-9:00

Friday:
Dinner: 5:00-10:00

Saturday:
Brunch:
10:30-2:30
Dinner: 5:00-10:00

Sunday:
Brunch: 10:30-2:30
Dinner: 5:00-9:00

Also of interest…

Where to eat in Wellesley

Recent review, The Linden Store

print

Filed Under: Food, Neighbors, Restaurants

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Linden Square, Wellesley
Riverbend, Natick

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square, Wellesley Merchants
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Beacon Hill Athletic Club, Wellesley
Fay School, Southborough
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cheesy Street Grill
Mature Caregivers
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Letters-to-the-editor day in Wellesley—important election-time updates
  • Wellesley business buzz: Board business liaison phased out; Help ID top business leaders of color; Hospital taps new president
  • Business buzz: Nantucket wine bar to boast Wasik's cheeses; Needham Bank has new Wellesley branch manager; Thanks to new sponsor Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs
  • Wellesley Veterans Parade will be one big wonderful Tea Party
  • Does Wellesley need a new traffic light? Slow down before you drive to any conclusions

Upcoming Events

Jan 31
9:00 am - 11:00 am Recurring

Coffee and Conversation with the Wetlands Administrator and Staff

Jan 31
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Families Eat Together online presentation

Feb 1
11:59 pm

Deadline for Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club grants application

Feb 3
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sara Campbell winter warehouse sale

Feb 4
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sara Campbell winter warehouse sale

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • David B on Does Wellesley need a new traffic light? Slow down before you drive to any conclusions
  • LADY WELLESLEY on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Peggy Heffernan on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Beth Dublin on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Erika on Where to buy the Wellesleyest stuff in Wellesley

Links we like

  • Danny's Place
  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • 2023 Town Election (2)
  • Animals (428)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (592)
  • Beyond Wellesley (52)
  • Books (376)
  • Business (1,557)
  • Camp (10)
  • Careers/jobs (53)
  • Churches (82)
  • Clubs (236)
  • Construction (300)
  • Dump (130)
  • Education (3,189)
    • Babson College (252)
    • Bates Elementary School (18)
    • Dana Hall School (36)
    • Fiske Elementary School (11)
    • Hardy Elementary School (47)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (46)
    • MassBay (57)
    • Schofield Elementary School (26)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (613)
    • Wellesley High School (996)
    • Wellesley Middle School (204)
  • Embracing diversity (84)
  • Entertainment (814)
  • Environment (772)
  • Fashion (144)
  • Finance (15)
  • Fire (173)
  • Food (358)
  • Fundraising (641)
  • Gardens (164)
  • Government (604)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (15)
  • Health (866)
    • COVID-19 (203)
  • Hikes (6)
  • History (400)
  • Holidays (440)
  • Houses (162)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (867)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (10)
  • Letters to the Editor (71)
  • Media (72)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (13)
  • Morses Pond (109)
  • Music (580)
  • Natick Report (30)
  • Neighbors (280)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (86)
  • Outdoors (655)
  • Parenting (63)
  • Police (778)
    • Crime (395)
  • Politics (554)
  • POPS Senior Profile (10)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (344)
  • Religion (138)
  • Restaurants (340)
  • Safety (155)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (127)
  • Shopping (163)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (1,012)
    • Athlete of the Week (12)
  • STEM (108)
  • Technology (165)
  • Theatre (397)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (240)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,244)
  • Volunteering (350)
  • Weather (179)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (280)
  • Wellesley Holiday Gift Guide (2)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (20)

© 2023 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login