• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

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

  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • Eat
  • Wellesley Square
  • School
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Charities/Community
  • Arts
  • Camp
  • Kids
  • Environment/Sustainability
  • Events
  • About us
  • Subscribe
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Letters to the Editor
  • 2021 Town Election
  • Bulletin Board
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Boston Sports Institute, Wellesley

Beyond Wellesley, restaurant review: The Common Cafe & Kitchen in Natick

January 20, 2017 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

We recently dared to cross the Wellesley border into Natick because we’d been hearing great things about The Common Cafe & Kitchen, a new breakfast, lunch, and early dinner place located at 9 South Main St. in the former Bakery on the Common space. A couple of neighborhood college kids had been working there over their winter break, and they reportedly were enjoying the part-time hours, the tip jar proceeds, and the excitement of being in on the “it” factor a new place in town always breezes in with.

The Common Cafe & Kitchen, Natick
The Common Cafe & Kitchen, 9 South Main St., Natick Center

 

The premise of the place is simple: you take a look at the breakfast menu of eggs offerings, oatmeal, french toast, bagels, scones, muffins, croissants, breads, and, of course, coffees and teas or the lunch menu made up of sandwiches, salads, soups, and quiches. From there, you place your order at the register, they hand you a number, and then staff brings your order to your table or seat at the counter. The restaurant has table seating for about 36, and the sleek counter area sits around 10. That counter area is sheer genius, allowing the solo diner to relax without the guilt of taking up an entire table. It also serves as a bar area. The Common Cafe was recently granted a beer and wine license.

The decor is au courant minimalist, with white subway tiles and white tables and chairs. The tin ceilings in the historic building remain, thank goodness, freshened up with a coat of white paint. The whole place is clean, clean, clean.

The Common Cafe & Kitchen, Natick
Fancy Pants Grilled Cheese, Taleggio, fig jam, escarole, on country white bread.

 

The first time I went, I tried out the Fancy Pants Grilled Cheese made with Taleggio cheese, fig jam, escarole, grilled on country white bread ($10). The cheese was perfectly melted, the bread was grilled evenly and without excessive butter. The escarole didn’t appeal to me, however. There was a certain slime factor that the heat from the grilling imparted. Next time I will skip my greens on that order.

My companion ordered the Pollo, a sandwich made of roast chicken, mozzarella, Vesuvius tomatoes, and basil on ciabatta ($11). It disappeared in no time, so there’s a ringing endorsement. Lunch came to $28 for two for lunch including drinks, not including chips, for sale separately in a display near the register.

On my second visit I tried out their Vegetarian sandwich made with roasted eggplant, pickled red onion, arugula, shaved Manchego on a baguette ($10), which I am still dreaming about. If you ask, they’ll put it through the panini press for you, which I highly recommend. The mild heat warmed it up the eggplant just right, melding the flavors perfectly, and the arugula didn’t suffer in the slightest from the panini press treatment.

Drinks available include Tower soda, Deb’s Lemonade, juice boxes, and Italian sodas. There’s also coffee and tea, of course. A few of the offerings: brewed fazenda cofffee; cappuccino; caramel macchiato; Tea Pigs Teas; cocoa; iced coffees.

Some other offerings for lunch were The Cure (Italian meats and cheese with olive salad on focaccia bun); Patty Melt (ground beef, special sauce, grilled onions, American chesse on rye); Romaine salad; Nicoise salad. There’s also pig in a blanket or grilled cheese for the kids.

There’s a case of baked sweets and one of prepared foods. On hand in the prepared foods case when I was there: Macaroni and cheese ($10); Turkey meatloaf ($12); braised chard ($7); potato leek gratin ($12).

The Common Cafe & Kitchen hours: Tuesday – Friday, 7am – 6pm; Saturday – Sunday, 8am – 3pm; CLOSED MONDAYS.

Judging from the steady stream of customers, The Common Cafe & Kitchen appears to be a welcome addition to Natick Center, an area that has been quietly developing a cool factor. You could easily spend an entire morning poking around there. Have breakfast followed by a visit to Natick’s year-round farmer’s market open Saturdays 9am – 1pm in the Common Street Spirituality Center during the winter months, and on the Natick Common during the warm-weather months. You could then take the kids over to the beautiful Morse Library, where they often have a Saturday morning craft, or Lego event, or story time going.

There’s also plenty of interesting indie shopping such as Renew Arts & Industry, a gallery shop that features mid-century modern design, vintage furniture and decor, tableware, pottery, original art, and vintage fashion and jewelry; Gallery 55, which features hand-crafted jewelry, original art, and exhibition space; Iron Horse Fiber Art, which sells fiber products, yarns, fiber art equipment, and offers classes and workshops; Robjets D’Art Vintage Store, vintage jewelry, books, vinyl music, curios and art; This & That, a trendy and eclectic mostly resale shop offering women’s clothing and accessories, and home decor; and many more shops and restaurants.

Here’s the fun mid-century modern-vibe necklace I got at This & That, a bargain at $5 (I’ll wear it tonight to the big Think Pink basketball game at WHS tonight — Raiders vs. the Natick Redhawks — so if you see me, don’t let it pass unmentioned):

 

This & That, 11 Pond St., Natick Center
Here’s the cool mid-century modern-vibe necklace I got at This & That, located at 11 Pond St. in Natick Center, a bargain at $5

 

Iron Horse, Natick Center
Iron Horse, located at 3 Pond St., Natick Center, offers fiber products, yarns, fiber art equipment, and more.

 

“The gentrification of Natick,” sniffed my companion, perhaps feeling nostalgic for his formative first four years living in the town, back when everything was simpler. But maybe he’s right. Bustling restaurants, an artsy vibe, indie shops…that’s how gentrification gets its Tod’s loafers wedged in the door, after all. Natick’s even gone tear-down. Construction of a new building is underway, right across the street from the Natick Commons. Could it be Natick’s very own, far less pricey, version of Bel Clare? Suddenly, Wellesley’s next-door neighbor is starting to look rather worth crossing the border for, in many ways.

print

Share

Filed Under: Antiques, Art, Business, Food, Natick Report, Neighbors, Restaurants

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Linden Square, Wellesley
Write Ahead
Ann-Mara Lanza, Wellesley

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]
Wellesley Square ad
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Admit Fit, Wellesley
image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  • 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 here to read our Natick Report

Natick Report

Events Calendar

« February 2021 » loading...
S M T W T F S
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
2
3
4
5
6

Most Read Posts

  • "I Care a Lot" movie that filmed in Wellesley making Netflix debut
  • Where to eat in Wellesley, Massachusetts
  • Wellesley summer camp listings 2021 — find the experience of a lifetime
  • Newton-Wellesley Orthopedic Walk-In—no appointment needed
  • Wellesley DPW eyes parks as Green Zones

Pages

  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • How to submit your flyer for the Community Bulletin Board page
  • Wellesley Community Bulletin Board
  • Wellesley coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads
  • Wellesley, Mass., fishing spots
  • Wellesley Choral Society
  • Wellesley College Notable Alumnae
  • Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.
  • Wellesley outdoor art gallery
  • Wellesley restaurants offering take-out and delivery
  • Wellesley, Massachusetts restaurant — Amarin of Thailand

Recent Comments

  • Denise Wood on Letter to the editor: concerns about denouncing Columbus
  • Stephen Maire on Letter to the editor: in support of Columbus Day
  • Yeimy Garcia on Letter to the editor: in support of Columbus Day
  • Sally Watts on Wellesley Select Board issues Statement on Anti-Racism and Anti-Bias
  • marietta novick on Letter to the editor: in support of Columbus Day

Links we like

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

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (16)
  • Animals (381)
  • Antiques (48)
  • Art (539)
  • Beyond Wellesley (28)
  • Books (343)
  • Business (1,369)
  • Camp (1)
  • Careers/jobs (44)
  • Churches (72)
  • Clubs (209)
  • Construction (280)
  • Dump (113)
  • Education (2,893)
    • Babson College (240)
    • Bates Elementary School (14)
    • Dana Hall School (29)
    • Fiske Elementary School (6)
    • Hardy Elementary School (33)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (34)
    • MassBay (47)
    • Schofield Elementary School (20)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (1)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (9)
    • Upham Elementary School (30)
    • Wellesley College (598)
    • Wellesley High School (888)
    • Wellesley Middle School (195)
  • Embracing diversity (44)
  • Entertainment (724)
  • Environment (673)
  • Fashion (134)
  • Finance (13)
  • Fire (142)
  • Food (328)
  • Fundraising (561)
  • Gardens (137)
  • Government (407)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
  • Health (745)
    • COVID-19 (140)
  • History (359)
  • Holidays (365)
  • Houses (120)
  • Humor (45)
  • Kids (815)
  • Law (3)
  • Letters to the Editor (10)
  • Media (63)
  • METCO (5)
  • Military (3)
  • Morses Pond (96)
  • Music (543)
  • Natick Report (28)
  • Neighbors (248)
  • Obituaries (58)
  • Outdoors (585)
  • Parenting (60)
  • Police (695)
    • Crime (350)
  • Politics (544)
  • Real estate (290)
  • Religion (127)
  • Restaurants (303)
  • Safety (142)
  • Scouts (1)
  • Senior citizens (110)
  • Shopping (123)
  • Sports (900)
  • STEM (104)
  • Technology (154)
  • Theatre (383)
  • Town Meeting (22)
  • Transportation (210)
  • Travel (11)
  • Uncategorized (1,206)
  • Volunteering (319)
  • Weather (167)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (258)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (5)
RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to RSS Feed

© 2021 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login