Feast & Fettle will bring dinner to you this Rosh Hashanah

September 12, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Want to spend less time cooking this Rosh Hashanah?

Feast & Fettle, a local meal delivery service, is offering a special Rosh Hashanah menu of fully prepared, premium dishes available for delivery Sunday, Sept. 25.

All F&F meals are prepared by professional chefs at their local kitchen and delivered fresh, ready to reheat and serve. Feast & Fettle prides itself on catering to your guests’ specific dietary needs by offering a wide variety of menu options, designed to ensure that everyone around your holiday table will eat well.

Order traditional dishes such as red wine braised beef brisket, apple-honey crusted chicken legs, cream cheese noodle kugel, and more. The menu features handcrafted babka, challah and rugelach from Buns Bakery. And every order comes with a free jar of Massachusetts Wildflower Honey from Boston Honey Co.

No membership to the service is required to order, and parties of any size can be accommodated.

The order deadline is Thursday, Sept. 22, so check out the menu now. Swellesley readers can use code ROSH10 for 10% off their order!

Wellesley Business Buzz: Bach to Rock instrument petting zoo; Fleuri reseeds across the street; outdoor dining at Alta Strada

August 1, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

Bach to Rock instrument petting zoo at Linden Square

Bach to Rock is holding a series of free Friday instrument petting zoo events on Aug 5, 12 & 26. Each event will take place at 1pm in the Linden Square Courtyard.

The music school, which opened in Wellesley in 2016 and is now under new ownership, provides lessons in guitar, piano, drums, voice, violin, trumpet, and more for students of all ages and skill levels.

Fleuri Designs makes a move

Fleuri Designs has moved across the street in Linden Square, from the Roche Bros. side to the its new location next to Tatte Bakery. Owner Zoë Forbes has kept the store’s signature clean and beautiful Fleuri aesthetic with plenty of faux florals and plants, gifts, décor items, and chic home accent pieces. New to this location: occasional furniture, and a refrigerated case for fresh flowers. Zoë and her team can now let loose and make gorgeous fresh floral arrangements, something they couldn’t do across the street due to a non-compete clause with the Roche Bros. floral department. But non-compete clauses can’t cross the street, which is valuable information you heard here first.

Fleuri also has a location on Beacon Hill at 98 Charles St.

Restaurant visit: An outdoor dinner at Alta Strada

It’s hard to believe that Alta Strada in Wellesley Square has been serving delicious Italian classics for 15 years, but here we are. The popular local spot is owned by Michael Schlow, who runs four additional Alta Stradas as well as the Hermitage Inn in West Dover, Vermont; the Tico in Washington, DC; Monti Roman Pizzeria in Boston; and other restaurants. Many publications (Esquire, Food & Wine, Conde Nast Traveler) have joined The Swellesley Report in writing up aspects of the busy chef’s culinary empire.

The outdoor patio with its cheerful red umbrellas beckoned us on a warm night, the kind when ordering off the creative cocktail menu seems mandatory; We tried out the spot’s namesake Alta Strada, a vodka, pomegranate, and blood 0range mix served in a martini glass, a fun and summery way to start out the meal. In addition to about 10 specialty cocktails, there are several beer choices (including Peroni, an Italian beer), a few mocktails, and a wine list with many well-priced wines by the glass.

Crispy artichoke hearts with a light-tasting pesto bianco made with walnuts, garlic, and ricotta, and pickled fresno chiles served alongside the dish was an amazing and flavorful appetizer ($15), which we highly recommend. The garlicky sauce was the perfect foil to the crispy, but not greasy, artichokes. We went all in with the ricotta theme and also tried out the ricotta spread with crostini appetizer($14), a light and delicately flavored choice.

Alta Strada, Wellesley — Alta Strada appetizer: crispy artichoke hearts with pesto bianco.

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Top things to do in Wellesley before summer ends

July 26, 2022 by Duncan Brown Leave a Comment

We’re already a third of the way through summer, and if you’re staying local, there’s plenty to do in Wellesley.

Morses Pond

It’s no secret that it’s hot this summer, and so it’s no surprise that people are looking for a bit of water to jump into. Luckily, Wellesley is home to Morses Pond, which is staffed by lifeguards and is host to many beachy activities beyond just taking a dip. Aside from swimming, there are paddle boards and kayaks that can be rented and taken around anywhere in the pond at the cost of $10 for 30 minutes. On the beach itself there are pavilions that can be rented for events ($5 for resident, $20 for non residents), and beach volleyball is available for some friendly competition. The bathhouse offers bathrooms and changing stalls, and has a vending machine as well.

Wellesley residents can either buy a $10 day pass, or go for a season pass option. Adult season passes are $125, while children (under 16) and seniors can get one for $60. There is also $250 family pass option. If you are not Wellesley resident, there are no day passes available, and season passes run quite a bit steeper—adults are $190, and children/seniors are $90.

MOPO Fishing — Fishing at Morses Pond. Photo credit: Brandon Fitts

The Brook Path & beyond

The Brook Path is a 2.4-mile route that runs through Wellesley, roughly from the High School to the Nehoiden Golf Club. It’s a perfect place to walk, run, or bike on a sunny summer day. The trees provide shade, and there are benches along the path if you need a break or just want to sit outside in nature. The path runs adjacent to Fuller Brook which, if you are persistent and curious, you can discover leads to the Charles River. Fuller Brook has a fish ladder near Hunnewell Elementary School, and during spring migration you can see lots of leaping fish making their way over the little waterfall. The Brook Path is probably the best known and most popular path in town, so if you are looking for seclusion in nature, this might not be the path for you.

Wellesley is rife with trails, perfect for walking or running. Beyond the Brook Path, there exists a system of trails, maintained and mapped by the Wellesley Trails Committee. We have some personal recommendations for which trials are best, particularly in the summer, when heat is a factor.

The Sudbury Path (or blue arrow path) is well shaded and quite secluded, and runs for 4.6 miles. It’s never a very crowded trail, and it offers more physical challenge than the flat and level Brook Path.
The Crosstown Trail is a very long (6.2 miles), very flat path that cuts in and out of the town. We would recommend doing small bits of it at a time if you want to preserve the feeling of walking in nature. That being said, it offers diversity in scenery, and is easy to find parking for. A good place to start, depending on where you’re coming from, is the 900 Worcester St. parking lot near Dale Street.
The Centennial Reservation Trail, as you might guess, runs around Centennial Reservation. This is a popular spot for dog walkers, and is a scenic, hilly path. It’s on the shorter side, but has offshoots that can be explored. It is a little more exposed than the other trials in town, so remember to bring your sunscreen. The trail starts at the Centennial Reservation parking lot off Oakland Street.

fuller brook park brook path summer — Brook Path, Wellesley

Ice cream

Summer was made for ice cream. Or is it the other way around? Either way, Wellesley has delicious options for everyone’s favorite summer treat. Truly’s, a small, local store that usually has a line out the door on summer nights, often changes up their special flavors—dedicated Swellesley fans may recall the Swellesley Swirl flavor once offered—while keeping a unique selection of consistent items. We personally recommend the Cookie D lite soft serve option.

Also in Wellesley Square is J.P Licks. Although part of a chain, J.P. Licks does a good job keeping a local feel to the place by decorating their walls with art from local artists. As for the ice cream itself, there’s have a wide selection of what we would call “fancy” ice cream. This means it’s not just chocolate, it’s chocolate brownie. They don’t have just mint, they have mint cookies and cream. You get the picture. While they do have the more typical flavors, if you’re looking for excitement in your ice cream life, J.P. Licks can serve you well.

Dumpster Diving

The Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility is more than a place to throw away your trash and recyclables. You can also visit two spots to search for the cast-off treasures of Wellesley residents—the give and take section and the books section. Both these parts of the dump are constantly replenished by Wellesley residents looking to de-clutter their homes. From furniture to water guns, there’s little that hasn’t appeared at the RDF at one point or another. It can be a bit hit or miss, but the searching is half the fun.

book swap — Used books area, Wellesley RDF

Live theater

Wellesley Theater Project runs throughout the summer, putting on plays with young actors getting a taste of the theatrical world. Check out Newsies on July 28, 29, or 30. Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.” When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what’s right. Based on the 1992 motion picture and inspired by a true story. Ticket information here.

Restaurants

Wellesley offers a wide range of cuisine for the local foodie as well as those who are just plain hungry, and the town has enjoyed a recent infusion of new restaurants.

Increasingly, restaurants in town are branching out with outdoor seating, including the new Tatte in Linden Square, Maugus in Wellesley Hills, and Bocado in Wellesley Square.

Live concerts behind town hall

Live music can be found in Wellesley, behind Town Hall. Summer concerts start at 7pm, and rotate different musicians and bands throughout the summer. The remaining shows for the summer are being performed by The Tom Nutile Big Band on July 27th, and The Rico Bar Band on August 10th. The events are great for people of all ages, and additional entertainment is offered for kids with lawn games spread about the field. Hot dog vendors have also been known to make appearances.

town hall concert reminisants — Concert behind Wellesley Town Hall

Babson Globe

All praise the globe! Stare at it long enough, and it may stare back at you. Located within Babson College, the Babson World Globe has been around for over 60 years, having been completed in 1955. Since then it has been hidden away behind one of the campus halls. However, it has recently been moved to a more central location on campus, and can be more easily found in all its glory. The globe is meant to provide a realistic map of the world, and was initially made as a symbol of the college’s “global presence.” The globe is 25 tons, 28 feet across, and can be seen any time of day, slowly rotating on its pedestal. If you want to see one of the more striking pieces of art in Wellesley, and learn a new country or two while you’re at it, head on over to Babson.

Shopping

There will truly never be a lack of places to go shopping in Wellesley. Saying that you have walked every path, swam in every body of water, and loyally attended all the Summer concerts is believable, but don’t try and tell the Swellesley Report that you’ve shopped in every store in town. Wellesley Square is a good place to start any shopping endeavor. It offers a plethora of clothing stores, along with stores such as Paper Source, Wellesley Books, and many more.

Linden Square has just as much to offer, with stores selling things ranging from makeup to toys. Magic Bean, Bluemercury, Neenas, and others offer a variety of places to explore. Take a break in the Courtyard’s outdoor seating area if you need to take a load off your feet mid-shopping spree.

linden square summer afternoon — The Linden Square Courtyard

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Save the date: Wellesley Square July Jubilation is July 16th

July 15, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

SPONSORED CONTENT: July Jubilation is coming back in a big way to Wellesley Square on Saturday, July 16, 9:30am-4:30pm, and it will be an event to remember. Scores of merchants will have special sidewalk sales at the annual family-friendly celebration. Active and interactive games for kids of all ages will be provided by Knucklebones in a huge play space (think half the size of a standard basketball court), as live music keeps the atmosphere energetic.

Expect drinks, food, and fun for the whole family, and incredible savings as the sidewalks and streets of Wellesley Square are filled with irresistible products and discounts. The fun will also include a dunk tank, petting zoo, balloon artist, bounce house, magic tricks and lots more.

You don’t want to miss this opportunity to enjoy Wellesley Square in the summer.

Wellesley Square July Jubilation entertainment line up

Details and times are subject to change. Last-minute updates available at ShopWellesleySquare.com

9:30am-4:30pm: Live music by Wellesley Rocks in two locations: Central St. by Faber Rug, and Church Square
9:30am-4pm: Bach to Rock
9:30am-4:30pm: We Rock the Spectrum
9:30am-4:30pm: B/SPOKE, snacks and coffee samples
10am-2pm: Wellesley Symphony Orchestra in Central Park
10am-4pm, Sam’s Hot Dogs cart
10am-4pm Bounce House
10am-4pm: Smokey the Bear & The Smokehouse
10am-4pm: Fire Truck and Open Police Cruiser
11am-2pm: Peter Panic the Juggler & Unicyclist (roaming Wellesley Square)
11am-3pm: Tim Brown, Magic and Balloon Tricks, Wellesley Toy Shop
11am-3pm: Dunk Tank
11am-3pm: Petting Zoo
11am-3pm: Stilt Walker, roaming Wellesley Square
11am-3pm: Balloon Artist Linda Peck, roaming Wellesley Square
11am-3pm: Active entertainment for all ages featuring Knucklebones Fun and Games
11am-3pm: Bubble Zone Science of Bubbles

A history of helping: Wellesley Food Pantry seeks summertime donations

July 14, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

There are some who might be surprised to learn that many Wellesley residents need help putting food on the table. After all, the US Census Bureau puts the 2020 median household income in town at $214K, so with numbers like that, where’s the need? The truth wasn’t publicly acknowledged in Wellesley until the late 1980s that many neighbors aren’t quite so flush and might need some help with the groceries. Seems that residents in need were going over to Natick to access the food pantry in that town, since Wellesley was without such a safety net.

That changed in 1989, when the Wellesley Food Pantry opened its doors at Wellesley Hills Congregational Church thanks to the efforts of representatives from local houses of worship, along with Wellesley Friendly Aid board members. Once the ball got rolling, volunteers quickly stepped up to donate needed items, organize the shelves, and provide monetary support. Today the Pantry is supported by special programs like the annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive (which accounts for about 10% of the yearly donated food) and the Wellesley Scouting for Food Drive (which brings in about 40% of food donations). Given that both those drives were canceled during the pandemic, the spike in monetary donations of $130,854 donated to the Pantry in 2021 was a welcome infusion of resources.

In addition, the Wellesley Food Pantry gets donations from area businesses, houses of worship, civic organizations, and everyday people who make room in their grocery carts each week for a few donations to run over to the Pantry. Village Table, a Wellesley-based organization set up during the pandemic to combat food insecurity, is also one of the Pantry’s partners, with the charitable group’s fully prepared, fresh, and nutritious meals a popular item among clients.

“We serve 174 families and 97 children,” said Pantry board of directors president Peter Lull in during an interview at the Pantry. “Usually our breakout is about a third of clients 18 years and younger, and about a third 65 years and older,” with the rest falling somewhere in between.

How to donate

There are two constants in the world of the Wellesley Food Pantry—donations are always needed, and space at the pantry is always limited.

“We don’t have a ton of storage space,” says Lull. “We ask that when people want to donate they really stick to the specific wish list we have because we don’t have the room to store a lot of excess inventory.”

Check the Pantry website for the wish list for items most in need at the moment. There are also collection bins at Roche Bros. and Whole Foods. Or you can do a curbside drop-off on Mondays, 2pm-3pm, at the west entrance of Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, 207 Washington St.

Largesse from vegetable gardens is also welcome. Residents can drop fresh produce donations on Tuesdays, 8am-11:30am, in the Wellesley Hills Church kitchen (from the west entrance, down the stairs and to the right before entering the assembly room).

Monetary donations are also welcome. On average the Pantry spends over $2,000 per week to purchase foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits, meats, eggbeaters and other perishable items, as well as non-perishables when donations are low. Almost all monetary donations ($130K in 2021) go directly to stocking the Pantry, as administrative expenses are minimal—the staff and management are all volunteers, and the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church provides the Pantry with rent-free space.

You can mail your check, payable to the Wellesley Food Pantry, to:

Wellesley Food Pantry
207 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA 02481

You may also donate using PayPal or a credit card.

How to volunteer

Helping out at the Food Pantry is one of those gigs in town that people tend to hang onto once they secure their spot. Lull has volunteered for over 15 years. “We are always willing to take names, but for the most part we’re pretty well staffed. We don’t get a lot of volunteer turnover,” he said.

He says there are several dozen regular volunteers and dozens of occasional helpers from Wellesley Service League, National Charity League, Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club, and more.

How to register for help from the Pantry

Support from the Wellesley Food Pantry is open to all qualified Wellesley residents. Residents needing Food Pantry assistance can register by email, mail, or in person with an appointment. More information here.

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

Wellesley Neighbors civic group celebrates 10-year anniversary

July 1, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Thank you to guest columnist Lucy Phillips, a member of Wellesley Neighbors, for the following post:

Wellesley Neighbors, an organization for older couples and singles, last month celebrated its ten-year anniversary, the end of winter, and the waning of COVID with dinner at Heritage of Sherborn for members of the civic-minded social group.

“We revived our annual dinner, a favorite tradition that paused two years for the pandemic,” Wellesley Neighbors president Adele Langevin said. “The dinner was a way to bring everyone together and was a gift to all our members, thanks to a grant awarded us by Needham Bank.”

Needham Bank often awards small grants to various organizations in the towns it serves. The bank’s community relations officer Erica Shom said, “We are happy to discover Wellesley Neighbors and to support its spirit of caring and connection among older adults in our area.”

The celebratory dinner drew about 60 members to the Heritage, a first-time venue for the occasion. From 5pm to 8pm, attendees filled a spacious brick patio that was set up with many tables for six, and a wine bar.

“A partly sunny day had been predicted, and fortunately we had the sunny part,” said Wellesley Neighbors executive director Joyce Wadlington. “Everyone enjoyed the food, the service, and being with so many friends again.”

Wellesley Neighbors draws members primarily from Dover, Natick, Needham, Wellesley and Weston, but is a non-exclusive group that includes members from the city of Framingham, and other nearby towns.

To receive a packet of information about Wellesley Neighbors, call Joyce at 781-283-0417.

Wonderful Wellesley initiative celebrates the town’s amped-up restaurants scene

June 8, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

POST UPDATE, July 2022—Lockheart at 120 Central Street in Wellesley Square has officially opened. The southwestern-themed tacos-plus casual but sophisticated eatery is owned by a Wellesley resident. Details here.

POST UPDATE, June 2022—Tatte in Linden Square has officially opened. The bakery, famous for its artisanal coffees, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, salads, and sandwiches, has a great outdoor seating area. Details here.

SPONSORED CONTENT: Eight—count ’em, eight—new restaurants have either opened in Wellesley or are slated to do so in 2022. From a seven-seat coffee house in Wellesley Hills (Jeje’s, expected to open in late summer) to Lockheart, a southwestern-themed tacos-plus restaurant with room for 120 in Wellesley Square, to Tatte Bakery in Linden Square, diners suddenly have a dizzying array of new choices. It’s finally happening. Wellesley is becoming a real restaurants town.

Juniper, Wellesley — Outdoor seating area of Juniper, is one of Wellesley Square’s long-time favorite restaurants. Photo by Juniper

If ever there was a time to get out and see what’s new, now is that time. Celebrate Wellesley and all it has to offer by giving a warm welcome to the area’s new businesses that are bringing a fresh feel to town, and by supporting the long-time business that have made Wonderful Wellesley the shopping and dining destination that it is today.

Join the fun and get up in Wellesley’s business in the best possible way—by shopping, dining, and doing local.

Eat your way through town

Go ahead, try out both the new and the long-established eateries—after all, Wellesley has over 50 places to dine.

Here’s the latest on the new places:

Asaro Bakery & Cafe—to open in 2022

32 Church Street, Church Square
Bakery and cafe

Jejes Coffeehouse—to open in 2022

259 Washington Street, Wellesley Hills
Coffee, tea, and desserts, including South Korean treats.

Karma—to open in 2022

Linden Square
Outdoor seating—yes
Sushi featuring a cross between Japanese flavors and the delicate sauces and styles of France, as well as Chinese, Japanese, and Malaysian menu items.

The Cottage, Wellesley — The Cottage in Linden Square also offers outdoor seating. Photo by The Cottage.