Restaurant Review: Bruegger's Bagels

Bruegger's Bagels, Framingham, MA

I know what you're thinking...Not another bagel restaurant review!!
Well, when you have kids and you don't do junk fast food, you go to bagel joints. The food is quick, usually fresh, the kids like it, and most of the time the bathrooms are clean and easy to spot.

And a family of six can eat
cheap, especially at places
like Bruegger's where they
tend to heap the toppings
on their bagel (round or square)
sandwiches. Just get sliced
toasted bagels for the kids
and a tub of hummus, or
order yourself a Leonardo da
Veggie (without the cheese) and
spread the toppings between
the kids' bagels.

Don't tell the kids, but I
actually don't care for
Bruegger's hummus! Maybe
I'm just a hummus snob--
or connoisseur--but it's too
herby and dry for my tastes,
but the kids like it and it's
thick like my homemade
stuff so it doesn't fall off the bagels while they eat it.

Bruegger's does have good
soup to make up for their
less than stellar hummus.
There's usually a vegetarian
offering--though not always
vegan. Their fire-roasted
tomato soup is excellent. But
the lentil & spinach soup
contains parmesan (though it's
clearly marked--they're good about that sort of thing).

And they have nice sour
pickles, but you have to
order a sandwich or ask
for some on the side.
Besides the usual fruit
cups, salads & coffee,
this Bruegger's has Naked
juices and a basket of mini
Lake Champlain dark
chocolates for sale in front of the register...the kids know I can't resist a good chocolate!

This Bruegger's is located
in Shopper's World in
Framingham, which is in
between route 9 & route
30. 508-875-5244

There is plenty of parking
nearby, but the spaces
immediately in front of the
restaurant may be full at lunchtime or during birthday parties at the Snip-Its nextdoor.

Restaurant Review: Subs & More

Subs & More

Located amidst the construction
chaos on Concord Street in the
Saxonville area of north
Framingham, Subs & More
replaces a string of unsuccessful
restaurants in the little building
next door to Subway and across
the street from the Carpet Mill
Outlet Store. The only other review online I could find is here, with just a brief menu overview.

The dining area is very small,
but most people order take-
out. The restaurant also
delivers for $1.50 extra ($10
minimum). The decor is funky
and neat, but just don't come
here with a large family or a
big group.

The menu is mainly Turkish & American fare. There are a lot of appetizers, many vegetarian, some vegan, such as the Lentil Kofte, Humus, Saksuka, Dolma (stuffed grape leaves), & Falafel. The owner was kind enough to
give my husband a free sample
of Dolma when he said he was
taking photos for a blog review
(thanks to both, for the sample,
and to my husband for stopping
off on Halloween evening &
remembering to take some pics).
The Dolma were actually the
best I've had--any I've had
previously have been very oily and heavy--these were not.

My husband ordered a falafel wrap, and he got a second one for me with added humus. The plain falafel wrap was rather dry, but the one with humus was pretty good. The humus had grated carrot in it which was very tasty.

Most of the menu is heavy on
the meat. There are American
favourites like burgers, bbq,
pasta, subs & fries. And
familiar Turkish offerings such
as kebabs, gyros & greek
salads. There are also
gourmet panini sandwiches like
the regional "Red Sox" and the "Mass Pike", Turkish style sandwiches, or one vegetarian with mushrooms, roasted red pepper, cheese & black olive paste. All paninis are served with rosemary focaccia bread.

When my husband was asking
about ingredients, he was in
turn asked if he could eat
peanuts since some foods are
cooked in peanut oil. It was
nice to hear they were truly
looking out for their patrons'
interests. My husband did his
best despite the occasional language barrier. I would like to order again--maybe the falafel salad or the appetizer platter (choose any 4 appetizers for $10.50).

I hope this restaurant makes it in the questionable economy and not-so-stellar location. Their Halloween decorations were over the top and really caught my eye.

Subs & More is located at 1609 Concord Street and has off-street parking available. Open 7 days a week, 11am-9pm, closes at 8pm on sundays. 508-202-4688. subsandmore@hotmail.com

'09 UPDATE: Apparently I wasn't the only one who though the plain falafel wraps were a bit dry. The carrot salad inside the wraps now contains a yogurt dressing. So if you're dairy-free, you need to ask them to leave it off. Sigh...

'10 UPDATE: With the construction done and off-street parking available, stopping off for sides of falafel has become more enjoyable! It appears as if the restaurant is doing well. They are sporting new signage on the side of the building advertising "Mediterranean & Turkish" fare.

Restaurant Review: Gianni's

Gianni's Pizza & Subs, Framingham, MA

I love pizza. And I'm
originally from New
York. So when I look
for a good pizza, I want
a thin crust that is not
greasy, a simple tasty
tomato sauce, and being
a vegetarian I obviously
want a good selection
of toppings.

Luckily we live right around the corner from three pizza shops. But only Gianni's has the right kind of crust for us.

Our standard order that
the boys enjoy is a large
pizza, sans le fromage,
with spinach, mushrooms &
black olives. Toppings are
usually $2 a piece, but
they'll add one free instead
of the cheese for their
monday night 2 large
pizzas deal.

While pregnant I got hooked on a cheeseless tomato, garlic, black olive pizza. My non-pregnant self also loves this combo with broccoli.

But if cheese is your
thing, that's good too.
My husband is not
vegan, and he sometimes
stops in for a slice or two
on the way to an evening
meeting.

And if you're not in the mood for pizza (you must be crazy) there are plenty of other options: subs, pasta, lasagna, calzones, appetizers & salads.

There is very limited seating inside, since most people get take-out or delivery (check their website for coupons on pick-up or eat in). In nice weather there are picnic tables out front with umbrellas if you don't mind the traffic.

Definitely the best pizza I've found without heading into Boston proper. Gianni's is located at 861 Edgell Road. 508-877-7697 or 508-877-7704.

Review: Asinayo Market

Asinayo Market, Framingham, MA

I love the variety found
in little local asian
markets. Asinayo Market
is a Korean grocer in
downtown Framingham,
MA, across the street
from the Town Hall.

In addition to the typical rice, noodles, tea and sea vegetables, there are some kitchen gadgets, Korean videos, and an extensive refrigerated and frozen foods section. And dare I mention the candy counter where I picked up a few treats including some Hello Kitty candies.

The staff are friendly and
generous. They've offered
to carry my grocery bags
to the car (I decline, but I
guess having a few kids
along makes it look like I
need some help).

Here are my purchases from
my recent visit: a HUGE bag
of dried shiitake mushrooms,
soy sauce, sweet potato
crackers, mini gel cups, coconut milk, Hello Kitty candy, black sesame furikake, dried gourd strips, red bean paste cookies, and vegetable potstickers.

I was really surprised to find that the mini gel cups were vegan; I'm glad I decided to check the ingredients! Sure, they're just sugar, agar agar, and food coloring, but I think they will look cool added to a new kindergarteners lunchbox.

Asinayo
Market
can be
found at
185
Concord
Street.

There
is on-
street
parking
and some
spots
in the
municipal
lot by
the town
offices.

508-875-3634

Restaurant Review: Imperial China

Chinese restaurants
are a dime a dozen,
but this one stands
out in the local crowd.

Located on route 9 west
in Framingham, MA (also
with access from route
30 via the plaza next door) it is convenient, centrally located, and tasteful. Though you can certainly order take-away, you'll probably want to dine in.

We often end up here
on Mother's Day, which
we did again this year.
There is something for
everyone: both Chinese
& Japanese menus, with
a lot to choose from.
Service is always friendly
and the vegetables crisp
and tasty.













There are lots of options for vegetarians on the Chinese menu, though I always re-ask about ingredients. For example, the Szechuan bean curd is made with pork. I always double check about things like that and fish sauce.

My husband always orders
the General Gau's vegetarian
"chicken" off the very front
of the menu. It's a bit too
'realistic' for me, though spicy
and always served with lightly
steamed broccoli.

I personally prefer the General
Gau's vegetarian "beef", also
located on the very front of the
menu. I enjoy the texture of
wheat gluten dishes, and this
always includes a nice mix of
chinese vegetables in a light
sauce.

Ryan always requires an
order of sushi. He usually
gets kappa maki (cucumber)
and oshinko maki (pickled
daikon) and shares a few
pieces with me. The sushi
menu isn't large, and I
wouldn't come here if I
was just in the mood for
sushi, but it's adequate.




We always order a dish of
mixed vegetables, like the
Buddha's delight. Anything
with baby corn and broccoli
is a hit with the boys. Ryan
insisted that he try "every
kind of vegetable" in the dish.


And I can never get enough
pea pods! I don't hesitate on
Mother's Day to order a
dish that is almost exclusively
stir-fried pea pods with some
water chestnuts added for an
extra crunch.



And we always need at least
one tofu dish. AJ and Nate
love spicy fried tofu. I love
the addition of what I believe
are some portobello mushrooms
that make the dish very hearty.
There were certainly no
leftovers of this to take home!


Imperial China does not have
a website or online menu, but
there are a few reviews on Yelp
and on Restaurants.com.

The dinner concluded with
the standard fortune cookies,
or "Pac Man cookies" as AJ
calls them, and orange
wedges, along with a pink rose
for me on Mother's Day.

Restaurant Review: Big Fresh

Big Fresh Cafe - Framingham, MA

It may not look like
much on the outside,
but in my opinion this
is the best restaurant
in our town. What
better way to kick off
what I hope will be some
mouth watering restaurant
reviews.

Located in a strip mall, across the street from McDonald's and Bugaboo Creek steakhouse, near Walmart and route 9, is this fabulous restaurant that strives to bring wholesome local New England grown foods to its customers.

The menu is delicious, with falafel wraps, asian curry dishes and stir-fries, salads and sides of locally grown vegetables. In the foyer is a bulletin board that often changes, highlighting different local farms. And in addition to daily specials, there is a blackboard telling what local ingredients are available and which farm they came from.

The New England growing
season isn't as long as in
other areas of the country,
but last week in May the
first local produce had
arrived--spring asparagus!
Later in the season this
board will be crammed with
a list of local food items.

Another thing I love about this restaurant is the open kitchen--you can watch your food being prepared, and during slower hours socialize with the staff. However, at 1pm on a tuesday, the place was packed with a line of people waiting to place lunch orders.

I was craving a falafel
hummus wrap, my usual.
My husband often orders
something different, but
ends up stealing some of
mine for a few tastes, so
this visit we ordered
the same thing. Delish!

Check out the Big Fresh website for their menu, catering menu, or to learn about the restaurant's various community connections.
Or stop in for a healthy lunch or dinner before heading out with your date to the Framingham 16 cinema, Shopper's World, or Natick Collection mall.