Showing posts with label family restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family restaurant. Show all posts

The Friendly Commons Cafe and Eatery, Foxborough, MA

Article by Eric H.
If you're looking for a restaurant that brings you back to a time when friendliness and good manners mattered, then the Commons Cafe and Eatery fits the bill without having to pay a big bill.

Located in quaint, downtown Foxborough, MA, with its classic New England look of tall white steeple churches, a scenic town common, public school, old homes, and little shops, the Commons Cafe and Eatery specializes in hearty, well-prepared breakfasts and lunches at budget-friendly prices. Small in size and big in heart, the cozy Commons Cafe and Eatery does have that yesteryear look with plain carpeting, booths, tables and a diner-like counter where the locals strike up good conversation over cups of coffee with the staff. The food ranks up there with the best of the "townie" restaurants, but what's most prominent about the Commons Cafe and Eatery is the good feeling you get while dining there. The wait staff goes well beyond the stock "Hello, how are you?" greeting by building friendships with the local crowd, creating new ones with the first-time customers, and maintaining their graciousness with all people throughout the whole meal. How many times can we remember, at other restaurants, initially being treated well and then being completely ignored -- sometimes waiting 15 minutes for the check? At the Commons Cafe and Eatery, it's almost liked you've arrived at a favorite relative's home. This is a place to, say, take the family after church on a Sunday morning or relatives from out-of-town, have a business lunch or for an out-of-town trucker looking for a down-to-earth dining spot along the way. It's the ultimate diner without technically being a diner.

As mentioned, the food is very good -- you can't go wrong with the chocolate chip pancakes, omelets, muffins, club sandwiches, wraps, turkey dinner, baked haddock, Greek salad loaded with feta cheese or apple pie with maple syrup and vanilla ice cream, as examples. Admittedly, you could find this type of food at other places, but the nice people at the Commons bring this popular Foxborough restaurant to another level. We don't personally know the staff, but felt like we did -- and will, no doubt, get to know better at ensuing meals. It just goes to show that friendliness and good manners never go out of style. Isn't this small- town America goodwill to customers ultimately what brings them back?

The Commons Cafe and Eatery
20 Central St
Foxborough, MA 02035
Tel. 508-543-4432

Dining, Family-Style, in Westwood, MA


Article and Photo by Eric H.
Several years ago, Vello's came to the rescue to the family dining-starved southwestern suburbs by opening a restaurant offering well-prepared food with flair at affordable prices and friendly service.

Owner Victor Servello worked his tail off, spending much of his time at Vello's (which he still does), enjoying his work and making sure he hired help that was interested and content working at his restaurant -- very much opposite to the detached, self-entitled, "How can I not help you?" staffs we have dealt with at other restaurants.

What's more, Servello made sure to create dishes that are well above than what you'd expect from a family restaurant. The menu consists of eclectic/New American dishes with a heavy dose - and homage to -- the best traditional American foods. The clam chowder special could give renowned seafood restaurants a run for the money for the best chowder in the area. The shrimp risotto rivals any dish you'll find in the North End. The same goes for the homemade Italian-style pizza with ample toppings! The tasty, ample chicken Caesar salad wrap and panini sandwiches belong in the "Sandwich Hall of Fame (a theory, as there is no Sandwich Hall of Fame, at this point)." The over-baked salmon is also a real winner, too, cooked perfectly to bring out a tender taste with just the right seasonings.

Vello's also serves amazing sweet potato fries, burgers, fajitas, burritos, fried clams and mixed greens salads for lunch and dinner. They serve breakfast on the weekend and have a "Kids Eat Free" night on Wednesdays! Formerly Bergson's Ice Cream, you can see the restaurant's ice cream parlor past, transforming a Friednly's template dining room into a casual but hip small dining room atmosphere. Thankfully, Vello's hung onto some of the dining room's storied past by offering a full service ice cream menu, yet another reason to call this the number one family restaurant in the region!

From the finicky urban diner to the family looking for a great bargain, Vello's is a terrific dining spot. If only every town had a restaurant like Vello's!

Vello's, 679 High St., Westwood, MA. Tel. (781) 461-2440

Read more dining reviews at VisitingNewEngland.com and HiddenBoston.com