This Is Framingham

Sometimes I post about things outside, but close to, Framingham when it’s a rare local option for the area. Bella Cakes at 190 W. Main St. Marlborough is the only nut-free shop in the metrowest and also accommodates dairy, egg and gluten-free needs.  And it’s where I work :)  I started here in October and it’s been so fun making cakes for all kinds of occasions but it’s really exciting getting into the holiday season.
The owner, Kristen Livoti, is offering gingerbread house classes (click image for PDF flyer):

This month we’re also making seasonal treats like yule logs, cookies, tarts, truffles and more click here for more information.

I should also note that Bella Cakes primarily focuses on custom orders so there are limited walk-in retail hours (which are Thurs & Fri 12-5pm and Sat 9am-12pm). For any questions about gingerbread house classes, holiday and non-holiday ordering, contact Kristen at  617.417.4453  or email kristen@bellacakes.net
For even more information check our the website: http://www.bellacakes.net

Happy Holidays!

I won’t bother with how unhappy I’ve been with living in Framingham the past few months.  Never mind the town-wide construction and traffic, or the creepy “spiritual church” that moved in next door and makes all sorts of noise outside after their session lets out at 11pm, or the small businesses that have closed up, sad neglected plazas or… a number of other things.  Instead, I’ll just say that the one bright spot of my work week is the Farmer’s Market, Thursday’s at the common.
Is it cheap? No.  In fact I’ve refused to pay the prices some of the vendors charge.
But the variety of vendors has improved and I like checking it out every week to see who is there.
One of the things I look forward to is the fresh custom-made lemonade:

You can get it with lemons, limes, raspberries, peaches and whatever else they have to offer that day. You can also choose from sugar, agave or stevia as a sweetener.  This is my “creation” I brought back to the office:
There’s always the baked goods guy that has great stuff:

There’s always the painter down at the end which mixes up the offerings at the market:

I’ve only seen Whoopie Monster once but they’re scheduled to be there tomorrow.

They make these cute little whoopie pies in a variety of flavors:

Some of the other vendors sell seafood, fresh pasta, meat and of course fruits and vegetables.
I saw this guy a couple of weeks ago and it made my day:

For more information about the market you can check out this link: http://www.massfarmersmarkets.org/FMFM_MARKET1.aspx?MKTID=29

Today Ethan and I headed down to the newly opened  Carrie Anne’s at the former KFC on 135 (186 Waverly St.).
They are serving a limited menu now as they get ready for their grand opening but you can get some breakfast items including eggs, homefries, corned beef hash, French toast made with challah bread and “Lou’s donuts”.  I’m not familiar with Lou’s donuts but apparently they are missed and from what I understand, the owner is Lou’s granddaughter and has the recipes.
Today we just wanted to check out the donuts so we got two and shared them.
Ethan got a honey dipped:

and I got chocolate glazed (served with the hole on top):

They were both really good but kind of leaned toward the chocolate because of the crunchy outer layer.  This was an excellent donut. The coffee was really good too.
My photos of the inside didn’t turn out too good but there is a counter with about 10 or 12 stools and a seating area.
I saw the French toast and it looks delicious so I’ll go back sometime to try that.
For more info, their phone number is 508-875-2500 and they have lots of photos on their facebook page if you are curious to check out more images.
I hope this place does well!

I haven’t posted since April 1st?  This month has flown by,  jeez!
I get emails now and then about the apparently very missed KFC on 135 which closed maybe a year ago now.  I never went there and don’t miss it but people sometimes ask me what’s going in there so I’m happy to have a report.  As I was running by the location by last Monday I saw this sign for “Carrie Anne’s”.    I’m pretty sure I was the only one of the 27,000+ running by here thinking “Hey! I’ll have to blog about that!”.  I just got around to it today and  I tried googling them but just got a facebook result.  On their info page they describe themselves as “Homestyle breakfast, drive through and more”.  There are photos of the extensive work being done for remodeling and what looks like some practice runs of baking (the donuts look awesome) and they look like a happy crew looking forward to opening up shop there.  I wish them the best and can’t wait to try it out.  They certainly have been putting in the hours to make this happen.  Search for them on FB if you’d like to check out their photos.

As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t normally go for Indian food but someone wrote to me and asked me to check out Green Chili in Pinefield Plaza (1 Nicholas Rd.) and said it’s really great food. I figured it was worth trying so my friend Lisa and I went there for lunch today.

The first thing Lisa pointed out was how clean it was inside and it really was.   The walls are decorated with photos of India and facts about Indian history and culture:

The owner, Tony, was very friendly and made suggestions based on what we were looking for.  I’m not into very spicy food but I know Indian food isn’t all super spicy but needed some guidance.  Lisa and I both thought the Chicken Tikka sounded good.  She got the pizza version and I got the crepe version:
Pizza:

Crepe:

I was a little overwhelmed when I first saw it but the dough is so light and crispy and serves as a nice “vehicle” for the filling.  Tony said traditionally you eat it with your hands so I tore off pieces of the dough and scooped up the chicken inside.
The crepe came with a type of vegetable soup and coconut sauce.  I also got some almond milk that Tony makes to order and it’s so amazingly good.  While you wait he blends, the almonds and water, strains it adds a little bit of almond essence and extract and  a sprinkle of sugar, but he can leave out the sugar if you want.
The chicken was in a sauce of blended spices and paprika and I thought it was great.  It was just spicy enough to have great flavor but not to make my eyes water or anything.  The almond milk was a perfect compliment to it too.

We talked with Tony for a little bit about his background. He’s been cooking since he was a teenager and specializes in South Indian cuisine.  We also talked about Framingham and how it’s tough for a lot of restaurants but he’s particularly dreading the return of Water St. construction and was telling us about other construction projects that are pretty much quarantining the plaza.  I feel for the guy.  He’s super nice and the food was really good, and I don’t even usually like Indian food.

So I’d like to thank the reader who convinced me to check it out.  If you like Indian food (or even if you don’t) and are looking for somewhere new to try, check it out.  They also have a website where you can see the whole menu: http://www.greenchiliframingham.com/

The Danforth Museum is holding their annual Holiday Sale and something I always check out.
There are a variety of items in a variety of mediums all made by students and teachers of the Danforth, as well as local artists.

The hours are Monday and Wednesday, 9am - 9pm
Tuesday and Thursday, 9am - 6pm
Friday and Saturday, 9am - 5pm
Sunday, 12pm - 5pm

Check out their site for any/all other information: http://www.danforthmuseum.org/roundRoomGen.html#holidaysale

Fountain Street Studios, is having a Holiday Stroll Nov. 12-13  Friday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and then Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
From their site: “The art-loving public, of all ages, is invited to this free event featuring artists working in a variety of media - painting, photography, sculpture, printmaking, watercolor, digital imagery, mixed media and glass. Meet us in our workspaces and learn more about our art making process. From greeting cards to major pieces of art, there is something for everyone to enjoy and possibly purchase. There is plenty of free parking.”
The studios are at 59 Fountain St. and for more information check out www.fountainstreetstudios.com