This Is Framingham

We went to Riley’s Roast Beef a few months ago and I just never got around to posting about it until now.  (The summer and fall just flew by!)

I remember always seeing Riley’s because it’s right near my uncle’s house but never been in there.  No one I knew ever talked about it and I never heard any word on the street about it either, yet it’s been there for a long time so I figured it must be in business for a reason.
Inside was interesting, it’s decorated with car memorabilia and photos from “cruise night”. ????? ?????? ???????  

I figured I should get a roast beef sandwich, I didn’t really know how to order it and just asked for horseradish sauce on it but I guess I should have asked for lettuce or something.

I noticed the people who ordered after me were definitely regulars and knew how to order their sandwich the way like it , so I’ll have to try again.  It wasn’t bad but I feel like it was missing something and probably because of my lack of experience. ????? ???? ????

Ethan got a fried shrimp plate, with fried and onion rings that was pretty decent, not amazing but not bad either.

There’s a separate ice cream counter that serves frappes as well as ice cream which I will have to try next time but maybe not until next year.  I think I’m still paying for eating ice cream everyday during the summer!

Saturday was so nice out we decided to walk downtown.  While we were there we went to Anastasia’s. 
Anastasias is one of the more welcoming storefronts downtown with its bright colors and modern light fixtures seen from the street and seems to be fairly new/renovated.

We’ll get the pizza sometime (as it’s been advised by some readers) but that day we were in the mood for steak and cheese subs.  I got mine with mushrooms and Ethan got his with onions and peppers.
Here’s mine:

The cheese is under the steak, which I always think is a little weird but it tastes just as good and maybe that’s how its supposed to be done.  It was pretty much what I expected, nothing spectacular but not disappointing either.  It hit the spot and I’m glad this place is walkable from home. 

I’m looking forward to trying the pizza sometime.

Tucked away on Franklin St. is the dispatch station for Tommy’s Taxi, who I think is the most recognized taxicab service in Framingham, possibly all of metro west too. 

I’ve never needed to use a cab, but if I did, I’d call them and ask if they could pick me up in that 1950’s cab they have sitting out front. They’d say “No, it’s just for show”, I’d ask “What if I give you an extra $5?” and they’d say “Lady, it doesn’t even have an engine”.  I’d say “Ok, $10 but that’s my final offer” and then they’d hang up.

Sorry, since I’ve never used them I felt I had to make up a fictional experience.  They must have stayed in business this long for a reason though.  They’re celebrating 60 years of service, good for you Tommy’s!

B&R Bakery is I guess what you’d call an artisan bread bakery.  They make breads for some “finer” restaurants in Boston and they opened up shop in the Cochituate Road/126 plaza earlier this year.
They don’t have a sign and you probably wouldn’t even know it’s there unless you already knew about it.  I think they really concentrate on the wholesale since there is just a lone employee working the counter, that sometimes you have to ring a bell to get to come out from the back.  Not a bad thing, it’s almost like it’s a treat for regular non-restaurant-owning people to be able to buy stuff there.

In addition to breads they have cookies, muffins and croissants too.
They also have a lot more than what is displayed.  On the wall are chalkboards that list off their inventory.

I went in there Saturday and asked for a recommendation for sourdough bread.  The girl at the counter was very friendly and suggested one of the sourdoughs listed on the board and went out back to get one and show me.  They sell these giant loaves whole or by the half so I just got half.

It’s a pretty hearty loaf.

Nice to have a bakery like this in Framingham, I think we lucked out since these types of places are usually in Cambridge or somewhere trendy.

Waverly Market (on Waverly St.) is a mom and pop Italian market that was first introduced to me a few years ago by my mom and her work-friends.  They would get subs from here for lunch and I tagged along one time and was amazed I never knew it was there, yet it’s right on 135.
Inside seems to be very much a family business. ????? ???? ????? ???? There is always a cute little old lady at the register and a team of people working the counter. There is a frozen food section where they sell homemade pasta, sauces and a variety of meatballs, from chicken to lamb. ???? ????? ?????  

I’m always tempted to try the $60 lasagna but I haven’t had enough people over to serve it.  I have to believe it must be an amazing lasagna. There is a ready-to-go hot food section at the counter as well as deli, cheeses and probably 6 or 7 types of biscotti.

Most impressive is that they fill cannolis to order.  I got a little one to go and watched a(nother) little grey-haired lady pipe in the filling, dust it with powdered sugar and wrap it up.

This may be strong statement, but: This was the best cannoli I ever tasted.  Better than Mike’s or anywhere I’ve had a cannoli before.  I’m still thinking about how good it was right now.  It must have to do with the fact that its freshly filled or they make great filling or both.
Molto bene!

I was alerted by the good reverend Bob that the Chicken Bone Saloon was now just “The Chicken Bone” and seems to have changed owners as well as the format from biker bar to family restaurant.

As long as the food is still good, I don’t see a problem with this, although I’m curious to know the story behind the change over. 

I love the chicken playing a flaming guitar on the sign, if nothing else, that’s a good enough reason to like the new Chicken Bone.
I haven’t been in yet since the new owners took over but on their site they show some pictures that show they made changes inside.
The Chicken Bone is one of the few non-Brazilian restaurants in downtown, nothing against Brazilian restaurants but it’s nice to have a little variety so I’m grateful that the new ownership didn’t decide to pick up and leave downtown.

Also, next door used to be a building that my uncle had his auto part store in (after he moved it from the corner of Waverly and Concord).  They knocked this building down about a month (or more?) ago and I have been trying to find out what will be going there. 

Last time I was in the chicken bone they said it was supposed to be a health clinic but I read that a health clinic is going in on Union Ave. 
I REALLY hope they’re not putting two health clinics downtown.  I want downtown to be a cool place but no one is going to want to come here if all the stores are turned into health clinics or places of worship, offices, etc…  I think downtown needs vacant stores/restaurants being turned into new stores/restaurants.

Ethan had to get a haircut so I asked him to go here to Maenzo’s (formerly Mug and Brush) support sad plaza and see what it’s like. 
I’ve never been by when it’s open and it kind of looked like a guy-only barber shop but when we went in there two women getting their hair done and a third woman waiting.

I really like that they decorated for Halloween : )

While Ethan got his hair cut, the lady sitting next to me showed me pictures of some baby snapping turtles she found in her yard.  We ended up having a nice conversation while she waited for her hairdresser to be available. ????? ????  

Cosmo, one of the barber’s dog was there too, he was a very well-behaved pup that kept me company until Ethan was done.
 
They did a decent job and it was a pleasant experience so if you need a haircut check out Maenzo’s at 444 Franklin St.