This Is Framingham

This Is Framingham
Life in the 'ham

Five Guys

December 8th, 2010


Last week we went to Five Guys, located at the “food mall”,  at 301 Cochituate Rd.
Inside was bright and busy with plenty of staff in the open kitchen grilling, assembling, frying and calling out orders.

They have a pretty smooth system,  you can even order online and have your food waiting for you when you get there.
The menu focuses on burgers and fries but they do also offer hot dogs, which they butterfly to cook (I’m guessing to cook faster).  All toppings are free and there are a lot to pick from.
I got a “little burger” which is plenty, with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions.

Ethan got a little cheese burger with bacon.

I don’t know how much bigger a “regular” size burger is but these littles are plenty.
Fries come in two sizes: regular and large.  We got a regular to share and it was more than enough.  They generously overfill the serving cup, which leaves another two servings (or more?) in the bag.

The burgers were good but as I mentioned in a previous post, the really shine with their fries.
The only thing I’m not cray about is the store set up.  Although it’s bright and clean, it’s loud and the seating can make you feel trapped if it’s busy.

We lucked out and went on a slow night but the tables are so close together, if you sit by the window and people are in all the chairs around you, good luck getting out.
I think they’ll do well in this location and I know some people think it’s too close to the rt. 9/27 location in Natick but this area so packed with shoppers on it’s own and maybe they figured it’s that much more convenient for people coming from towns like Ashland or Holliston.   You can check out their site for more info www.fiveguys.com

La Caretta

December 2nd, 2010


La Caretta is finally open. It seems like it’s been years of slowly watching the transformation from Bickford’s to what it is now.
Inside got a lot of remodeling but still somehow still feels Bickfordy.
The host was nice and our server was friendly and promptly brought over fresh chips and salsa.

I really wanted some sangria so I ordered one and a pretty glass with fruit and berries arrived and the drink it self was really good.

I had a hard time deciding what to get off the menu but I chose a grilled vegetable quesadilla- not exciting I know but it was everything I was in the mood for- flour tortilla, vegetables, guacamole and cheese.

What I really liked about this was that the tortilla was perfectly grilled, it was crispy from the grill but still very soft.  Inside the cheese was perfectly gooey inside and filled with big chunks of vegetables.
My friend Jim got something form the combination section of the menu- #4.
Tacos with an enchilada and something else (I think).  Their website doesn’t have anything on it so I can’t refer to an online menu but Jim says the #4 combo is great.
Prices are decent.  Honestly, I forgot how much the meal was but I remember it being reasonable.
La Caretta is at 270 Cochituate Road.  Like I said, no website, but if you have any questions about anything like hours or prices or anything like that, their phone number is listed as (508) 424-2535.
Also, I’d like to add that they had something like 5 kinds of hot chocolate listed on the menu so I would go back to try a Mexican hot chocolate or one of the other varieties they have.

Ski Market Plaza changes

November 30th, 2010

I was driving by the old Ski Market on Route 9 as lots of people do everyday and haven’t looked up permits but I’ll go out on a limb and guess there will be a Dunkin’ Donuts moving in.  I think it would be an odd place considering Panache Coffee is also in that same plaza, but I guess DD knows no competition with their loyal following.  I’d be more excited if their coffee was consistent from store to store but it’s not what it used to be. ???? ????
Or who knows, maybe the driver of that truck just happened to stop for a cup of coffee at Panche? ???? ??????

Danforth Art Sale

November 28th, 2010

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

Super Megafest is coming this weekend!!

November 17th, 2010

Would you like to see Doc or Lorraine McFly from Back to the Future?

Or Julia Robert’s brother?

Or the guy who wore the Chewbacka suit in the Star Wars series?

Or… the guy who plays Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch?

Well you can by checking out Super Mega Fest!  A friend passed this along to me and this thing is insane- just so much going on and the Sheraton Tara (although technically they’ve dropped the name Tara) is going to be a-rockin’ this weekend.
Super Megafest is a hodgepodge of  many celebrities, comic book dealers, music, cars, nostalgia and just so much more.   Check out their site for a full listing of people, events, performances and everything else you’d want to know .  http://www.supermegafest.com

Holiday Stroll this weekend

November 11th, 2010

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. ????? ???? ????? 2023 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

Stop the insanity!

November 9th, 2010


As I’ve posted before, traffic caused by construction in town has been kind of like a canvas to showcase the darker side of people driving styles.  They block intersections, cut people off, run red lights etc…

This morning while I was inching down Union Ave and came to a standstill, some guy behind me started beeping and then yelling.  Apparently he wanted me to touch the car’s bumper in front of me so he could eek by (and actually thought he’d scrape my car if he did) and take a right. ?????? ??? ??? ?????   I didn’t feel comfortable getting that close to the car in front of me, I don’t know if they have  standard and might roll back a little before they go or what and I have a little rule where I don’t do something I’m not comfortable with just because someone is laying on their horn.  Like when people try to get me to go faster than the speed limit  on a road but yet I’d be the one that gets a speeding ticket. 

Anyway, apparently this individual had enough of waiting for traffic to move and got out of his car and started banging on my window and screaming at me- all sorts of nice words and calling me all sorts of nice names.  I quickly locked my door as I saw him stomping over and grabbed my camera (yes, as a blogger I always have my camera in my bag).
Above is the…person who apparently has a lot of issues going on besides dealing with traffic.
When traffic finally started moving I tried to get a shot of his license plate but all I got was this:

The construction in town is just out of control and making an insanely short commute a total nightmare.  People are really turning into animals and I wish they’d switch to just night-time construction. ???? ????????? ??????   I did contact a senior town employee working in the area of planning/construction but they said they don’t do night construction due to residential disruption.
Also, the police probably have bigger fish to fry but I may report this although I really don’t have much information to give them.  So unfortunately people can act like total lunatics and get away with it. ???? ???? 2024
It was just a scary terrible way to start the day and unfortunately the stress of driving in Framingham due to construction  is becoming a way of life because it’s all over town.

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