This Is Framingham

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’ve never had a problem with Store 24, although I don’t go there a lot either.  
Everything from shoplifting to prostitutes to people walking in circles in the parking lot takes place in or around Store 24.  But that’s not really why I don’t go there.  It’s just far enough that it’s not worth crossing the tracks and 135/126 to get to.

I think I’ve been in there 5 times in my life.  One of them was last Thanksgiving, I had to get something like vanilla ice cream and saw a box of Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix and had to have it.  I felt it was a foolish impulse purchase because of course they make the brownies look so good on the box. 

I brought them home, baked them and served them at dessert.  They were some of the best brownies I ever tasted.  Everyone at the table agreed, they were excellent.
Later that month, Stop & Shop had these brownie mixes on sale so I bought one to see if it was a fluke thing, but it wasn’t – they still were really good.  Now that’s my favorite brownie mix.

Also in 1981 or 1982 TV 38 or Channel 56 was going to broadcast some kind of 3-D movie and you could only get the 3-D glasses to watch it at Store 24.   My dad, who worked across the street, went in there to get one of the last few pairs.  I forget what the movie was but I remember being ecstatic that dad managed to get the 3-D glasses and always remember this Store 24 for being the supplier of the them.

So I guess Store 24 was good for making Thanksgiving dessert a hit and providing the 3-D glasses.  That’s pretty much all I can say about Store 24 without quoting the police log.

 

Nobscot Plaza reminds me a little of sad plaza  but it’s not as sad.  Nobscot also has an abandoned grocery store but their plaza is in much better shape and has occupied store fronts.  They have a pizza place, a chinese food place, CVS, bookstore and some other stores.  In fact I believe they only have one vacancy besides the grocery store. 
Since I live downtown, I haven’t been there in a little bit so I forget exactly what’s in there but I know it’s better than our plaza.
I heard Hannafords will be moving into the old grocery store though. precession of the quanox eiki

I think Nobscot Plaza has a great location for people living in N. Framingham, it always seems to be kept up decently and has another little plaza next to it with even more restaurants and stores that keep busy. a buon mercato ivert  

I WISH they would open up a grocery store where the Big D was but our plaza doesn’t seem to be desirable for people to open businesses there.  But who knows.

When I read the police logs I notice there are always stolen bike reports.  I know my bike isn’t highly desirable, I don’t even know if they make Shoguns anymore, but if it got stolen I’d definitely want it back.  
Shogun and I have been through so much together: the flat tires, the steep hils, the dousing by cars speeding through puddles and of course the senseless heckling from people sitting outside the Salvation Army…  I won’t give my Shogun up until she decides to dismantle herself (I think she tried to last spring but Phil took care of her).  So I figured maybe I should go down to the Framingham Police Department to register the old girl.  You never just never know.

I gave them my information, then they asked some questions about shogun (how many gears etc… ??? ????? ) and gave me a registration sticker to put on it.

If you have a bike, you may want to register it, it takes just a few minutes and its free.

Last year I only got 2 trick-or-treaters. Also, some 10 year olds were riding their bikes by my house (not in costumes) and asked them if they wanted candy. They said “sure” and took some but I don’t know if that counts in addition to the two real trick-or-treaters.

Pretty sad, considering I really look forward to giving out candy on Halloween. 
I have my front step ready with more pumpkins than last year and a doormat to signal there is candy here so we’ll see what the turn out will be like tonight.

Have a great Halloween!

I noticed that at the corner of 135 and Mellen the Walgreens that I heard was coming has put a sign in the window.  I know Walgreens isn’t the most amazing thing but I think it will help the area and usually with a Walgreens there is another little store or two next to it so maybe they’ll do that here too. ???? ??????? 31

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.