I Love Wellesley, Massachusetts

I absolutely love Wellesley. I have never had a bad time when I venture into Wellesley. The neighborhood is gorgeous and quintessentially what I think of when I think of northern suburban living. If I were to have to live in Massachusetts for the rest of my life, Wellesley would be the place I would love to live. But as my husband so kindly reminded me during dinner at The Cottage on Saturday night, we wouldn't really be able to afford living in Wellesley. Well maybe if we won the lottery. Part of the reason I love Wellesley so much is that they have such a great restaurant community. Every single restaurant I have gone to in Wellesley has been a feast for the senses without the pain of your wallet being sucked dry. The Cottage was no exception. It's located in the up and coming Linden Square area of Wellesley and looks like it's straight out of a Restoration Hardware catalogue. The restaurant is gorgeous. I mean, I could picture myself living in the restaurant. The menu was amazing. There were so many things I wanted to try and I felt bad that I couldn't just do a sampling of the entire menu.

We must have been caught up with the beauty of the restaurant because we both ordered drinks. Alex ordered a Sangria that was fruity and tinged with a full-bodied red wine. I ordered the Old French 73 (I think that's the name) and it tasted like a spiked lemonade.

Right after they brought out the drinks they brought us some warm bread. The bread was delicious and light and just the right amount of crunchy crust and soft insides.

We shared the Aloha Chicken Tenders appetizers. I was a little apprehensive about this choice because the chicken was described as being coated with a papya bbq buffalo sauce and I do not like bbq sauce. The stuff makes me gag. Luckily enough, this chicken did not make me gag. It actually made me want to lick the plate. The chicken was juicy and the sauce was tangy with just a little bit of heat. The chicken came with the sweetest grilled pineapple and some blue cheese dipping sauce. The chicken tastes especially good with the blue cheese chunks.

For the entree Alex ordered the Brick Flattened Chicken. This chicken was succulent and had a crispy, grilled taste to it. Alex was disappointed that you couldn't taste the lemon and rosemary it was marinated in, but that didn't stop him from eating the whole chicken. The chicken came with the most amazing mashed potatoes on the planet; they were creamy, chunky, smooth and sweet.

I ordered the Garlic Seafood Capellini. This monstrosity of a pasta dish came with large scallops, shrimp, and shredded crab meat. I was amazed at how light this dish was. The pasta sauce (tomatoes, garlic, onions) was flavorful in a way that really highlighted the distinct flavors of the seafood. Once again I felt bad that my stomach couldn't handle eating the entire serving.

For dessert we shared a Chocolate Souffle cake topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and fudge. The cake was heavenly and incredibly rich. It tasted like pure dark chocolate goodness. I don't think I could have picked a more perfect way to end this dinner.

The Cottage was an incredible dining experience that served to reinforce my love of Wellesley.