Restaurant Review: Oga's Sushi

Oga's Sushi, Natick, MA

You know when you walk
into an asian restaurant
and all but one table is
servings asian clientele that
the food is worth the price.
Of course you'd never guess
it from the boring exterior--
the place almost looks closed. But inside you'll find elegant decor, a marble sushi bar, and stainless steel dining tables. If you want a more private Japanese dining experience, check
out the sliding doors at the back of the room in the pic below...you can close yourself off from the rest of the room!

Oga's Sushi is literally the
name of the master sushi
chef and owner, Toru Oga.
He makes even the most
ordinary vegetarian maki
rolls look extravagant.



We went to Oga's again recently
for our anniversary. There was
not a crowd of course on a weekday
afternoon. The service--two
waitstaff just for us--was stellar.

We started with the standard
edamame, a huge bowl.

My husband ordered some miso
soup, and we shared a spectacular
soba noodle salad.

Next came the sushi. Oga's has more vegetarian and vegan sushi options than I could order at one visit!
Check out the salad roll, with
almost transparent slices of
tomato on top.

And what review would be
complete without showing off
my handsome dining companions
...my husband and 9 month old:













Oga's Sushi is located in
Natick, MA, on route 9
(915 Worcester Rd.) west-
bound, near the intersection
of route 27. 508-653-4338
Plenty of parking in the
shared lot at Sunnyside
Plaza.

Restaurant Review: Boloco

Boloco, Natick, MA

Last weekend after a visit
to the Lego Store at the
mall, we went nextdoor to
the burrito restaurant
Boloco. It is sandwiched in
between The Container Store
and Ben & Jerry's with an
unmistakable red facade.

Inside the ceilings are high
and the decor is dark, all red
and black. For a restaurant
that families frequent I sure wish it were more cheerful and comfortable. Too bad its location doesn't allow for outdoor seating on a beautiful spring day.

The menu consists of 8 various
burritos, or you can create your
own. Vegetarian fillings include
organic tofu, fajita vegetables &
guacamole. (There is a complete
downloadable PDF version of
the menu available online.) The
kids and I ordered the Summer
burrito with mango salsa and
added some organic tofu. I thought
this was a tasty combo; even Maia
enjoyed the bits of mango,
along with some rice & beans.
Wheat tortillas and brown rice
are available for the burritos.
The boys enjoyed some blue
corn tortilla chips & a side of
guacamole for dipping.

Boloco also offers a wide array
of smoothies (some include soymilk and sorbets). There is also a vegan House Salad. Even peanut butter & jelly is available for ultra picky kids. The breakfast menu is small though, with no vegan options (but they don't open til 11am so who cares). Check out their website for nutrition and allergy info.

Boloco is a certified green restaurant with locations around MA, NH & VT (you can also order ahead online). They have won 2 Best of Boston awards. This Boloco is located at 1265 Worcester Road (rt. 9) in Natick, MA, 508-907-7286. Lots of shared parking, though many people use the lot as overflow parking from the Natick Collection mall.

Restaurant Review: Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut
Natick, MA

How did we end up at the Pizza Hut in Natick on a sunday morning at 11:30am? The public school gives out free pizza coupons to the kindergarteners who read the most books. While I do not approve of rewarding reading with food, what's done is done; Ryan came home with a Pizza Hut coupon and was very excited to have earned it.

I used to go to Pizza Hut every wednesday evening in high school. Back then I was lacto-ovo veg, not vegan. After hearing we'd just taken the kids to Pizza Hut, an acquaintance asked me, "What on Earth can a family of vegans eat at Pizza Hut?" LOL. The list is short, but satisfying...

Their thin & crispy (my fave), hand-tossed, and dessert crust dough are all vegan, so you just have to specify which kind when ordering. All the pasta is vegan. Some of their pasta/pizza sauce is vegan, some aren't, so again you have to specify. But even their dessert icing is vegan! And many have a salad bar.

We usually order the
Veggie Lover's thin &
crispy style without
the cheese. Often they'll
swap out the cheese
from a single-topping
pizza with an extra veggie
for the same cost (for
Ryan in this case).
And we just order water
since all the drinks are
junk in my opinion.

Their available veggie toppings are mediocre. But what has changed the most over the years is the value...or lack thereof. The Veggie Lover's pizza is not very impressive, except for the whopping pricetag. Still, for a family of our size, spending only $20 on lunch isn't bad I guess.

Service at our local Natick
franchise was slow but
friendly. It's a smaller
dining area, but this Pizza
Hut gets a lot of take-out
& delivery business.

Not someplace I'd choose
to eat often, but I'm
sure we'll be here again
with more reading reward
coupons. Sigh.

This Pizza Hut is located on the dreaded route 9, eastbound, in the Sherwood (Christmas Tree Shops) Plaza.
508-650-1100. 1274 Worcester Road, Natick.