Norwood, MA, is Now a Hot Spot for Suburban Boston Area

The Mug-N-Muffin is a long-time favorite downtown Norwood dining spot. Recently, many more restaurants have opened in the town center

Article and Photo by Eric H.

Once a town best known for being the hometown of former Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Richie Hebner, Norwood has experienced an incredible downtown resurgence, with restaurants leading the way. Along with antique shops, clothing and jewelry stores, a great village green with a gazebo and majestic churches, this southwestern suburban town is now a nice place to go out for an evening. That wasn't always the case when empty storefronts were a way of life in the downtown section. Away from the center in South Norwood, renovations are also being made to transform an outdated urban region in need of some TLC into a more gentrified village look.

The changes have made people realize that there is commercial life beyond busy Route 1, where in the past, most people dined (and with good reason, given the many fine restaurants). The reality, however, is that there is a real town here off the highway with lots of good people, a great community spirit, and lots of good restaurants.

The downtown area features diverse dining options.  The Mint Cafe, with its casually elegant and spacious dining room, offers expertly prepared Thai, Japanese and Korean cuisine. It is as every bit as good as some of the higher end Boston establishments serving the same food -- only this time you get the three types of cuisine under one roof, pay less and get a parking spot.

Perk's Coffeehouse doesn't seem like a suburban hangout as it feels more like a Harvard Square coffeehouse with a liberal bent. Funky in design and with staff that has sported purple hair in the past, Perk's serves fine muffins, coffee, sandwiches and desserts. It's a great place to read the paper and people-watch, sometimes involving the staff.

Napper Tandy's sports a cavernous handsome bar-restaurant with great hardwood floors, televisions loudly playing sporting events, and Miller-lite commercial type waitresses serving great steak tips, chicken and pasta dishes and, of course, nachos. Napper Tandy's tries very hard and, as a result, is a notch or two above this genre. We recommend it highly as a nice casual meeting place.

The Old Colonial Cafe is a huge restaurant with two floors of dining, the lower being more family oriented and the upper with a well-developed bar. Set in a former firehouse, the layout is interesting (no, the waitstaff doesn't slide down a pole from the kitchen), with an almost quaint feel (lamps, candles, nice rugs, high ceilings), and solid American and Italian food.

Cafe Abbondanza doesn't seem like a suburban Boston restaurant. It could easily be located in Boston's Italian North End. One side of the restaurant has staff working in Equator-like heat tossing the dough that ultimately becomes some of the best Italian-style pizza we've sampled in New England. On the other side is a long and narrow candle lit restaurant that makes some wonderfully fresh pasta that easily meets or exceeds the higher profile Italian restaurants in the region. Cafe Abbondanza is perfect for a quiet, romantic night out, or for taking out pizza.

Express Pizza also makes excellent pizzas, but is more a take-out place with limited seating. Express is very popular and it's easy to see why: turn out a good product and they will come.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the Mug-N- Muffin specializes in coffee and muffins. Both are done well here in a long, dimly lit family-style dining room that brings back memories of the former New England-based Pewter Pot chain. Besides muffins and coffee, the Mug-N-Muffin does many things well, such as great hearty eggs and pancakes, club sandwiches and tasty burgers.The Mug-N-Muffin may not be as eclectic as some of the newer, shinier downtown offerings, but it does have time on its side -- a place where the waitresses are polite, the atmosphere informal and the food done just right.

Conrad's is rather new to town, having taken over the Citizen's Bank location. Its traditional American and Italian offerings seemed just OK to us when they first opened, but we suspect they have found their stride as it is constantly busy. The atmosphere is certainly nice, with cozy dining rooms made for the family, couples on dates, or businessmen looking to take a break from the hectic Boston area lifestyle.

We haven't tried yet Byblos, a Middle Eastern restaurant in the center of downtown Norwood, but the word is that the food is phenomenal, with some people calling it the best in the region. Byblos has actually been in Norwood several years in South Norwood, but made the move to this ideal location where crowds have discovered this attractive, large restaurant.

On the outskirts of downtown Norwood resides Thai Thani, featuring Thai cuisine made fresher than most in the area. Because the dining room is so small, the staff takes great attention to making sure its food is expertly crafted, including some great Pad Thai with squid.

Other neighborhoods in Norwood offer fine cuisine. Set in a house with a tiny sign within a residential neighborhood, the Colonial House is charming on the inside with a roaring fireplace (useless in the summer though) and food that won't roar through your digestive track. From homemade meatloaf to delicious calimari, the Colonial House is a local favorite offering affordable and tasty steak, seafood and chicken dishes. The crowds hint that this is a great place to eat.

The Cafe Venice in South Norwood is strictly old-school Italian, favoring the old-fashioned standards over anything that is hand-rubbed, garlic infused or anything else found in bistros and trattorias. The no-frills atmosphere in the dining room and the rather rough and tumble bar in the back render superb pastas with great homemade sauces and an incredible, doughy pizza with plenty of toppings that has to be experienced.

Down the street in South Norwood is the Brookside Cafe, with kind, attentive waitresses and great pancakes, huge muffins, well-made sandwiches and an old-time atmosphere that is a nice alternative to Perk's where the color of hair may be more blue in its customers than pink.

Norwood restaurants contact info and addresses:

Mint Cafe, 633 Washington St., Norwood.Tel. (781) 255-0439

Perks Coffee Ltd, 685 Washington St., Norwood. Tel. (781)762-5565

Cafe Abbondanza, 653 Washington St., Norwood. Tel. (781) 255-1914

Mug-N-Muffin, 716 Washington St., Norwood, (781) 762-8927

Conrad's Restaurant, 728 Washington St., Norwood. Tel. (781) 551-8553

Byblos 678 Washington St., Norwood. Tel. (781) 762-8998

Thai Thani Restaurant, 481 Washington St., Norwood. Tel. (781) 255-7333

Colonial House, Norwood, Mass., 33 Savin Ave, Norwood, Tel. (781) 762-3000

Cafe Venice, 1086 Washington St., Norwood. Tel. (781) 255-7447

Brookside Cafe, Washington St., South Norwood