My friends and I had brunch at The Cottage in Wellesley recently. We enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and a large menu selection. In addition to the eggs (fried, baked, poached - they have them all), there are ricotta pancakes and French toast with bourbon pecan caramel sauce. Burgers, tacos, salads and even soup are also on the menu for those not digging breakfast food for lunch. 

The Cottage also has a delightful list of cocktails, bellinis and mimosas, though we were unable to enjoy them (they don't serve alcohol before noon on Sundays). We settled for a refreshing "spa drink", pictured above. 

The Charles River Coffee House is a cozy cafe with great breakfast baked goods and sandwiches. It is located on Eliot Street in South Natick, across the street from Bacon Free Library and the South Natick Dam Park.

On the menu you will find bagels, muffins, scones and danishes for breakfast and sandwiches, salads, soups, and stew for lunch. Beverages include hot and iced coffee and espresso drinks, teas, smoothies, and fresh squeezed lemonade. With your coffee you could have a macaroon, a brownie or cookie, a biscotti or even a cupcakes, because why not!

When Sheldon Strasnick, the owner of Muffin House Cafe in Medway and Mendon, announced on Facebook that he was opening a third location, fans from all over the state hoped the popular cafe will come to their town. "Come to Franklin!', "Please be Ashland!", "Come to Norton!" read some of the over 80 comments. Well, we are quite pleased that Sheldon chose Natick.

Eli's is a beloved breakfast spot in Natick center. Since its opening in 2017, Eli's has consistently received rave reviews from the locals. If you want to see for yourself just how popular they are, show up there at 7 am on a Saturday and you will see the place already busy with customers.

I've been to Eli's with my family a handful of times and the food has always been great. Chocolate chip pancakes ($8.99), Truffle Shuffle omelet (roasted mushrooms and red peppers, $10.99), and eggs Benedict ($9.99) are our go-to comfort foods. My daughter also really enjoyed their strawberry milk ($2.75).

Here are some photos from my most recent visit to Eli's. This time I asked the staff to recommend their most popular breakfast, which turned out to be the Island Breakfast (over-easy eggs and avocado on Portuguese sweet muffin, served with Siracha, $8.99). We also ordered Chrissa Belle (smoked salmon,  cream cheese, everything bagel, $10.99), and cinnamon swirl French toast ($8.99). Everything was delicious.

I have not yet been to Eli's for lunch, but have heard that the following are big hits: Patty melt (grilled cheese with caramelized onions; $9.99), crispy roasted Brussels sprouts ($5.99), loaded tots (Pico de Gallo, bacon, siracha mayo, $7.99), Miss Piggy burger (BBQ pulled pork, $11.99), Ma’s tuna melt ($8.99), and truffle fries ($5.99). Sweet potato fries that come with the burgers are also a must.

Have you eaten at Eli's? Tell me what you thought!