Traveling through the center of Norwood, MA at night, you may think, with all tasteful shop windows and foot traffic that you’re on Newbury St. in Boston, or down the cape in Falmouth. With it’s many restaurants, nightlife in Norwood, MA is actually quite the happenin’ little burb. Well, really, Norwood’s not so little but a decent sized burb, which accounts for the foot traffic and the many restaurants. At night, in Norwood, you can walk the main drag, people watch, grab a beer, grab a cup of coffee, grab a meal. Norwood is a sizable suburb south and west of Boston off Rte 109. The downtown area is sprawling with, as mentioned, attractive storefronts, tree lights, some parks, and plenty of places to eat. Here are some Norwood restaurants of various types worth checking out:
Napper Tandys, 46 Day St. Norwood, MA, 02062 781-762-0032
The first time I was told about this Norwood spot, I thought it was some place Italian: Nappertandi’s. I was wrong. This is an Irish-style pub with a great menu of appetizers, burgers, big salads, and deserts. I’d recommend the chicken fingers and the chocolate cake, personally. Not that you asked. Napper Tandy’s also has a bar area for those just interesting in lifting a pint, so to speak, while you watch the game on some of the TVs. There’s TV’s in the main restaurant area, too. Wednesday nights, join the crowd for pub trivia, where prizes include gift certificates for…Napper Tandy’s.
Other pubs in Norwood include Finbar’s Pub (Washington St,781-769-3333) and Maggie’s (36 Vanderbilt Ave, 781- 769-1888) a self-described “Entertainment Center” where you can play darts, pool, pinball or video games, parttake of over 50 kinds of beer (probably not at the same time) and enjoy the pizza menu.
Perks Coffeehouse (685 Washington St, (781) 762-5565)
How bout some coffee? Or how bout some live entertainment? Hey, how bout both? Perks Coffeehouse not only has coffee and the whole coffeehouse ambience, but on weekends, live bands play there. They’ve mostly got local acts, but free entertainment is free entertainment, right? The menu at perks includes lunches and dinners, too, so don’t think you have to sit there all night subsisting on biscotti.
Conrad’s 728 Washington St. (781) 769-3883
The book on Conrad’s is: great steak tips. I attended a catered event here, myself, and very much enjoyed the chicken parmesan. The full-service restaurant also has all manner of fish, salads, pasta, and appetizers, plus some big ol’ sirloins if you’re in the mood. You can also enjoy burgers and a large variety of club sandwiches. What am I telling you for? Check out the menu at www.conradsrestaurant.com. The function room I saw held about forty people. There’s also a bar area for those waiting to be seated. To avoid that, make a reservation if you’ve got a party of 4 or more.
Byblos 678 Washington Street (781) 762-8998 is highly rated by local critics, has Middle Eastern cuisine specializing in the Lebanese variety thereof. If you’re not from the Middle East, this could be something new and exciting for you. A little touch of the Middle East in Norwood, what more could you ask for? Offerings include hummus and falafel appetizers, tabouli salad, zataar pie, and a lot of other very cool sounding items. Check out their full and very extensive menu and more at www.byblosrestaurant.com.
Ice Jack (686 Washington St. 781- 255-7797) is also critically acclaimed as far as ice cream concerns. Jack is King in Norwood. Taking it’s name, according to the website, for the name of the guy whose job was to scoop ice cream back in the day, . Flavors include things like “Caramel Delight,” “Chocolate Chip Cheesecake,” “smores crunch” and a bunch of other stuff that’s making me hungry just thinking about. Ice Jack is opened til 11PM 7-days a week all year round. So if you’re in Norwood in December, and you want a scoop, head on down
