The Cottage is a dream for parents who want to enjoy real grown up food in an elegant environment where kids are truly welcomed. The Cottage is ideal from a logistical standpoint: it’s situated on the Linden Street commercial district where there is plentiful lot and street parking. The restaurant also is spacious enough to handle weekend flow with little or no wait, and kids are treated to a generous 8-page menu/activity booklet, crayons, and - when we were there - waxy, bendable craft sticks.

From a food standpoint, The Cottage not only offers pretty salads, sandwiches, and more fancy dishes for grownups (our party enjoyed the following: Grilled Chicken & Goat Cheese Salad, Patty Melt, All American Burger, Cottage Fish Tacos), but they also have an exclusive kids’ menu with plenty of options, such as turkey, tuna, PB & J, and grilled cheese sandwiches, or chicken fingers, pasta, etc.; all of these dishes come with fruit, veggies, or fries.

Given all of this, I’m surprised The Cottage doesn’t list its kids’ menu - or tout its family friendliness - on their website. But other than the fact that I think they ought to serve eggs past noon on Saturday, this place is a real winner.

The Cottage, 190 Linden Street, Wellesley; Tel 781-239-1100

Jon and I basically are incapable of resisting gelato, so after hitting The Cottage, we visited the neighboring Gelato Café. Bright, modern, and clean, this stop also didn’t disappoint, with about two dozen flavors to choose from and a very friendly staff. Also of note: The Gelato Café serves their gelato in very cute and colorful frosted plastic cups. I didn’t notice whether they recycle them (I hope so…), but I brought ours home to wash – they’re pretty enough to reuse for kiddie snack time, or repurpose for craft projects.

The Gelato Café, 180 Linden Street, Wellesley; Tel: 781-237-5500