Elsie’s Table
We all have our favorite family recipes. And just south of Boston, there’s a restaurant that’s known for sharing family favorites that have been passed down through the generations. So let’s take a seat at Elsie’s Table in Canton.
From the outside, Elsie’s Table looks like you’re entering someone’s home. And once inside, that’s exactly how you will feel. The atmosphere is bright and comfortable, anchored by a beautiful bar. And the place is always packed with regular customers.
Elsie’s Table is a tribute to owner Renee Roberts’ grandmother, who raised their large family on home-cooked meals, made with love.
“The idea was that we wanted it to feel cozy. We wanted people to feel at home when they came, and it sort of morphed into a little bit more than that. Because really, the theme now of the restaurant, Elsie is my grandmother.”
“So Elsie and my family is kind of woven into this restaurant, and we want people to feel that when they come here.”
“We try to be a little diverse with what we offer in terms of our menu. We have Italian, we have Lebanese, we have Portuguese, we have Asian-inspired dishes. So we try to mix that up.”
“What I really like about Elsie's Table is the fact that we have that local family recipe and we encourage our guests to submit it every month, and then we feature that on our menu, and if it becomes a hit, it actually becomes a staple on our menu.”
Those diverse offerings start with their appetizers.
Like the Wagyu Carpaccio Bruschetta. It’s top-quality Wagyu beef, shaved super thin, and layered onto fresh Italian bread with some arugula and vinaigrette on top.
Or check out the Korean Sticky Ribs. These are St. Louis-style ribs, marinated and cooked for hours until they fall off the bone.
But, for the appetizer dearest to Renee’s heart, you have her family’s traditional take on meatballs.
“So ‘Le Polpette di Nonnetto’ actually means grandpa's meatballs in Italian. And they're on our menu because my father-in-law. That's his recipe for meatballs. They come with three on a plate, served with a little shaved Parmesan and some basil on top. In the meatballs is some pork, some veal, some beef, and then some secret seasonings.
“What I taste is memories and nostalgia. And I feel like those were something that were part of my family from the time that my kids were born... But I think what people will taste is that they're fresh, that they're a little different… They're seasoned well. They're big. And they're just the best.”
On the pasta side of things, the Sausage and Spinach Orecchiette dish features crumbled sausage in a light cream sauce that’s savory and super satisfying.
Also taking inspiration from Italy is the Spaghetti alla Carbonara. It has creaminess from the carbonara sauce, some saltiness from pancetta, and it’s what Renee calls a perfect dish.
“What I love about our carbonara is the presentation. So we have a poached egg that comes on top. So the guest is the one who breaks that egg open and lets the yolk kind of flow into the carbonara. We're doing it with a crispy pancetta… it's in sort of a light cream sauce. But the flavor, it's creamy, silky, has great flavor, great aroma and… it's delicious.”
For the main course, Elsie’s Dayboat Scallops boast fresh coastal flavor. These are big bay scallops, seared to a golden brown, and served over a deliciously creamy Parmesan risotto.
Or, go for the true showstopper: the Stuffed Veal Chop.
“So it is a bone-in 16-ounce veal chop that is stuffed with Fontina, prosciutto. And it's served over linguine with some Marsala sauce. Also has a little bit of brown butter on top with cremini mushrooms and some truffle oil. That is probably our biggest hit right now, is our stuffed veal chop. Everybody who orders it absolutely loves it.”
“When anybody walks by, people are looking because it is a 16-ounce veal chop with the bone. And it's served on a board. The presentation is beautiful and the flavor is even better.”
So if you’re looking to try something new but you still want to taste some traditional home cooking, Elsie’s in Canton is saving a seat for you.
“I feel Elsie's is different. I grew up in Canton, and I've lived here my whole life and we never had a restaurant like this. And that's part of the reason why I wanted to open it. I feel like if you don't want to go to downtown Boston, but you still want to get that quality of a meal, then you can have it here at Elsie's.”
“Everyone here feels like a family. We have a ton of regulars that come in all the time, but we have new people here really every night that hadn't heard about us before and they always just say, we'll be back. And it isn't always just about their meal being fantastic. It's just about the experience that they have being here.”
