Tom’s Gourmet Marketplace

For fresh homemade food in a friendly atmosphere

By Sarah Freedman Contributing Writer

Above- A food showcase at Tom’s Gourmet Marketplace

Northborough - Tom’s Gourmet Marketplace, nestled downtown at 4 West Main St. since June 2005, is the place to go for a good homemade meal any time of the day.

The store off ers a variety of entrées, ranging from Sarah’s shepherd pie ($5.99 alone and $7.99 with two sides) and chicken cordon bleu ($8.99 with sides) to fi ve-cheese macaroni ($7.99 with sides) and Tom’s turkey ($7.99 with sides), among other choices.

A choice of fountain drinks ($1.29) is available as well as juices from Minute Maid and gourmet coffee from Jeremiah’s Pick, a San Francisco-based company.
After looking at all of the entrées, I decided to get the chicken cordon bleu with squash and buttered corn.

Owner Tom Ormondroyd PHOTOS/SARAH FREEDMAN

Within minutes, my meal came, served with a cup of chicken gravy and a side of bread. The chicken cordon bleu had the perfect combination of chicken, meat and cheese and was breaded and spiced perfectly.For dessert, there are several options. For the ice cream connoisseur, there is gelato ($5.29), an Italian delicacy that comes in flavors such as pistachio and coff ee, and sorbet with fruit ($4.99), available in flavors like mango, coconut and lemon.The bakery boasts a diverse selection of New York-style cheesecake ($3.49 per slice and $39.99 for a cake), chocolate mousse cake (same price as cheesecake), an individual-sized Boston creme pie cake and a peanut butter torte.

For a quick dessert, the raspberry- and apple-filled cookies are a good deal at 50 cents each.

For those who need a quick dinner, ready-to-go choices are available as full meals, such as barbecued steak tips ($10.99) or as entrées (shepherd’s pie, $5.99). Th e wide variety of soups includes such flavors as apple bisque, New England clam chowder and chili with beef ($3.99 for a cup, $4.99 for a bowl and $5.99 for a pint).

In addition to the homemade food, Tom’s Gourmet Marketplace has a cozy, homey atmosphere that allows the diner to soak in the sunlight from the windows and relax.
The store offers good deals on gourmet food merchandise such as sauces, jams, spices, fl avor syrups, old-fashioned candy sticks (available in butterscotch, cherry, cinnamon, licorice, orange and raspberry) and Tom’s own brand of salad dressings.

Owner Tom Ormondroyd strives to off er a combination of gourmet and homemade comfort food with fresh ingredients, meaning no prepared mixes and no preservatives.

He said he wants to offer quality food and a reasonable price and value. “That’s what I want to leave [customers] with,” he added.

If you are looking for an aff ordable, delicious buffet on the weekend, Tom’s has a continental Saturday breakfast from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ($5.99 for adults and $3.99 for children) and a dinner buffet from 5 to 9 p.m. ($8.99 for adults and $4.99 for children). Children under 3 eat free.

Tom’s Gourmet Marketplace is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about the products available at Tom’s Gourmet Marketplace,
visit www.tomsgourmetmarketplace.com.