Tom's Gourmet Marketplace
The variety of a village, under one roof
By Becki Harrington-Davis Contributing Writer

(l to r) Servers Chelsea Curley, Chris Carrigan and Karissa O'Keefe show off the Sunday breakfast buffet at Tom's Gourmet Marketplace.

Northborough - Tom's Gourmet Marketplace is everything you could ask for, rolled into one location: it's a restaurant, a café, a take-out shop and a bakery. It even off ers a martini, wine and smoothie bar, in addition to catering service and its own cooking school. Despite these many potential attractions, I chose to visit Tom's for their weekly Sunday brunch buff et ($9.99 per guest).

My husband and I met with my in-laws for brunch at 9 a.m., and we were immediately impressed by the ample amount of parking. The waitress told us to sit wherever we liked, and we chose a table near the entrance, decorated with a purple tablecloth. My mother-in-law commented on the "indoor-outdoor feeling" of the restaurant; surrounding the dining area were several stations set up to look like an early 1900s outdoor marketplace, each with their own awnings and faux storefronts.

Our waitress took our beverage orders of coff ee ($1.69) and soda ($1.29), and instructed us to head over to the buff et whenever we were ready. We each filled our plate to the rim, choos- ing from an array of hearty breakfast staples such as sausage, bacon, French toast, scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, pancakes, and both sausage and vegetable quiche. We also sampled continental-style favorites including bagels, English muffins, fresh fruit salad, pastries and scones.

The French toast was full of cinnamon, and the syrup was excellent. My husband reported that the bacon was perfectly crispy, and my father-in-law said that the quiche had just the right amount of onion. We were all pleased that the coffee came in oversized mugs.

After finishing our meal, we took a stroll around the shop. We admired the cakes under a sign for Mia's Corner Bakery, including mini chocolate chip cheesecakes ($5.99). Under Jessie's Catering and More, on display were chicken chimichangas ($5.99) and the Chef's Own eggplant parmesan ($5.99). Pinkerton's Prepared Foods had take-home dinners for sale, including baked potato fries ($2.99/lb) and creamy broccoli stuff ed chicken ($6.99). Although we did not stop at the bar, the menu looked impressive, with many specialty cocktails and smoothies ($5.99).

The marketplace also includes a gift section, with items such as homemade candles, organic coff ee and specialty teas for sale. Tom's also off ers customers free wireless Internet access, and both inside and outside dining.

My family and I enjoyed the casual atmosphere and wide variety at Tom's, and look forward to going back soon for the Saturday dinner buff et ($8.99 per guest).

Tom's Gourmet Marketplace is located at 4 West Main St. in Northborough. The hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Menus and information are available at www.tomsgourmetmarketplace.com.