Brelundi

Found this place by word of mouth. Staff were friendly and enthusiastic about the food. We shared a couple of sandwiches which were simple but so tasty. I only wished we had room to try their arrancini. Looking forward to coming back to try their breakfast and maybe take home a frozen eggplant parm.

I had lunch yesterday at Brelundi with my aunt. I had a sandwich that was fantastic. The prosciutto was lean and tender. The remaining ingredients were fresh and in the right combination to create a delicious sandwich (mozzarella, greens, etc.). The man behind the counter was friendly and informative. The restaurant was clean. I will return.

We stopped by for a late lunch. The seating area is small but cozy and neat, and we had it to ourselves at 3 pm on a Saturday. The woman staffing the counter was helpful and really friendly; when we said we’d get food and then come back up for dessert, she even offered to keep our tab open so we only would have to deal with paying once.
I got a café latte and chicken pesto sandwich, fiancé got sausage cacciatore, and then we split an Iris, chocolate mousse, and tiramisu. Coffee was as good as I would expect from an authentic Italian café — which is to say, very good; the sandwich (which ended up being a kind of chicken-​pesto salad on ciabatta) was pretty reasonable but what put it over the top was dipping it in the bit of thick, sticky, tangy balsamic vinegar alongside it on the plate. The chicken salad was refrigerator cold and I would have preferred it at room temperature or warmer, but it was still tasty. Sausage cacciatore was also good, very hearty with plenty of sausage.
Tiramisu and chocolate mousse were both good though the mousse was more like a dense mousse cake. But there is a reason that everybody’s talking about the Iris. I’ve never had anything quite like it and it was amazing. The closest thing I can think of is a Boston cream donut — but instead of a donut the outside is a thinner, much crispier (almost crunchy on the outside) dough, with plenty of cinnamon sugar on top, and the filling inside is a slightly tangy/​salty ricotta with lemon and a bit of chocolate. The contrast of textures and creamy/​tangy/​sweet/​salt is amazing. Get it to eat there, not to go, because they serve it warm. Unless you’re pretty hungry/​have a high tolerance for rich creamy things, you can easily split one with another person.
Two little nitpicks —
— The seating area really is pretty small, and when there are a bunch of people there it might be hard to not bump your chair into others. But this being right by the commuter rail, I imagine a lot of people probably pop in for takeout more than to sit and eat. They definitely have made the space as nice as they could, and without many people in it it felt cheerful and cozy.
— An Italian café serves both espresso drinks and gelato, and yet fails to have an affogato on the menu?! My heart breaks. The staff was so nice, though, that I imagine I could easily get them to put one together for me when we come back.

Get the Iris. It will change your life.
Also, the gentleman behind the counter was so friendly!
We will be back!

I really love eating at this place! I am a self-​proclaimed foodie, and I cannot emphasize how much I love eating here.
The arranchinis are AMAZING-​I usually opt for the spinach and cheese. Also, the eggplant parm is also very tasty. What I really enjoy about the food here is that it is QUALITY. Most everything at this place is made from scratch, and they seem to take a lot of pride in their products.
In addition to the incredible food, the staff is very professional, friendly, and appreciative of your business.

Wow, what a find! I came in the morning for breakfast, lured by the reviews about the Iris. I came in, there was nobody there, i looked around saw no Irises at the counter, and left.
When i was getting into the car, a lady called me out asking if I was being helped, and I said i was looking fot the Iris, and she said they could make them right away, so i came back in and had one with a cappuccino: O-​M-​G!!! What a feast! Warm, delicious and divine thing!
Then I started talking to the lady, told her I was Italian, and she called out the owner for me to meet him, and we had a nice talk. Then he made me try an arancino coi funghi: delish!!!
Definitely, as we say in italy, «Un’angolo d’Italia in America»!!!

Love love love Brelundi! Brand new Italian place with coffee, gelato, arancini, pizza and more. They sell all sorts of Italian staples such as fig, orange, pistachio spreads, torrone, espresso machines, etc etc.
It is a little hidden as it is on a side street and faces a train platform, but it’s certainly a hidden gem! It’s very modern, clean, and well lit. There’s a nice little seating area, but it has more of a take-​out feel. Plenty of parking. The staff is beyond friendly and helpful. The décor is beautiful and boasts the Italian colors all around. And the smell coming from this place draws you in; like your nonna’s cooking.
My favorite thing about Brelundi is that you can make a quick stop and walk out with whatever you may be craving; whether it be coffee, sweets, ice cream, or a bite to eat.
Rumor has it they are opening a full service restaurant with a similar concept… Can’t wait to try it out!

The food was pretty good and the service was amazing! Got the lasagne, rum baba, and ricotta pie. Would definitely go again :)

Small place with some small but nice seating (no reservations).
Really nice staff.
Food is very average– including 2 pasta dishes and several different sandwiches–
Gelato was good– home made–
Anancini was kind of cold and greasy–
Calamari was ok though–
Might give it another try in the near future–

This review is just for takeout, as I’ve never eaten there.
In fact, this review is mostly for their pizza and veggie lasagna, because I am boring and pretty much always get one of those two things. But you know what? I’m just a rational creature: the veggie lasagna is amazing and the pizza is the best I have found in Waltham after an extensive search.
The veggie lasagna: it’s unusual, in that it’s in a cream-​based sauce, and it’s also quite thin for lasagna. It’s rich without being overpowering, and delicious while still being simple. Pretty light on the cheese which, for me, is a plus. It also features mushrooms quite prominently, which I adore. One of my favourite take-​out dinner options in Waltham.
The pizza: let’s face it — pizza in Waltham pretty much sucks. I’ve lived here since 2009 and I have tried so many places and been disappointed so many times. Lena’s used to be my go-​to, not because they were good, but because they were consistently fine. Standards around here are pretty low, but I still feel like pizza once or twice a month, and I don’t always feel like cooking it myself, so what can you do? Well, in my humble opinion, Brelundi pizza is a little better than Lena’s and definitely better than anywhere else in Waltham. It’s not amazing, it’s not going to redefine your pizza experience or anything like that, but it’s good thin crust, fresh toppings, good ratios of cheese to sauce, and just an overall solid pizza.

Finally had the chance to try the pizza, and it’s a step up from Papa Gino’s. I was hoping it would be Sicilian style, but to my chagrin, it most certainly was not. Crust was thin, cheese was good, but it was overall saturated in grease. Also ordered the mescalin salad, it was made on 09/​04, which I wish I saw prior to purchasing it. The lettuce on the bottom of the container was wilted and slimy.
However, their desserts and espresso drinks are amazing.

Stumbled upon this authentic Italian jewel and It was love at first bite. The food, atmosphere and staff are all fantastic. I will be making this a regular stop FOREVER!!! Try an Arancini, a bite of Bocconcini along with a sip of cappuccino and you will be in heaven!!!
Hats off to Michael Colomba and Nancy Bowen for opening my eyes to they way food should be… heaven on earth. WOW!!!

It was okay. Nothing spectacular about the chicken marsala except that the onions were particularly sweet and delicious. It would have been nice with a side of bread and some parmesan. Atmosphere was pretty sterile, and the dining area is really tiny. I did enjoy dining to the Italian version of Laura Branigan’s «Gloria.» I still wonder about that Gloria… is she still on the run now? I think she’s got to slow down.
We were given a sample of the ham and cheese arancini from a case at the counter A very nice gesture; the marinara sauce was delicious but the arancini tasted stale.
The two staff at the counter were very friendly. But I don’t think I’ll be back.

Went here last night with my husband for dinner and dessert. As vegetarians, we were interested in the veggie lasagna (made with a white sauce) and pasta primavera. And we had heard great things about their red sauce, which lived up to expectations.
Pasta itself was nothing extraordinary, in fact slightly overcooked. But the dessert made up for that in spades. We got an Iris, a Sicilian doughnut style dessert stuffed with ricotta and chocolate chips and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar on top. It is a game changer. So crunchy, so creamy, so warm and decadent. If you go for anything, go for the iris. Or better yet, don’t go and leave all the irises for me!!!

Stopped by and grabbed a ham & cheese arancini for $ 4 with some warm tomato sauce. It was quite good! It was fresh, lightly heated, tasty/​moist on the inside. It was extremely clean/​renovated inside. Everything looked fresh/​delicious. Customer service was great. There’s good street parking, although I went on an off-​peak hour on a weekend. It’s a bit hidden. The address directs you to the back side, which is the wrong street. Probably one of the best Italian places in Waltham!

Ever since spending a formative year in Rome in the late ’60’s, seeing a restaurant review with the word Arancini, or Suppli, has set my heart aflutter. Little did I know back then that my favorite Rosticceria item would take ~45 years to become a common sight on my chosen city’s restaurant scene. I first encountered them here c.1970 at the North End’s Galleria Umberto Rosticceria. (It’s possible that arancini/​suppli were on many Boston menus back then, but my student budget did not allow for seated restaurants in general.) Unfortunately, the Umberto ones bore none of the flavor splendor of those I was used to. (I put it down to their inferior cheese and broth and their ‘Super Size Me’ gross girth, but they certainly have legions of adoring fans.)
Now arancini seem to be a bistro mainstay in Boston. Of those I have sampled here, my favs have been at Il Casale in Belmont; they have been the only ones to use a flavorful dark stock to make their risotto. What a difference! (The distinctly deep yellow arancini made with (sufficient) saffron can also be noteworthy but I can’t remember where I have had them recently. Maybe La Morra?)
After a short Globe piece a few months ago, we finally had the chance yesterday to sample assorted arancini and sweets from the new Waltham bakery/​café, Brelundi. The available variety this time– included Tomato Ragu; Ham and Cheese, and Spinach and Cheese. Their flavorful fillings are generous and they are quite inexpensive (Smalls are $ 3@ and about 2.5−3″ diameter) but I do wish they didn’t cook their risotto to a grain-​less mass. But they are certainly filling, and for lunch, I could just barely finish two halves.(FWIW, I halved them and baked them ~ 25 minutes in a 350 degree toaster oven, making for a crunchy exterior and a creamy chewy interior.)
Brelundi does a few rarely-​seen sweets, and while they were sold out of their Iris, I did enjoy their Cassatelle, a sugar dusted deep fried ‘holeless donut’ filled with ricotta, chocolate bits and citrus. I am not usually a fan of bakery cream puffs, and ditto the Brelundi ones (drys shells) but ymmv.
Because they are new and small, and their ambitious web menu is much larger than their actual one, I would recommend phone ordering before making a trip, even for small orders. On this, our first visit, I was hoping to sample many more things, but they didn’t have them, so I’m looking forward to watching Brelundi evolve.
p. s. 7÷14÷15:
We really enjoyed their meat and cheese lasagna today. The piece itself was large and substantial, w/​generous layers of cheese, ricotta mixture, meat sauce, al dente pasta. As I snarfed it, i realized that it was the first lasagna i have had since childhood-​that tastes just like my (non Italian) mom used to make. The meat was some mix incl. veal i think. Tomato sauce was pure tomato flavor; no sugar or tomato paste dominating. What a treat!

Wow, just wow. The service is unbelievably friendly, the restaurant is new and beautiful. The iris donuts are heaven, and I don’t even like ricotta.
The arancini are varied and divine. The marinara sauce tasted like Mom’s if your mom was an Italian chef.
Minimal sit down space, but for this food I’ll stand and eat LOL. Prices are also very reasonable.

Stopped in quickly to pick up some sweets the other day after reading all these reviews. I was greated with a big smile and a large sample of their Iris. It was just as amazing as everyone has noted. Sold! I also picked up this wonderful chocolate orange rum cake that was to die for! Strong flavors perfectly balanced. The staff was super helpful. I know I could have tried more things if I were up for it. Definitely will be back soon!

The front entrance to get in is facing the commuter rail. The address that you input is the rear restaurant but has the street parking and then you just walk around a big fence area.
This place is small but it’s a café so der. Not great for huge family gatherings but if tables available great for smaller parties. They have two tables of 4, one table of 2 and bar row of seats. When we came in Saturday afternoon it was packed with one family and they rearranged one table so it was long. I do have to say that the family was really inconsiderate, they said they would put the tables back where they belong as they were sipping on their espresso tea cups but didn’t do anything.
So we had to just wait for them to be done which was fine because we were waiting for our food. The employees are very friendly and knowledgable about the menu. I really liked the tuna sandwich– there were fillings in it that did make it feel more Italy ! I also grabbed an ice latte but the drinks have no flavoring because it’s suppose to represent how drinks are usually made in Italy. The drink was ok but I felt like it was too much ice, I couldn’t even fit my straw in. The cannoli was just ok. It wasn’t as great as how I like it at mikes pastry so I’ll probably pass on that. Especially since the large is the same price point as mikes.
I would come back here again since its so close to me. I also heard that they may be having a bigger location!

I heard wonderful things about Brelundi through Unilocal and wanted to check them out. I was a little confused if this was a take out only place or if you could also get table service. We decided to go down to get some take out food and see it in person. Brelundi is very easy to find and had ample parking in the MBTA commuter rail lot.
When you first walk into Brelundi’s you will notice how great everything smells and looks! There is small sit down area with tables and bar stools when you walk in to your left. I did notice that there were a few people sitting down and the staff was more than happy to bring out their food to them while they sat. There is a wonderful dessert display case that contains about 10+ different types of pastries, everything looked amazingly fresh. They also have a freezer section so if you wanted a quick lasagna or chicken parmesan meal to go you could pick one up.
We placed our order fairly quickly to go: chicken parmesan meal (no pasta), eggplant parmesan meal (no pasta), two meat/​cheese/​pea arancini’s and a Iris to go. While we were waiting we were asked if we wanted to sample a number of items and one of the owners came by to talk to us. She was super pleasant and kept offering us more food! We only waited about fifteen minutes for our food and they even threw in a few extra goodies for us which was so nice!
The food was excellent, both the chicken and eggplant parmesan were an extreamly large portion and so good. The chicken was super moist and the breading was right on point. The eggplant was layered with copious amounts of cheese and sauce. The arancinis were amazing! I really really love arancini’s but you could tell that these were just really authentic, even the rice they use is different than any other arancini I have ever had. Just a note, the arancini’s did not come with marinara sauce but our meals provided a lot of extra sauce. If you are just ordering the arancini’s you may want to request some marinara on the side to dunk them in.
Can we talk about the Iris??? Request that they warm it up for you if you are eating it right away. It is essentially a donut type pastry covered in cinnamon sugar and stuffed with a sweet ricotta cheese mix. The consistency of the ricotta filling was lighter than cheesecake and wasn’t overly sweet. I’ve never had anything like this and it was something I will come back for. My pants are not going to fit me soon!
Brelundi has daily specials including a special arancini of the day (yesterday was steak and cheese!), but they do not post them online or on social media. If they could post these daily I think I would be making more take out orders over the phone! If you are short on time and want some take out, make sure you call ahead and put in an order.
I am so happy we went into Brelundi’s in person our first time, this is a place where you can order take out or you can go to sit down and eat with a smaller party. We will be back soon and I cannot wait to try the pizza and other meals they have to offer!