The nice neighborhood place. Taken for granted, it deserves odes and encomiums. Who is there for you the way your local is? Who makes you dinner, is kind to you at the end of the day, offers a glass of wine and a comfortable booth? Your nice neighborhood place takes care of you and your family. It is a relationship that requires little maintenance yet rolls together some of the benefits of a spouse, a nanny, and a therapist.

Farmstead Table opened in Newton Centre in August, across from the train station, and it instantly became the new nice neighborhood place. For quite a lot of people. Trouble is, it is better than it is big. Ever had to tangle for reservations in Newton in the middle of the week before? To eat here, one must plan in advance.