he chain restaurants in Wellesley’s Linden Street shopping area may be upscale, but they’re still chains. Want to taste what you’re missing? Go to Sunday brunch at the Cottage and have the country-style French toast: brioche bread crispy on the outside, soft inside, topped with fresh fruit or stuffed with strawberry compote and marscarpone cheese. This restaurant is bright and sunny, with tall windows and high ceilings, and it’s welcoming and laid back at any meal, with imaginatively prepared fusion cuisine, surprisingly warm service, large portions, reasonable prices, great bread, and exceptional wine and beer lists in a town with few of either. The other secret: the out-of-this-world prime rib, served only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so big the sides come on a separate plate. There's also a location in Chestnut Hill. Marcus