During  your staycation you might be tempted to  make the same old stuff at home for dinner. But think about it for a second: If you were traveling on vacation would you be cooking dinner or would you be feasting and letting someone else do the dishes? Why not explore your own backyard? Treat yourself.

Jumbo Culinary Curiosities

In Chicopee, one of the most distinctive restaurants is Bernie’s Dining Depot. It’s a former passenger train converted into a restaurant that serves up jumbo steaks the size of your head. It’s homestyle cooking at Bernie’s, whether you’re ordering prime rib, a French meat pie with gravy, or the baked meatloaf.

In Agawam, you can order a cold cut grinder made from an entire Italian loaf of bread and filled to the brim with your choice of deli meats at Pajer Superette. It’s an old school Italian market where you can find desserts, pasta, and other food selections straight from The Boot. Just a head’s up though, Pajer’s is cash only.

If you want a behemoth slice of pizza that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, look no further than Mimo’s Pizza in downtown Northampton. The combinations are the really interesting thing about Mimo’s. Want a pesto bacon chicken pizza? No problem.

Perogies, Galumpkis, Kielbasa, Oh My!

The Pioneer Valley has a deep Polish heritage. There’s even a Polish Center of Discovery and Learning based in Chicopee. With that cultural imprint on the region comes one of the great perks — Polish food. In Westfield, there’s Janik’s Pierogi Cafe. The restaurant makes traditional Polish food fresh. The perogies are made daily. You can order a bowl of borshch with meat dumplings, a foot-long kielbasa dog loaded with sauerkraut and mustard, or indulge in the “Polish Plate” — a hearty combination of Polish classics such as pierogi, kielbasa, and the cabbage roll golabek. Hanna’s Diner & Deli Shoppe in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield also dishes out Eastern European food that includes goulash stew, Vienna schnitzel, fresh bread, and Polish pastries.

But if you really want to gorge on Polish delights, you’ve got to hit Chicopee where Polish food reigns supreme. Great Polish eateries to check out include: The Collegian Court on Park Street, Pulaski Hall on Norman Street, Bernat’s Polish Meat Products on Meadow Street; Gawron Rudy & Sons, on Fuller Road, The Polish National Home Cafe on Cabot Street, and Chicopee Provision, Co., on Sitarz Avenue.

Underrated Asian Food

Chinese takeout food doesn’t represent the full gamut of Asian culinary dishes, folks. There’s plenty of local Korean, Thai, authentic Chinese, and Vietnamese restaurants that can broaden your food horizons. In Hadley, there’s Gohyang Korean Restaurant, where you can order a kimchi pancake and sing a round of karaoke. Next is Pho Saigon in Springfield where the traditional Vietnamese soup is king. Pho is a hearty soup typically served with noodles, herbs, poultry, beef, or tofu that comes with a hefty portion of bean sprouts and a slice of lime. Besides the pho, you can order other dishes such as sugarcane shrimp or durian ice cream for dessert. When you see the rickshaw in the front window, you’ll know you’ve arrived at Pho Saigon. Thai Blue Ginger in Greenfield brings a bite of Thailand with its “Spicy Seafood Madness” dish served with peanut sauce as well as its pan fried menu items such as the wild boar basil, beef macadamia, or the ever wonderful pad thai classic.

Please Sir, I Want Some More

The buffet. Is there any better way to embrace gluttony without a care in the world? In Northampton, Bombay Royale has one of the best Indian lunch buffets in the Pioneer Valley. From chicken tikka masala simmered in a red tomato sauce to endless gulab jamun (a sweet honeyed dough ball that melts in your mouth), it’s hard to pass up Bombay Royale’s buffet. Another great Indian buffet is Pintu’s Indian Palace in West Springfield, which offers its own unique takes on staple dishes from the subcontinent. Sakura Buffet in Northampton is all-you-can-eat sushi and Chinese/Japanese fare right on King Street. 

The Art of Fancy Dining

Why not kick it up a notch and dine in a fine restaurant during your staycation? There’s Alina’s Restaurant in Hadley for fine Italian dining entrees such as carne saltimbocca — your choice of meat, layered and rolled with fresh garlic, spinach, sage, provolone, and prosciutto, and finished with roasted red peppers and Chianti wine sauce. At The Federal Restaurant in Agawam, do partake in the “pallet of meats,” which includes wild boar sopressata salami, duck prosciutto, and 18-month prosciutto di parma. You can even order a bucket of risotto balls with fresh black truffle butter and snipped chives. Blue Heron Restaurant in Sunderland was named the Valley Advocate’s Best of 2017 for romantic dining and this upscale restaurant with its intimate seating and a warm inviting fireplace offers menu items that are locally sourced.