Unflattering Reviews
Once upon a time an interviewer asked Louis Armstrong to explain jazz. Satchmo, with his characteristic good humor and rich, bass voice, replied, "Man, if I have to explain it to you, you ain't never gonna get it." The same can be said about neighborhood barrooms. If you need an explanation to understand them, you'll never be comfortable there.
When I read Sara Franklin's malignant review of The Harp ("Fish and Chips, Ahoy," Aug. 7, 2008), I chuckled. As a writer, Franklin should be especially aware than anytime one puts pen to paper, the word-slinger is defined at least as much as the subject. Her inaccurate evaluation of a great neighborhood bar was nothing if not unconscious testimony to her discomfort at being in an environment that defies evaluation.
In the beginning there was Mike's Westview Caf? and along came Harpo Power and said, "Let there be an authentic Irish bar in its place." And customers saw the light, that it was good because it was of the neighborhood and needed no explanation, apologies, excuses nor assessments. One either feels at home in a neighborhood establishment like The Harp or not. It's that simple.
If, as Franklin writes, she might require "a few beers already down the hatch" to enjoy the real deal up in North Amherst, then I believe she has an unlimited future as an afficionado of synthetic hospitality and predictability practiced in such heart-warming and invigorating surroundings as Chili's, The Olive Garden or Applebees.
Jack Tulloss
Belchertown
We are disappointed with the recent Roadhouse Cafe review ("Frying Eggs, Flipping Flapjacks," Aug. 14, 2008). First, fair reviews are not based on atypical experiences. The reviewer visited on a day when the big-as-your-head pancakes were unavailable. We've frequented the Roadhouse for three years, and never have we seen the pancake batter run dry. Second, the reviewer and her companion ordered similar dishes (both omelet specials) and then speculated about other menu items, without trying the items for which the Roadhouse earns high praise, such as apricot-walnut or banana bread French toast. (Where else can you regularly choose such items?) Fresh, local food is a theme of the restaurant, not an aspect of a single special.
Finally, the remainder of the menu was mentioned only in passing late in the review. The Roadhouse also offers 10 different homemade breads for use in regular or French toast, eight breakfast meals and seven breakfast sandwiches. This past weekend there were three types of coffeecake and two types of muffins available, in addition to the five specials. To be fair, writing a comprehensive review of any eatery is difficult. But readers expect a review to provide a guide to the distinctions of a restaurant, and this did not happen here.
sarah-marie belcastro, Thomas Hull, Sean Kinlin
Hadley
