Food + Booze
At Table: Lobster At Last
As a longtime food writer, I wasn't sure what to expect from Kosherfest, the only food expo dedicated solely to kosher comestibles. Would I find the usual comfort food most assimilated Ashkenazim (like me) associate with kosher: vegetarian cutlets, leaden knishes,...
At Table: How Green is My Dinner?
Tabella Restaurant28 Amity St., Amherst413-253-0220Small Plates $3.50 to $14Sun-Thur 5-10 p.m.Fri-Sat 5 p.m.-1 a.m.There is a little restaurant near the little movie theater in Amherst serving little dishes. Described on the menu as "Small Plates Farm...
At Table: Hello Sam
Moshi Moshi4 Main St., Northampton, (413) 586-5865Mon.-Fri.: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; 5 -10 p.m.;Sat.: 11 am-11 p.m.; closed SundayBy my count, Moshi Moshi is one of five places in Northampton serving sushi. The restaurant is unusual not because its menu is unique,...
At Table: The Astral Kitchen
Circa Restaurant57 Center Street, Northampton413-586-2622Hours: Tue.–Thu. 5 p.m.- 9 p.m.Fri.–Sat. 5 p.m.-10 p.m.Small plates $5-$10; large plates $15-$22.After hiking up one of the peaks of the Mt. Tom range to observe the rising of the full moon and the...
At Table: Sweet Temptation
Butternuts195 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley, 413-586-0234Tue.-Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.Entrèes to $24.99The ritual of finding a table, sitting down, smiling at your friends and looking at the menu is interrupted by a new pressure on the...
At Table: Taking the Chill Off
Café Martin24 Bridge St., Shelburne Falls, 413-625-2795Lunch: Tue.-Sun. 11:00 – 3:00; dinner Tue.-Sun. from 5 p.m.; Sunday brunch 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.Entrées $11.95 to $21.95On a wintry evening before a concert at Memorial Hall and days after a...
At Table: The Silver Lining
Virtuoso272 Worthington St., Springfield, 413-734-1099Mon.-Fri. 4:30-10 p.m.Sat.-Sun. 4:30-midnightEntrées $18 to $40.Chef Kevin Cousin is a Northampton boy. It was at the elegant ‘80s eatery Beardsley’s that he got a taste of the good life while...
At Table: The Manic Chef
Artisan’s Café and Gallery 1 Open Square, Holyoke, 413-532-9535Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. , Sat. 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Free delivery and WiFi Been to Holyoke since artists took the place of mill workers? While Open Square is not new, the Artisan Cafe...
Springfield's Diva Delicious
Montenia’s Restaurant137 State St., Springfield, 413-739-9656Mon.-Fri. Lunch 11 p.m. to 3 p.m.Tues.-Sat. Dinner 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.Entrées $14 to $17.50. There is a blues singer cooking soul food on State Street in Springfield. On Saturday nights she leaves...
At Table: Food With an Attitude
Side Street Cafe42 Maple St., Florence, 413-587-8900Mon.-Thu. 5-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-10 p.m.Entrées $16.95 to $23.95Two waitresses with silky black hair come to the table. One performs a halting rendition of the special, the other is just shadowing. ...
Dining: Partnered with Wine
The Delaney House3 Country Club Road, Rte. 5, Holyoke, 532-1800Dinner: Mon.-Sat. 5-9 p.m., Sun. 4-8 p.m.; brunch, Sun. 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.Entrèes $12 to $30Drink like a Pro Night, $30 per person Reservations recommended.Unfortunately named, “Drink like a...
Passing the Risotto Test
Eastside Grill 19 Strong Avenue, Northampton, 413-586-3347Open Mon.-Fri. from 5 p.m., Sat.-Sun. from 4 p.m.Entrèes $8.50 to $20.95Eastside Grill has been catering to the movers and shakers in the community since Main Street had a hardware store and Northampton...
At Table: Home of the Dancing Eel
Ginger Blossom1203 Parker St., Springfield, 413-783-8300Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10:15 p.m.Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11:15 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m.-10 p.m.Entrées: $6.50 to $26.95 You can literally order a boatload of Japanese food at Ginger Blossom. And there are myriad types of...
At Table: A Hot Day's Pint or Three
The People's Pint 24 Federal Street, Greenfield 413-773-0333Open daily 4-p.m. to "around midnight"; breakfast Sat. 9 a.m-1 p.m.Entrees $5.95-$13.50 When a recent heat wave brought sticky 90 degree temperatures to the Valley on a weekend, I wanted...
At Table: Fish and Chips, Ahoy!
The Harp163 Sunderland Rd., North Amherst(413) 548- 6900Open 7 days a week, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.Entrées $5.95- $11.95Perched on a small peninsula of lawn next door to Cowl’s Lumber on Sunderland Road, The Harp doesn’t look like much. A somewhat...
At Table: Tough 'Tude, Great Food
The Dirty Truth29 Main Street, Northampton(413) 585-5999Open weekdays 4 p.m.- 2 a.m., weekends 1 p.m.- 2 a.m. Urbane, a bit in love with itself, and boasting a "we're-too-cool-to-put-our-name-on-the-storefront" 'tude, The Dirty Truth is about as...
At Table: Not for the Faint of Heart
Big Mamou68 Liberty St., Springfield413-732-101115 Main St., Williamsburg413-268-8901Open Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat. 12 p.m.-4 p.m., 5 p.m.-10 p.m.Entrées $8.95-$17.95A real taste of the Cajun South is not an experience you expect to...
Coffee and…
Esselon Café99 Russell Street, Hadley413-585-1515Open Mon. 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Tue.-Fri.-7:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Brunch Sat.-Sun. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner Tue.-Fri. 5 p.m.-9 p.m. and Saturday 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m.Entrées $7.95-$14.95With a commute from Amherst to...
Pork Rib Paradise
Bub’s BBQRoute 116, Sunderland(413) 548-9630Open Mon.-Thu. 4 p.m.-9 p.m.; Fri. 4 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sat. 12 p.m.-9 p.m.; Sun. 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.Sandwiches from $7.95. Dinners from $9.95.It’s impossible to miss the plump pink porker dancing across...
At Table: Simplicity Shines
Allium42/44 Railroad Street, Great Barrington(413) 528-2118Sun.-Thu. 5-9:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-10 p.m.Entrees $18-34 The alliums—a family of crops including onions, garlic and leeks—are rarely the centerpiece of any meal, but they provide the essential...
At Table: The Go-To Place
Max’s TavernThe Basketball Hall of Fame1000 West Columbus Blvd., Springfield413-746-6299Open Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 4 p.m.-9 p.m.Entrées to $32.95If it seems unusually pleasant to be dining al fresco on clams from...
Frying Eggs, Flipping Flapjacks
Roadhouse Cafe176 Federal Street, Belchertown(413) 323-6175Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m.-12 p.m.Sat.-Sun. 7 a.m.- 2 p.m.Full breakfast to $9.25. We've been going to the same place for Sunday brunch for way too long. So on a recent weekend morning, feeling adventurous, we...
At Table: Wild About Truffles
The Federal135 Cooper St., Agawam,413-253-3811Reservations recommended.Hours: Tue.-Sat. from 5:30 p.m.Entrées to $35.95.The Federal is known to Springfield residents and West Siders as a former speakeasy with a front-of-the-house man people still remember. He...
The House of Chang
Amherst Chinese Food62 Main St., Amherst(413) 549-0077Open 11:30 a.m. –3 p.m., 5-9 p.m.Entrées $7.95-$19.95; lunch specials from $5.50The typically serene, orchid-filled restaurant that is known for its simple food and good works was converged upon...
Locavore: On the Table
Several weeks ago, an event at Mt. Holyoke drew a standing-room-only crowd. Over one thousand people from Western Mass. and out of state streamed into Chapin Hall to hear Stephen King and Richard Russo talk about writing. King hasn't made a public appearance for...
At Table: In the Basket
Rafters Sports Bar and Restaurant442 Amity St., Amherst, (413) 549-4040Hours: 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. 7 days a week.Wings from $5.95. Sandwiches from $8.95.Forget to pay your cable bill, out of beer and the Red Sox are playing on a Sunday? It’s Rafters for you. Seven...
Locavore: Hey Neil, This Organic Prairie Dog's for You!
Bury your head in the garden while Sarah Palin and Rachael Maddow duke it out for your media minutes. Last weekend Farm Aid, an arena-staged fundraiser for small farms, took place on Saturday and on Sunday, a crunchfest in Orange continued a two-day celebration of...
Tres Delicieuse
Chez Albert27 South Pleasant St., Amherst, 413-253-3811Reservations recommended.Hours: Tue.-Sun. 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.Entrées to $25.If I could eat anywhere in the Valley, it would be here—because it's French and because Monsieur Emanuel Proust, the...
Put Up or Shut Up
The old-fashioned practice of "putting up" your veggies and fruits for winter months is making a comeback. Two weeks ago, a NOFA (Northeast Organic Farm Association)-sponsored canning demonstration was sold out. Although it really is too late to be putting...
Torpedoes of Flavor
El Guanaco 61 Bridge St., South Hadley, 413-536-5598Open Mon.–Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.Entrées $5-$7.85Located on a busy street near the Falls Bridge in South Hadley, this humble pueblo is home to a monster burrito on its Mexican menu and fried yucca on its...
At Table: A Taste of the Shore
Bistro 63 at the Monkey Bar63 North Pleasant St., Amherst(413) 259-1600Dinner 4:45-10 p.m. every dayLate night bar hours Thu.-Sat.Entrées $14-$27.I pass the Monkey Bar/Bistro 63 daily, intrigued by its complex specials and seemingly global cuisine (wasabi,...
At Table: Dinner at Sunset
Tavern on the Hill100 Mountain Rd., Easthampton413-493-1700Hours: Sun.-Thu. 4:30-9; Fri. 4:30-10; Sat. 4-10; Sun. 4-9.Reservations recommended for the deck.Entrées to $24.95In summer, sundown is the best time to visit Tavern on the Hill, which has a generous...
At Table: “Sublime” Saltimbocca
Carmelina's at the Commons96 Russell Street (Route 9), HadleyOpen Tue.-Sun. 5-10 p.m.Entrees $14-$29 How many times do you have to drive past a restaurant's packed parking lot before taking the hint that you should really try the place? Why, after all...
At Table: Entrez Vous
The Rendezvous78 Third Street, Turners Falls,413-863-2866Open every day, 3 p.m. to midnight.Entrées to $11.99More a clubhouse than a restaurant, The Rendezvous likes to keep its customers on their toes. At first glance, the porch of this wooden structure, with...Slow Cooking, Sweet Eating
Other cultures like to save a little for later. The Japanese say "Hara hachi bu," which means, "Eat until you are four-fifths full." Germans warn one another of the dangers of overdoing it with "Tie off the sack before it's...
Summertimes: Too Hot to Cook
The Lone Wolf 63 Main St., Amherst (413) 256- 4643 • www.thelonewolf.biz Breakfast and lunch weekdays 7 a.m.-2 p.m. weekends 7 a.m.-2:30p.m. Breakfast $4.50-$9.50 (kids’ menu available) Lunch $5-$10. As part of our tour of Amherst with a visiting friend one...
Victory Gardens Are Here Again
It would seem as though what to do with the landscaping over on Pennsylvania Avenue might be the last thing on the mind of our new president. But it's the first thing on the minds of others—lots of others. There is the "Eat the View" contingency, a...
Locavore: Cyclops in Corn
Not since fishmongers in the south of France used their store windows to stage fruit de la mer passion plays has anyone done more with local food than this. Farmer Mike Wissman of Sunderland uses a tractor as his instrument and corn as his medium to render a yearly...
Locavore: Love Me Like an Aztec
Aphrodisiac [(af-ruh-dee-zee-ak, af-ruh-diz-ee-ak)]: A substance or quality that excites sexual desire.There is love at first sight, there is insatiable love, there is hopeless love, there is endless love. Then there is chocolate. Love, no matter what kind, can use a...
At Table: Flavors of Late Summer
Blue Heron112 North Main St., Rte. 47,Sunderland(413) 665- 2102Tue.-Sun. 5-9 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 5-10 p.m.Entries $16-36. After passing the lovely front porch and walking through the brilliant flower garden, visitors enter Blue Heron through a stately foyer. The...
Locavore: At Home with Dino Kale
It's not often that bok choy grown in the Connecticut River Valley, now covered in snow, is available in February. And chocolate-covered goat cheese truffles are as rare as tomatoes. Last Saturday, a seemingly impromptu event took place in a space made small by a...
At Table: The Whole Enchilada
Mi Tierra206 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley,(413) 587- 9820Open every day 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.Entr?es to $14. Hidden behind the Norwottuck Shops on Route 9 in Hadley is a jewel of a restaurant, Mi Tierra. Informal, authentic, cheap, and above all delicious, Mi Tierra...
Locavore: Daily Bread
A big step for mankind and local consumers alike was taken last month in a small farmhouse. With the sun streaming through the windows on the bills of feed caps, a delicate negotiation was taking place between two factions whose strange coupling could affect our daily...
Locavore: Revolution on River Road
It's 7:30 on a cold morning in Hatfield, maybe the fifth day of real frost we've had. The guys are cleaning squash in the sorting room in the barn and you can see their breath. During my interview with farmer Dave Jackson, the conversation turns to the weather...
Valley Locavore: Crustacean Conversation
Fish is one of the only things you can eat during Lent if you're a Catholic because the "fast" requires abstaining from meat. If you're a Catholic locavore and ice fishing isn't on the menu but bending the rules is, then look to the sea for...
At Table: Funky Is Delicious
Cushman Market and Cafe491 Pine Street, Amherst(413) 549-0100Open weekdays 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.Breakfast and lunch $1.25-$7.50.When I moved to the Valley, I was thrilled to find an abundance of cafes, each with its own distinct vibe...
Locavore: Victory Is a Garden
There's a new gardener in town… and her name is Michelle Obama.The nation's Victory Garden, planted on the White House lawn as a symbol of eating healthily (as opposed to meeting the food shortages created by World War II, when the original Victory...
Sparkling With Spice
Mesa Verde10 Fiske Ave. #3, Greenfield(413) 772-2531Mon.-Sat. 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.Entrées $4-$6.50I’ve stopped trying Mexican food. So often it’s awful. I mean inedible. Processed cheese atop rubbery meat, dishes devoid of any authentic...
Locavore: Green Pastures
Summer: the grill, dad with the apron, a pitcher of martinis. The sun sets. Fireflies come out and somebody begins to play an album by Creedence Clearwater Revival. There is a mist on the grass and a burger escapes from somebody's plate and rolls away into the...
Goodbye to All That
Now it has become official. I've been holding off as long as possible from beginning a 100-mile diet. That means not eating anything that comes from farther away than a hundred miles. As a starting date, the first day after a "killer" frost made the most...
Winter Greens and Tie-Dyed Easter Eggs
"There are few pleasures that beat sitting in your veg patch in May with people you love, your just-cut asparagus cooking on a camping stove and almost ready to eat with a little butter, salt, pepper and Parmesan. Pour a glass of something dry made from grapes or...
Chestnuts and More
At the Amherst Farmers' Market you can sample fair trade coffee and register to vote. To the casual buyer, farming can seem idyllic while shopping here, with growers offering tastes, tips, and wisdom on living in the moment in their mud boots, with their beautiful...
Seeing Clearly Now
On the Saturday night before Obama's inauguration, over 100 people showed up at the Red Barn at Hampshire College to celebrate the new presidential regime and dance to a band known as the No-Nos. The event was hosted by several farms, including Brookfield, an...
The Magic Skewer
Cafe Lebanon1390 Main St., Springfield(413) 737-7373Open Mon.-Thu. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.,Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.Lunch $9-$16; dinner entrees $17-$27.Lebanese food makes me flip, so I was thrilled to hear encouraging reviews of Cafe Lebanon. After a late evening at...
Locavore: Check This Aussie Out!
Barramundi!Although this may sound like the barbaric yawp of a winter surfer, it's actually the name of the Australian hunting fish, native to the waters of Southeast Asia and now being farmed in Turners Falls. Several years ago, Hampshire College grad and...
At Table: With a Grain of Salt
Fireworks73 Main Street, Brattleboro(802) 254-2073Open Sun.-Wed. 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m.,Thu.-Sat. 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m.Entrees $9-$16.A generic storefront usually makes me nervous, warning of equally generic food. But on stepping inside Fireworks, I was surprised by a stylish...
Locavore: Talking Turkey
Local turkeys sold out this year up in Wendell. At over $3 a pound, it's hard to believe that fowl such as this would be in such high demand. But there's a reason to pay top dollar and there's a reason you're eating Butterball. Tom, a turkey from...
Locavore: A Slice of Nice
Ever hear the quote, "Pizza is a lot like sex. When it's good, it's really good. When it's bad, it's still pretty good"? That dictum was put to the test during a pizza contest between four local eateries. The quote is sometimes attributed to...
Locavore: Let Them Eat Cookies
"Doing without" was a way of life during the long shortages of World War II. In his collection of essays, One Man's Meat, E.B. White wrote: "…Every day I shall use the milk of the previous day, never taking advantage of the opportunity to...E-Edition
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