Western Massachusetts--Northampton, Amherst, etc.

I will be in the 5-College area of Western Massachusetts (staying in Hadley, but spending a lot of time in Northampton, Amherst, Holyoke, Shelburne Falls, and possibly Springfield and/or Hartford, too) for six days beginning next Wednesday. I've visited this area several times already, and have found the mix of cheap college hangouts, solid upscale restaurants, and interesting, off-the-beaten-path farmstands and sausage shops quite appealing. But I'd like to know if there's anything in the general vicinity that I've missed. Am willing to travel (though probably not to Boston) for exceptional food of almost any type, but am particularly curious about great pizzerias, authentic ethnic spots (including sausage stands), and any places with interesting historical or cultural connections to the area. The more local and quirky, the better......

Here are the spots I've liked thus far:

Harrell's Ice Cream, Northampton: Rich, creamy ice cream produced by a man who is frequently referred to as the inventor of the mix-in and the Godfather of East Coast ice cream. Consistently great stuffe produced in a variety of interesting seasonal flavors. Past favorites include chocolate pudding, cinnamon nutmeg, burnt sugar and cream, and black raspberry and banana.

Green Street Cafe, Northampton: My favorite place for upscale dining in the area. I love the atmosphere here, as it is some kind of old workshop or storefront divided into a series of dimly lit, cozy dining rooms. The mood is smart but relaxed, and the menu, offering "refined" American comfort food is a good match for the ambiance. Try the beef roast and roast pork especially.

Fresh Pasta Co., Northampton: My last visit suggested this place may be going downhill, but the grilled portabella, leek and brie sandwich is usually a winner. House made pasta in a variety of sauces have also been solid. Good for a cheap lunch.

Vermont Country Deli, Northampton: Really good deli sandwiches and salads.

Del Ray Restaurant, Northampton: Undoubtedly, the trendiest choice for upscale dining in the area, Del Ray featured a modern French-American menu the last time I stopped in, although I think they have since altered their focus. The place tries to produce an air of sophistication, but comes off a bit too polished for my liking. Food was decent but not spectacular. The owner also runs the upscale Italian place down the street, Spoleto, which I have found lacking.

Northampton Brewing Co., Northampton: Good brew pub with a nice beer garden for summer drinking. A bit antiseptic feeling, as these places usually are, on the inside.

Aqua Vitae Pizza, Hadley: A 50's time warp of a pizza place that once served fabulous, cracker-thin crust pizza far superior to Zeffiro's, Candlelite, etc. I've heard it's fallen on hard times, but will probably given it a spin next week.

Antonio's Pizza, Amherst: Pretty good thin crust pizza with interesting toppings--barbecued chicken being the specialty, I believe. Antonio's has connected satellite spots in other college towns like Charlottesville, VA and Ithaca, NY.

Amherst Ale House, Amherst: A divey left-wing bar (at least based on the conversations I've overheard here) that has a pretty good beer selection. Best drinking spot I've found in the Hadley-Northampton-Amherst area thus far. Better than the annoying frat crowd at Packards in Northampton, and the less annoying but structurally similar patrons at the NBC and ABC.

Amherst Brewing Co., Amherst: The beer isn't as good as at NBC, and the crowd is, as I say above, annoying.

Pekarski's Sausage, Montague (?): Mike "The Sausage King" Pekarski is a kielbasa genius, and will gladly match his sausage against any basic kielbasa found in Chicago. Customers regularly have his sausage flown to them around the world, and there's a reason why....This is an old-time place that also smokes its own bacon and other meats. If you're in the area, don't miss it.

Maple Line Dairy, Hadley: A family dairy that has good milk, and excellent egg nog.

Flavors Dairy and Ice Cream, Hadley: Another family spot with very good milk and ice cream.

Boisvert Sugar Shack, Hadley: Great syrup and maple candies. But the real gem here is the soft serve maple syrup ice cream.

Places I haven't liked that much include the lackluster Northampton upscale Mexican spot, La Cazuela (nice bar, though); the Amherst burrito stand Bueno y Sano; Bart's a popular but insufficiently creamy and flavorful local ice cream chain; Spoleto, a bad upscale Italian spot in Northampton; and any Chinese place in Northampton or Amherst.

Kenny, I work with a guy who moved to Chicago from there about two years ago. His suggestions were:

1) The absolutely greatest pizza on the planet can be found at Pepe's on Wooster St. in New Haven, CT.

2) The White Hut on Memorial Drive in West Springfield, MA has good hot dogs and has been there for over 50 years. Its a little dumpy place and you may have to stand while you eat.

3) Memo's on Memorial Dr. in West Springfield, MA (across from the Big E!, the Eastern States Exposition for those not from New England) is good for breakfast- get the Blueberry Muffins to go! The Donut Dip on Riverdale Rd in West Springfield has awesome donuts.

4) The Hue Ke Lau in Chicopee, MA is my favorite Chineese Buffet and the place is pretty cool inside.

5) Have not been there but supposedly the best seafood buffet anywhere is a place called the Nordic Lodge somewhere in Rhode Island. If you want lobster but don't want to go all the way to Rhode Island then try there is a place in Hartford called the Chowder Pot.

Hi,

When I was in kindergarten through first grade, I lived in Northhampton. In the center of town, there is a diner in a genuine railroad car. By the Kollmorgan plant, where my Dad used to work, there is another diner across the street. There may still be the Coke or Pepsi bottling company nearby, which when I was a kid had a window open to the street where you could watch the bottles go streaming by.

We often went on Friday nights to the Whately Inn in Whately. In the mid-1960's, they would have a lobster dinner for $1.50 and chicken dinner for $2.50. After a certain hour, the Whately Inn would turn into a strip club. The cheap lobster dinner seemed to be there to appease locals who may otherwise object to the strippers. My parents would order 4 lobster dinners for our family which included my sister and I when we were 5 and 3 years old respectively. We usually had them broiled, I would eat the stuffing then play with the antennas, eyeballs and foil packed hand cleaning tissues. Meanwhile my parents sacrificed themselves to finish my dinner. One night we left a bit on the late side, they had already begun to change over to their more profitable occupation. The pictures on the wall had already shifted to cheesecake photos of the evening's dancers. I never being at a loss from words inquired, "Why did those ladies have their pictures taken in their nightgowns?"

I hope you enjoy your trip as much as I enjoy my memories of the area.

Regards,

YourPalWill,

Thanks for getting those recommendations--I really appreciate it! I am long overdue for a trip to New Haven. I think this is the visit I will finally make it over, and will put Pepe's on the list of pizza must-haves. Someone I know actually also highly recommends the Donut Dip, too, so I am looking forward to going there, too. Not sure if I'll be able to get to the others.....

Cathy2,

I'm pretty sure the Whatley Inn is still around, but I don't think it offers the same kind of entertainment as in your childhood. As for the railroad car diner you mention in Northampton, are you sure it still exists? I have been to Northampton many times and have never seen it or even heard mention of it. But I will investigate further. Thanks for your recollections!

As for the railroad car diner you mention in Northampton, are you sure it still exists?

I inquired with my Mother who advised we lived in a section of Northampton called Florence on Maple Avenue. It's akin to Ravinia section of Highland Park.

We were there about 5 years ago, maybe more, and we ate in the diner for old time's sake. It's not great food, but the diner experience is different there than here. Additionally, it was revisiting a kindergarten haunt.