edub23's Profile
Northampton Dinner Recs for a Pescetarian
If you're coming in early June, you'll be there for Northampton Restaurant Week. You can see the various menus here: http://www.northamptonrestaurantweek.com/. I've had mixed luck with Restaurant Weeks in the past, and places like Eastside Grill include an upcharge on the $21 prix fixe. Eastside has a good selection of seafood, by the way.
Another option might be Eclipse, on Main St. They've always got at least a couple of seafood offerings on the menu. My kids loved the steelhead, for example.
Mi Tierra. Still muy muy bueno!!
I ate at Hacienda del Sol recently (had a coupon of some sort) and while I could barely spend enough money to cover the coupon, I thought the food was pretty amazing. I ordered the most expensive appetizer I could find, and it was enough ceviche to hold me for three meals. I know that taking raw fish home might not sound all that appetizing, but as the bartender who served me the food said, "There's enough lime juice in there to make it to Bogota." The carne asada I had for dinner was excellent as well.
Dining Changes in Amherst, MA
Poutine is french fries with gravy, but you have to include the cheese curds to make it truly authentic. The squeakier the curds, the better. Looking forward to a poutine fix when I go to Montreal next month. In the meantime, good to know it's making an entree into the Pioneer Valley.
Quebec City for the weekend, recs?
Your comment about Cochon Dingue is pretty accurate. We ended up there one evening because Le Billig was closed. It was ok, but a fairly pedestrian experience. We returned to Le Billig the next night and had a wonderful meal. We also enjoyed the Hobbit Bistro on St. Jean, which is right down the hill from the Delta.
Any lunch recommendations in Amherst?
AmChi is our go-to place, usually. Try to order off the more exotic "special" menu. I find their version of the typical Chinese dishes (i.e. chicken w/ broccoli) to be rather bland.
I'm not sure how it is for lunch, but I had a nice dinner a few months ago at Moti with my daughter, who's a UMass student.
http://www.motiamherst.com/
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Moti
24 N Pleasant St, Amherst, MA 01002
Zoe's Fish House, Hadley?
We ate dinner at Zoe's on Saturday. I would say it was good but far from spectacular. We started with the Maine crab cakes, which were fairly large but my gf thought could use more crab (of course this is a typical complaint about crab cakes). I had fried clams off the special menu, and it was a very generous portion. The batter was slightly gritty, but I managed to finish almost every one (saved one for the dog). I also had a bowl of cream of mushroom soup that I would definitely recommend. Gf had stuffed lemon sole, which she liked alright but didn't rave about. The atmosphere is somewhat stodgy (I think I liked their old digs in Easthampton a little better). It was certainly a slight change of pace for us - we usually eat Asian of some sort - and I'm glad we tried it, but won't be rushing back.
cocktails Amherst/Northampton?
Not sure if you consider Greenfield part of "Amherst/Northampton," but Hope and Olive pours some very interesting drinks.
Which Dinning option would you choose
Red Parrot gets mixed reviews on this board - I've had fun there, but if you're looking for something remotely romantic, skip it. It's a big, noisy, place. Might be fun for post dinner, if you like crowds.
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Red Parrot
348 Thames St, Newport, RI 02840
London short trip (Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Hereford Road, and a couple of hole in the wall Chinese places in Bayswater)
Coolea, which I know is cheese, but that's all I know. Same with plaice, which I know is a fish sometimes used in fish and chips. Courgettes, potted crab, roe shoulder, eton mess, cashel blue, brill. Others as well, I'm sure.
Now, mind you, I have access to google, and could look up each of these delicacies, and get several different opinions.
Maybe I'd rather be puzzled?
London short trip (Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Hereford Road, and a couple of hole in the wall Chinese places in Bayswater)
Yes, but it's hard to tell portion sizes, etc. and whether my gf could get a satisfying meal there. (And I have to admit, some of the British food names are a bit puzzling.) Also, a place such as Hereford Road might be very accommodating to various dietetic needs, but I wouldn't know that without some CH advice.
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Hereford Road
3 Hereford Road, London W2 4AB, GB
London short trip (Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Hereford Road, and a couple of hole in the wall Chinese places in Bayswater)
We'll be staying in Bayswater in about a month - my first trip to London. Really considering Hereford Road, but I wonder if they have enough seafood/vegetarian to keep a non-meat eater happy? (I'm not referring to myself, btw... ) Any thoughts?
And hole-in-the-wall Chinese might be just the ticket, since we'll be looking for inexpensive ethnic choices at some point.
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Hereford Road
3 Hereford Road, London W2 4AB, GB
Creative Rehearsal Dinner IdeasNnear-ish to Springfield, MA Needed
Just ran across this chart of restaurants in western Mass. It's ranked by seating capacity, so that might be of assistance. I think winefoodguy may have the definitive list of reviews, though.
http://businesswest.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RestaurantsBW0511a.pdf
Reliable oyster bar in Hadley/Amherst/ Springfield area?
Try Max's Tavern at the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Max's Tavern
Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, MA 01105
Reccs. for 21st birthday in Western MA/Enfield area
Have you considered Max's Tavern at the Hall of Fame? I had a birthday there a couple of years ago and they treated me very nicely (but I've had a lot of birthdays, so I'm not sure how "special" it was ;-)). I'm sure they can do low carb anything - it's fairly heavy on the proteins. A bit on the pricey side, but I don't think the portions are small.
Another possibility is Hazard Grille in Enfield. Always good, but not spectacular.
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Max's Tavern
Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, MA 01105
Hazard Grille
39 Hazard Ave, Enfield, CT 06082
Creative Rehearsal Dinner IdeasNnear-ish to Springfield, MA Needed
Can you clarify the number of people? 5-70 is quite a range, if that's what you really meant. For a VERY traditional New England location, Storrowton Tavern is right across the river in West Springfield on the grounds of the Big E. I've been to several large-ish parties there and they can handle groups, but again, you're getting stuffed shrimp-and prime rib-type fare, and no karaoke, unless you bring your own. A little funkier place that also says they cater to parties is Lattitude in West Springfield (basically right across the street from Storrowton). I've never been, and my memory says reviews on Chow have been mixed. But it might fit into a more non-traditional, eclectic venue with some character.
Carmelina's in Hadley is another possibility - they advertise themselves as "creative Italian." It's about as far from Springfield as Northampton, and there should be enough parking. I haven't been there in a few years, so others might have more details as to the quality.
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Carmelina's At the Commons
96 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035
Lattitude
1338 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA 01089
Storrowton Tavern
1305 Memorial Ave, West Springfield, MA 01089
I need a little help from my springfield area friends
Alas, the dosas at the Garden are no more. We went tonight and didn't see the Southern Indian menu anywhere. When I asked, he said they stopped doing that menu because they were only selling one or two dosas a week, which meant a lot of waste, etc. Truly sad - I'll never forget the first time I ordered and saw what came out of the kitchen.
Coming to SD early January. . .
. . .for a downtown conference. Has anyone tried the "Montreal" food at Tivoli on 6th? Wondering if the poutine is any good. Also saw that Hodad's is planning a downtown location opening on New Year's Day. Any info on that?
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Hodads Restaurant
5010 Newport Ave, San Diego, CA 92107
Dinner spot in Albany near Palace Theater?
We ate at the Pump Station, and it was indeed the place I was remembering from a few years back. No tables for an hour, so we found seats at the bar and had a very nice experience. I had the fish & chips that I was craving since I saw them coming out of the kitchen last time. GF had a veggie burger that she wasn't thrilled with, but overall the experience was just fine. Would go back anytime I'm in that section of Albany. We'll be traveling to Clinton NY in a few weeks, and might try the New World Bistro then on the way back to Western MA.
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New World Bistro Bar
300 Delaware Ave, Albany, NY
Northampton -- What not to miss?
It's fun to sit outside during the warmer months, but I stick to the wine list whenever I go.
Dinner at the Hall of Fame, Springfield MA
Avoid the sports bar/restaurant, too (Samuels). At least for dinner - it's not a bad place to have a drink. There are several restaurants within the HofF complex, but walking beyond that isn't really an option.
Dinner spot in Albany near Palace Theater?
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm really intrigued by the New World Bistro, but I think because of time constraints we'll probably look at another option. I think we've eaten at the Pump Station before, on our way back from Cooperstown. Large airy space with lots of glass and an open kitchen area? That might be the ticket - I had no idea it was so close to the theater.
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New World Bistro Bar
300 Delaware Ave, Albany, NY
Dinner spot in Albany near Palace Theater?
We'll be going to the Palace Theater for a 7:30 show soon - any recommendations for a bite before the show? We're coming from western MA and can't leave til after work, so we can't really do anything too leisurely.
Where are the family-run, not $400 a meal restos in QC? Maybe even grass-fed locally-sourced meats?
You might want to look into Le Billig. Small intimate restaurant on St. Jean (outside the Walls, but not much) serving crepes and a few other items. Can't vouch for the progeny of the meats on the menu, but it was basically a two-person operation: the chef and one other very busy (but patient) working the front of the house. Maybe 10 tables total. Very tasty and memorable. Closed Mondays.
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Le Billig
526 Rue Saint-Jean, Quebec, QC G1R1P6, CA
40th Anniversary weekend in the Amherst area
Hope and Olive is wonderful, and I guess I'd include it in the "Amherst area." It's probably a 20-25 minute drive north. I think they take reservations for larger parties, but I've only been there with a party of two (me and her), so I'm not sure. Local products and interesting preparations.
As for Judies, it's certainly popular. My kids love it, and have requested it for an upcoming birthday dinner. I've never been blown away, but outside of it being somewhat overpriced, it's ok. Do you crave popovers? Then Judie's might be your place.
I like Sierra Grille. I don't love it, but it's solid food, with good tapas-style options and enough variety to please everybody. For entrees, you select a meat and a sauce, but they have many daily specials.
Esselon is really casual - order at the counter, sit down, wait for your food. I'm fine with that, but it's not for everybody.
Tabella didn't impress me at all. Boring food is still boring no matter if it's local or not.
Side Street might be about the same distance time-wise as Hope and Olive, and it's a pretty good option for dinner.
Two other options, in the town of Williamsburg (you'd go over the Coolidge Bridge toward Northampton, take a right on Damon Road, and continue straight onto Bridge Road, then go west on Route 9) are the Brewmaster's Tavern and Chef Wayne's Big Mamou (Cajun). I've never eaten at Wayne's Williamsburg location, but I love the Springfield joint. Brewmaster's Tavern has typical Tavern food, nothing extravagant, but they can certainly accomodate large parties - it's a huge space.
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Side Street Cafe
42 Maple St, Florence, MA 01062
Big Mamou
15 Main St, Williamsburg, MA 01096
Big Mamou
63 Liberty St, Springfield, MA 01103
Tabella Restaurant
28 Amity St Ste 1G, Amherst, MA 01002
Breakfast or Lunch near Yankee Candle Village?
Between Springfield and Deerfield lies Northampton, probably your best bet for either meal. Sylvesters generally puts out a very good breakfast. My kids love the Green Bean, but I've had decidedly mixed experiences there, especially with the service. On the other side of the Connecticut River, in Hadley, is Esselon Cafe, also a good choice.
Quebec City Trip Report
Your last paragraph sums things up nicely. Le Billig and Hobbit are both outside the walls (though not by much). And there are more places to sit and relax on a nice day than one can count, especially along Rue St. Jean and Grand Allee. Thanks for a great report!
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Le Billig
526 Rue Saint-Jean, Quebec, QC G1R1P6, CA
Need reservations for sunday dinner at Green Street Cafe, Northampton?
We've had very good meals at Green Street, overall. Our worst experience was during restaurant week earlier this year, when we felt they weren't really trying very hard to impress. Otherwise, nothing but excellence.
The only thing I'd mention about that date is Smith College might be in move-in mode. Not sure if that impacts Green Street Cafe, (which is basically on the Smith Campus) but it might be worth a phone call (hopefully you'll get a polite response; we've had some "interesting" interactions with the staff) just to get a sense of whether there will be crowds or not.
Enjoy.
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Green Street Cafe
62 Green St, Northampton, MA 01060
What is good around the SD cruise ship terminal?
No flames from me. I grew up in SD and loved the Anthony's in La Mesa (always brought bread to feed the ducks while we waited for our table.) I still go to Anthony's even though I've long since moved away. I'm sure it's pretty standard seafood by today's standards, but you could do far worse.
Best dinners in and near Quebec City?
We, too, just returned from three days in Quebec. We, too, ate at Le Billig and Hobbit; we, too enjoyed both. The Hobbit served a good breakfast as well. Our other dinner was at Cochon Dingue. It had a more standard menu, and I would say it was enjoyable, but probably our least favorite dinner of the three. It's kid-friendly, though.
I would echo the warning about Billig - we didn't realize it was so tiny. We were seated promptly, but other, larger, parties decided not to wait (it was raining, also, which made the two patio tables unusable).
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Le Billig
526 Rue Saint-Jean, Quebec, QC G1R1P6, CA
Visiting Newport in late August....
People dismiss Red Parrot, but it's a fun, lively place with a varied menu and pretty good food. Had a surprisingly good lobster quesadilla last time I was there. The mussels were very good, too. With my mom, who's not very mobile, and two kids in tow last month, it was an ideal spot to grab a bite.
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Red Parrot
348 Thames St, Newport, RI 02840
