I'm not sure. It could very well be that they did. It's almost as hard to find a good bagel in NY these days.

Tried to respond before but Chowhound wouldn't let me!
Sounds like a solid plan. Good luck to all!

I was so excited to hear that a bagel shop was opening in Easthampton. I didn't have very high hopes for a great bagel but I figured even if it were as good as Bruegger's it would be better than nothing.

Stopped in yesterday for lunch and learned that my skepticism was well founded. I had a plain bagel with egg and pepper jack cheese and my husband had a plain bagel with cream cheese. We both agreed that as a sandwich it was pretty good but not a good bagel. It was more like semi-dense white bread shaped into a bagel! It had a pretty good flavor but absolutely no tooth to it at all. Soft, soft, soft! As far as bagels go in the Pioneer Valley, Bruegger's is hands down the best. But then Bruegger's doesn't have nearly the charm of this place.

Tandem is in an old train station building and the brick walls have been painted white, giving it a bright cheerful atmosphere. It has a beautiful old fireplace (also painted white) and it looks like it works, which will add additional charm in the winter months.

You order at a counter and they bring your food to you. There are a few seating options. You can sit in the room where you order and that's where the fireplace is. The room has a long high table with high stools placed along the wall with windows, or you can sit at a regular table. There's a second room that has several tables along two walls. We sat in that room in front of an open window with a nice breeze. And then there's an outdoor patio area that looks very comfortable and also has several tables. The building is on the bike trail and the shop has a ride up window for bicyclists. A nice touch.

They had a pretty good selection of drinks, such as blood orange San Pellegrino which is one of our favorites and there was a board with daily specials. The specials were things I would like to try. A salad passed by our table and it looked delicious and very large.

My overall impression of the place is that it's a great space, has great service, a nice variety of sandwiches, drinks, and daily specials, but lousy bagels!

That said, the sandwiches were tasty enough that I will probably go back and try some of their other menu items. I just wish they had called themselves something besides a bagel shop. I read some other online reviews and people were raving that these were the best bagels they had ever had. I don't know what those people have eaten before, but it makes me sad to think this is what passes for a bagel these days.

Hey ocean, I have another rec for you. Pintu's in West Springfield. They have the best Indian food in the Valley, hands down. Even better than most NYC Indian restaurants. Tonight I discovered that they have moved from their small restaurant into a much larger space. I asked them if they can handle parties of 30 and they said yes. It would also be a great menu for your vegetarian guests. The Mushroom Mirch Masala is out of this world. The new space is very comfortable and cheerful. They could probably set up a buffet for you or have a sit-down dinner.

http://pintusrestaurant.com/

I don't know if Tavern On The Hill can handle large parties but their place in Easthampton has a wonderful view. The food is okay. I wouldn't rave about it but it isn't bad.

http://www.tavernonline.com/

Totally forgot about Johnny's! I've only been to the one in Amherst once, and that was for lunch. We've been going to the one in South Hadley for a long time and find the food to be perfectly okay. Nothing to rave about but pretty solid. Good suggestion.

I haven't eaten at Mulino's in over a year. I always liked it okay but my husband thought they were just so-so. If you live in the area maybe you could do a trial run and see if you like it.

Alina's offers a different style of Italian. Everything is very fresh and made with a light hand, not heavy. They make a Chioggia beet salad that is to die for! Since I haven't been to their new place I can't say if they accommodate groups.

http://www.myalinas.com/menu.html

Again, I can't recommend Coco enough and their prices are very reasonable, even more so than some of the other places mentioned. Entrees are under $20 for the most part and you could probably have the entire restaurant to yourself! I think they're only open Wed. - Sun. so if you call, just leave a message and they will get back to you when they open. (413) 203-5321

One other place to throw into the mix is Hope & Olive up in Greenfield. Another great little place with fresh farm food and not too expensive. Not sure if they do groups, although for Easter brunch they say to call for a reservation for "any size party."

http://www.hopeandolive.com/events

Good luck!

I agree with everything maggiesmom said. Sorry I only looked at the title of the post!

I think Coco has possibly the best chef in the Valley, and they do close for private parties, which would make for a very cozy, intimate and fun atmosphere. They would definitely work with you on the allergies, etc.. I would describe their food as Asian influenced American.

Sierra Grill is a great venue. I like the food there but it's pretty basic. Nothing has ever wowed me.

Alina's also has a good chef and makes some delicious Italian fare. I haven't been since they moved into their new location but I can't imagine it would change the qualitynof the food. Although I must say the new space is where he cooked before and I didn't like the food there, but I assume he was making it to suit the owners at that time. I don't know if they cater to large parties.

Some of the places mentioned, like Dirty Truth and Hinge are fun places but they're basically just bars.

I will mention one additional place and that's Ginger Garden on route 9 between Hadley and Amherst. I've only had Chinese food there and it was very good. The space is very large.

Oh, and if you're at all interested in an outdoor BBQ, I would highly recommend Bub's BBQ in Sunderland. The vegetarians might not be very impressed, but they have outdoor picnic tables w/umbrellas which could be a fun venue.

I know a lot of people use the Log Cabin on top of the mountain in Easthampton, but I've never been there personally. It has a great view. It's next door to Tavern on the Hill which also has great views but I don't know if they handle groups.

In downtown Northampton there's Hotel Northampton which is very quaint and they definitely handle groups, weddings, etc..

Just a follow up. We ended up eating at Il Punta which is just around the corner from the theatre. There were 4 couples, everyone enjoyed their meal, and the restaurant was very accommodating - they graciously gave us separate checks! We had about 4 or 5 different people waiting on our table. Water glasses were continually filled and they expertly handled all of our requests without even one misstep. We had a large table in a back corner of the restaurant which was very quiet and out of the way.

Everyone was very pleased with the food and drink. It's been too long to remember all the dishes but I had a bolognese entree which was excellent.

In walking around after dinner we discovered that there were quite a few restaurants within easy walking distance of the theatre and they all looked busy. I would definitely recommend Il Punta if anyone is looking for good food in this area.

Oh, and the vegetarians and gluten-free members of the group were very happy with their options. All of them raved about their meals.

Thanks. I will probably have a head count in the next couple of days. Most of us will be driving down, and some will arrive from Brooklyn, a couple from Manhattan (but they're vegetarians and don't eat out much!). Budget wise, I would say $50 - $75 pp w/drinks. Maybe we need to look at another area if that area is a wasteland. We can always take a cab.

A group of friends will be traveling from MA down to NY to see a friend's play at the Abingdon Theater in early February. Hoping to find recommendations for a good restaurant that can accommodate a group of 8 to 12. Any cuisine could be considered. Thanks!

I concur!

So happy you finally made it. When they were open before, I thought the only weak thing on the menu was their desserts. They seem to have improved on those. I had that weird chocolate ginger cake and it was very good! I know a guy who goes there often and he never gets anything but the buttermilk fried chicken. I must say, it is melt in your mouth delicious! They vary the menu slightly every so often, but I've never gotten tired of any of their entrees. Those folks are real pros.

Glad you like it. I've since been told that the fish tacos are the only thing you should order here. I prefer a wider variety of good items. I'll stick with Hacienda Del Sol, Sarapes, and Mi Tierra for now, but would love to hear if you try anything besides the fish tacos.

My husband and I ate at Glory of India. I think there's a review on Chowhound somewhere. My husband liked it; I thought it was just okay. We were there when they first opened and they had some bugs to work out with their service. I found it to be better than the two Northampton restaurants, but still lacking. I will try to get by there in the next couple of weeks and do a more thorough review.

If you haven't tried Pintu's in Springfield, I highly recommend it. I heard they are moving though. Not sure when or where to. Excellent food and nice atmosphere, at least in the old location. http://pintusrestaurant.com/

Here's their current menu.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/113937985/U...

Pavlova is one of my favorite desserts to make. Not only can you let the egg whites sit overnight, you can make the Pavlova 3 days in advance, which is what I always do. I usually make them into 4-inch round individual desserts and store them in an airtight container. I also make lemon curd ahead of time and then all I do the day of is cut up some kiwi and strawberries, or whatever fruit I've decided to use. I'm all about making as much food ahead of time as possible so that I can enjoy the company. Another favorite make ahead dessert is Creme Brulee. After years of struggling to get it right I used the recipe from Martha Stewart's Cooking School and it is no-fail every time. I make them a few days in advance, cover with Saran wrap, store in the fridge, and then on the day I serve them my husband does the burnt sugar part. They turn out perfect every time.

Four of us ate there a couple of weeks ago. There were no complaints about the food. We started with some small bites for the table, almonds, olives, and pickled vegetables. I wish I hadn't forgotten my camera because I can't remember all the dishes. I remember that we tried a pork dish, a chicken dish, and a salmon dish. Everything tasted fresh and was presented beautifully. I don't remember all the apps but pretty sure everyone liked what they got. For dessert we had bread pudding and chocolate panna cotta, I can't remember the other two. Desserts were also good but panna cotta was presented in a weird S-shape. If I remember correctly, the chef is from Del Rey. I never cared for Del Rey but this food was much better. I like the farm to table concept and I would like to see more restaurants with that concept succeed. Maybe I will talk to some of the other diners and we can come up with a better review. If I had any complaint it would be the prices. I thought they were a bit over the top. Boston and NYC prices in South Deerfield, MA!

BTW - I understand that Alina's moved down to where Carmelina's used to be. I've liked every meal I've had at Alina's so I need to check out the new digs. The chef there is another strange story. I never liked Carmelina's when he cooked there but loved the food at Alina's. Maybe these two chefs had to make food like the owners wanted in their old jobs and now they can create their own recipes, but it really seems to me that if you are a good chef you should be able to make anything taste good.

They often change the menu up a little bit so I guess it's too time consuming to have it online, but it would be nice if they did. The entrees last night were pretty much the same as when they were open before. They still have that wonderful buttermilk fried chicken on a bed of mashed potatoes with delicious coleslaw. They had a penne pasta dish with fennel and sausage ragu, a filet mignon offering, salmon (which might have been the weakest thing on the menu last night), and a vegetarian curry dish. The apps though were a bit different than before and the desserts were quite different. I've never been disappointed with anything I've had there. Everyone in the Valley should try to make sure this place succeeds because I think it's the best restaurant south of the route 9 bridge.

Finally got around to trying Mission Cantina last night. Was not impressed. Maybe I shouldn't base my assessment on one visit but nothing much happened to make me want to go back. I really wanted to like it and it seems a lot of people do so good for them I guess. As mentioned, it's a tiny place but I liked the atmosphere and the decor. Just a handful of booths and some bar chairs. The service couldn't have been better. Everyone was friendly and accommodating.

Chips and salsa are often complimentary at Tex-Mex restaurants, but not here. Not all that expensive ($4 or so) and they were quite good, even if a bit oily (see photograph). There were 3 salsas - a regular tomato salsa, a chipotle and roasted ingredients salsa with a smoky flavor, and a sweet salsa with pineapple. One of our servers agreed with me that the sweet one was kind of out of place with chips, but my husband liked it okay.

I ordered the Grilled Chicken Burrito (you get a choice of beans) ($7.25 + .75 for sour cream) and my husband had 3 Chicken Enchiladas w/Beans and Rice ($11.95). Right off the bat I was surprised by the side salad that came on the plate with my burrito. It was as American as you can get with romaine, tomato, cucumber, and red onion. It just didn't work. Salads are one of my favorite things but this one remained on my plate. The burrito was big and fat and the tortilla was stretchy and kind of gummy for some reason (microwave? not sure). I could barely see or taste the chicken and what I did see was not big chunks of grilled white meat like I prefer, but tiny bits of mixed dark and white meat. Not very tasty and not very high quality. You couldn't taste the grilled aspect of the chicken at all. There were semi-melted clumps of cheese inside the burrito along with the rice, beans and ROMAINE. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer iceberg lettuce with Tex-Mex food. It's crisp and has just the right texture. The romaine was torn in rather large pieces and was kind of tough, and again not very tasty.

My husband had similar problems with the enchiladas. The chicken was not high quality and he kept drowning it in hot sauce to give it a flavor he could stand to eat.

After we left the restaurant and started assessing our experience, my husband brought a key piece of information to my attention. The plates were cold!! How many authentic Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurants have you been to where the plates were served cold?! Maybe they have to be cold to accommodate those romaine lettuce salads!

Oh how I long for a burrito I can hold in my hand, made West Coast style!!

Your itinerary sounds great. I would recommend The Hub on Main St. in N. Adams for lunch after MASSMoCA.

The last time we went to the Bridge of Flowers we ate at the little place at the end of the bridge, on the Buckland side - West End Pub. It was a very cozy lunch spot and the food was good.
http://www.westendpubinfo.com/Home.html.

Another place for lunch is the Foxtown Diner. It's right in the middle of Shelburne Falls on Bridge St.. I haven't eaten there but a new owner took it over several months ago and I've heard good reviews.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Foxtown...

It's fun to stop in Lamson Sharp while you're in Shelburne Falls if you like kitchen stores. It's also on the Buckland side just down the street from the Bridge of Flowers. And of course you must visit the glacial potholes! They're on the other side of the traffic bridge in the town of Shelburne Falls.

Not much to stop for on the rest of Route 2, but it's a pretty drive.

You're welcome. We prefer the first room too. Thanks for the review! Maybe I'll get my lazy self out of bed some morning and drive up there for breakfast. We go there for lunch a few times a year on the weekends and we're never disappointed. Not only do they have the standard roadside food like burgers, dogs and sandwiches, but they also serve things like a Mediterranean Platter and a Gyro Platter and they're very good.

Hi Hartford Hounds, I'm meeting someone for lunch in West Hartford next week and need a recommendation for a good lunch spot. The only place I have eaten there is Besito. Thanks!

Finally got around to trying Riff's Joint today. They're in Eastworks, in the space formerly occupied by Blue Moon grocery and then by Zoe's' owner. The space is not very interesting, kinda has a mall feel, but the food was a nice surprise. You order at a counter and then they deliver your food to your table. There are about 10 tables and another 10 or so stools at a couple of counters. They have a help yourself refrigerator stocked with a great selection of all kinds of beverages, including a variety of Boylan's soda and San Pellegrino sparkling waters. They're open 7 days a week and they deliver. The pictures on their website are pictures of their old location on Union Street.

We decided to try a few different things so we started with Pulled Pork Egg Rolls. While I'm not sure how I feel about the concept, the pulled pork was excellent. I didn't think the dipping sauce added anything or complimented the flavor of the pork, but it made me want to try the Pulled Pork Sandwich next time. We split a Cheeseburger w/Fries, and the Straight Edge Burrito. We both loved the cheeseburger and the fries were perfect; not too greasy and very flavorful. I liked that they had Malt Vinegar on the tables. My husband liked the Burrito, and I thought it had okay flavors but it wasn't the burrito that I yearn for from my time spent on the west coast. We decided it was geared to the vegetarian crowd and that a vegetarian would probably love it. For it to be an authentic Tex-Mex burrito, the Jasmine rice was all wrong and I don't remember ever seeing cheddar cheese in a burrito before. My husband liked that you can hold it in your hand, one of the features of west coast burritos. The chips were really good and tasted fresh. My husband liked the salsa but by the time I tried it I had too many other flavors in my mouth so I'm not sure what I think about it. It was definitely homemade.

I read one review that said they're trying to be a Tex-Mex place and if that's the case, they've missed the mark, but my take was that they are just trying to make fresh, healthy food with some interesting flavors and they've succeeded. I don't know if "modern fusion" is a real term but that's the words my husband used to describe the food. Many of their sandwiches are made using bread from a local bakery, Bread Euphoria. I'm not crazy about Bread Euphoria because all their bread has sourdough in it, but it's perfectly delicious for sandwiches. Riff's also has a great selection of salads, a quesadillas section, as well as a grilled pizza section.

We will definitely go back.

http://www.riffsjoint.net/

At lunch time you order at the counter which is to the left as you walk in the door. We usually grab a menu, find a table, and then order after we decide what we want. I assume it works the same way for breakfast.

Enjoy your trip. I hope you'll let us know how the breakfast is at Wagon Wheel.

We liked Besito a lot. It's kind of upscale Mexican but the atmosphere is very festive and even romantic for a night out. If you go, be sure and order the guac. They make it right at your table. I've had better Mexican food but for a gourmet place I really liked it. The West Hartford location is not as fancy as it looks in these pics. The pics might be the NY location.
http://www.besitomex.com/

I've heard that there's a good little Mexican place in Wallingford. I've never eaten there but it might be this place. Not sure. http://losmariachisgrill.com/

Not sure how far this would be for you but if you wanted to drive to Enfield, there are TWO good places! Don't let the weird website and cheeseburgers on the menu put you off. The food at Hacienda Del Sol is great. I highly recommend the Chicken Fajitas or the Carnitas de Puerco. Excellent! Huge portions so go light on the appetizers if you go there.
http://myhaciendadelsolllc.com/

The other place in Enfield is Sarapes. Not sure they have a website but here's a CH post. Not sure of their hours either. Their place is very small. Kinda like eating in someone's kitchen. Hacienda Del Sol is much larger and has a more varied menu. I LOVE the Tacos Al Pastor at Sarapes.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/497127

Here's a site that has Sarapes' address and some photos.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant...

PS - I don't recommend the Chile Rellenos at either of these Enfield places. Everything else I've had was great.

Sorry no one saw your post on the Southern New England board. Hope it's not too late.

In Northampton I would recommend Jake's - http://www.jakesnorthampton.com/
Sylvester's - http://www.sylvestersrestaurant.com/
or Green Bean - http://www.greenbeannorthampton.com/

There's always a line at Sylvester's and Green Bean! But you can walk to Jake's from either one (a few blocks).

In Easthampton, a little south of N'hampton and further off 91, there's Silver Spoon. Awesome breakfast/lunch place. http://silverspooneasthampton.com/

A little farther north is Wagon Wheel in Gill, MA. I've never had breakfast there, but we love their lunches! http://www.wagonwheelofgill.com/

In Brattleboro there's Amy's Bakery right on Main St. Especially good for Croissants and sweet things.

I've only had lunch there but - Front Porch Cafe was awesome in Putney. I don't think they have a website but here's their facebook page to get a feel for the place.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fro...

My husband and I recently visited Portsmouth for an afternoon. Since we only had time for one dinner we chose Black Trumpet Bistro, and we weren't disappointed. We really liked the atmosphere and the entire staff was friendly at every level. The feel of the place reminds me of jazz bars I have been to - brick walls, low ceilings, very cozy and warm. We arrived early so we went upstairs for a cocktail before we sat down to eat. I couldn't decide on a cocktail so I described what I like and don't like and the very sweet young lady waiting on us made a suggestion. She was undaunted when I said it sounded too sweet for me and went on to suggest the Raspberry Mule, which was exactly what I had in mind. A mix of Russian Standard Vodka, Raspberry Simple Syrup ( made in house), Fresh Lime, and topped off with Ginger Beer! It was served in an ice cold copper mug with ice and it was delicious.

We had our dinner in the dining room on the first floor, although you can eat on either floor. The complimentary focaccia and cornbread were awesome! The cornbread was kind of sweet and cake-like with corn kernels in the batter. Both breads are made in-house.

For dinner my husband had the Heirloom Tomato Salad to start and I had the Crab and Roasted Corn Chowder. The tomatoes were fresh and the dish was huge and lovely. The menu described the vinaigrette as brown butter lemon balm and my husband said it was fantastic. The tomatoes looked like a permanent part of the menu so it would be interesting to know what happens when fresh tomatoes are no longer available. The chowder couldn't have been improved upon. It had just the right smooth consistency and the ingredients tasted fresh - crab with bits of potato, corn, and red bell pepper. Not one morsel was left on our plates.

I had the Farmhouse Succotash for my main and my husband had the Dayboat Sea Scallops. The succotash was served in an individual cast iron skillet, with polenta fries, and julienned beets. If I had any complaint it would have been that the dish was very filling, but it was just what I wanted and all the flavors were just right. The scallops came with perfectly roasted broccoli and tea-steamed barley couscous, and pickled ginger buerre rose. I'm not sure how the pickled ginger was incorporated into the buerre rosa or how the tea affected the flavor of the couscous but my husband loved it. Next time I will have to ask for a bite.

We made a mistake by having lunch and then an early dinner so we weren't able to enjoy several courses as we normally would have, but what we had was really great.

http://www.blacktrumpetbistro.com/

Hey chef,

My husband and I have arrived on Plum Island. I don't know what happened to the thread about Howling Wolf, but you mentioned you were working on a day trip guide to this area. It sure would be helpful if you could post that here since I can't seem to find it anywhere else - that is if you're done with it. Thanks a bunch! I count on you for my good time when I head out this direction, and especially when it's unknown territory for me.

Thank you so much for these detailed threads! You guys have made all my trips to Boston so much fun! Not only do I appreciate the restaurant recommendations, I love the detail about the area and what to see in specific neighborhoods. Because of you I've taken strolls in neighborhoods I would never have known about and even visited cemeteries that I would not have otherwise. Your input has been invaluable and far better than what I've gotten on other boards. Keep up the good work!!!