Crostini trio: filet and asiago, shrimp and cannelloni, tomato mozzarella basil
Although I love Restaurant Week promotions, sometimes eateries don’t live up to expectations.
Last year, a group of friends and I made RW reservations at one of Northampton’s most vaunted restaurants, only to receive some of the worst food and service I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. (We ordered a half-dozen oysters as an add-on, and received five weak, watery specimens – and one empty shell. Our server rolled his eyes as he took back the plate. It all went downhill from there.)
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Zen's Pyramid Roll
Restaurant Week promotions are foodie paradise. Multicourse meals for less than the cost of an entree? Sign me up, several times over.
Northampton held its annual event this past week, and when the menus came out, everything looked incredible. Several of the restaurants stepped up their game, incorporating high-end ingredients like lobster and good cuts of steak with lots of variety, like appetizer and dessert samplers. Remember, all three-course meals cost a mere $20.10.
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Confession: 2010 is shaping up to be Year of the Pho. I’m having this crazy passionate love affair with Vietnamese food, and I cannot seem to get enough. (Though you’ll notice that I’ve retired “Pho Shizzle” as a tagline. At least for now.)
I’ve seen Yelp haters describe western Massachusetts and north-central Connecticut as culturally bereft. Well…okay. But as ethnic cuisines become more mainstream, even suburban Longmeadow boasts two notable sushi restaurants. And up in Springfield, you can find three Vietnamese eateries within a three-block radius.
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The ultimate German beer paddle
Because nothing says “Happy Birthday” like schnitzel, wurst and big-ass mugs of beer, we took Kat out for an early 29th celebration this past weekend at Munich Haus in Chicopee.
German food lovers in greater Springfield are blessed, having three such restaurants nearby: Student Prince in the city, Hofbrauhaus to the west.
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Friday was a busy food day for Fun With Carbs. First I covered an event where a grown man stuffed his face with four pounds of cheeseburger. Then I switched gears and crossed state lines to cover the WGBY Wine Lovers Weekend in Springfield, co-sponsored by Table & Vine.
This event is a real treat for Western Massachusetts wine lovers and foodies. First, the tickets are affordable ($40 for WGBY members, $45 for nonmembers.) The admission price entitles you to hundreds of wine, champagne and beer tastings. That alone would be worth it, but it also includes tons of gratis food tastings. (No expensive food-for-purchase ticketing system like some larger festivals. )
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Leeanne Griffin is a freelance writer and food enthusiast.