Big Mamou (Springfield, MA)

Big Mamou (Springfield, MA):

A hidden treat inside a hidden gem of a city. The city  of Springfield itself has a rustic, gone by the way atmosphere. Where once a populous shopping metropolis once stood, now stands a survivor of natural disasters inching its way back into becoming a thriving community.

Springfield- New Orleans Creole restaurant- (The sauces are really filling.) Basic ingredients that can be found anywhere but when thrown together and mixed with the chef’s sauces. It takes you back to the bayou and a home cooked meal.  The chef bottles and sells his homemade hot sauce for a few bucks…worth it to add to your collection.

Gumbo (Creole)- YUM!!! With a toasted, thinly sliced baguette with a cheesy corn and garlic topping. This is a great addition to a spicy, slight salty concoction of vegetables and strongly flavored stock that is known as gumbo. This particular gumbo was lighter in coloring and poured over a small portion of steamed seasoned rice.

Red Jambalaya(Creole) -Very Really filling. Shrimp, yellow grained rice, sausage, celery, red bell peppers, with yellow onions.  “Be full and not skinny!” this should be the profile of this particular dish.

(3 stars ***)- Cajun/ Creole Southern food made to order.

Street parking- Simple seating- good for families, large parties, and date night. Décor- casual with a New Orleans- Mardi Gras vibe. Hand painted mural in the bathroom gives an additional strength of ethnic charm.

Big Mamou

63 Liberty St
Springfield, MA 01103

(413) 732-1011

Chez Albert (Amherst, MA)

Chez Albert- Like most French restaurants outside of a big city, it is one that is always in demand and coveted. This one in particular combines french cuisine with fresh organic food from local farms in the pioneer valley. Nestled on the main street of Amherst, MA it is decadent, with a slight romantic charm. The hustle and bustle of a college town outside reminds the guest of the rare dinning delight that is rarely found surrounded by students. The wait staff is just as carefully chosen as the menu. Hints of well-bred youth, coupled with optimism, and the desire to please. Attentive and knowledgeable, the servers have been trained to receive their guests with the utmost care.   

I was lucky to try their Filet Mignon, Halibut, and the tiramisu.

The filet mignon was cooked to perfection. Practically melting together, it was a perfectly prepared alfalfa raised slice of beef. However, the sauce was on the weaker side than anticipated. It was reminiscent of more of a Zinfandel than a Cabernet, that left me feeling cheated out of what should have been a great triumph. The mashed potatoes and the sauteed leeks helped to liven up the plate, but not enough to spare my deflated feelings.

The flounder on the other hand was spectacular. Truly remarkable pairings of  white wine and lemon saffron butter sauce with encrusted almonds with a side of sauteed spinach and golden yellow potatoes. Light, appealing and completely captured the essence of the Loire Valley.

The Tiramisu was delightfully robust while at the same time maintaining the light fluffiness of the traditional dessert. Strong, assertive, with a hint of a secret that left nothing to want was the best way to end the meal on a high note.

It was a bit more than what I would normally spend, but for a quality meal with fresh produce, and fine service; it is a pleasure that I hope that I will soon try again.  

(4 Stars-****) French Cusine

Chez Albert (Amherst, MA) French Cusine Restaurant- Amherst, MA
178 North Pleasant Street Amherst, MA 01002

(413) 253-3811

Parking- along the street
Recommend making a reservation- Even if you just want to sit at the bar (They get busy quick!)

La Casita Azteca (Easthampton, MA)

After a mid-morning bike ride strolling along the Manhan Rail Trail in Easthampton, MA I was quite hungry for something fresh, local, and yummy! As a girl from Northern California, I have a soft spot for fresh, cheesy Mexican food. Little did I know that I would find just what I was looking for in Easthampton, MA.

I had the Chicken Mole- Full and Rich with lightly shredded chicken that tasted like it fell right off the bone.It was served with freshly diced cabbage and onions with a side of Spanish style rice and simmered black beans with a light dusting of local feta cheese. Jon on the other hand dived right into the 3 Beef Tacos-Rolled in flour tortillas with grated mozzarella cheese. (He worked up an appetite on the bike ride over! :) )Everything was fresh, fresh, fresh and right off the stove warm. Perfect atmosphere to be able to sit outside under the umbrella'd colorful picnic tables with a slight breeze blowing in between the buildings.  

We both also ordered the Iced Tea. It was light and refreshing. Perfect for a hot day. They have 2 different types made in the either black or green tea. Overall- Great service, great food, great experience. I can't wait to go back on a night when they have live music!

Next Time: 

I didn't  get a chance to try their Sangria, but I can't wait till the weather turns and I can take a break from the rail trail to try a glass.
(4 stars- ****) Dine in/ Take out, good for kids, large parties and first dates!!!

La Casita Azteca: Traditional Mexican Cuisine
58 Cottage Street  Easthampton, MA 01027

413-203-5050 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            413-203-5050      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Monarch's Restaurant (Deerfield, MA)

Warm, inviting, kid friendly, and relaxed while still providing above average dinning. This is a perfect place to break up your day before going on a tour of the Butterfly Conservatory or relaxing after a day of hustle and bustle at the Yankee Candle Factory. The wait staff is experienced and inviting with wonderful advice on the menu options which change with the season.Their expert knowledge of the surrounding attractions and ability to articulately point you in the right direction prove to be helpful and informational.

The food- Home cooking with a wide variety with your basic American New England offerings- breakfast, lunch, or dinner it is a great stop.

My meal- New England clam chowder and a BLT sandwich with homemade maple iced tea.

The New England clam chowder was rich, flavorful, tons of clams [without the fishy taste] served with crackers and optional toasted bread crumbs. Delicious! It was not overly salted and had such a kick of flavor, one would have thought it came right out of the sea. My BLT sandwich was just as rich with homemade EVERYTHING!!! The bread was cooked that morning, the lettuce and tomatoes were grown in the backyard garden, and the bacon was cured from a pig at a nearby farm. Being served with locally grown products always delivers such a richer experience and lends further credence. Complimented with seasoned potato fries and homemade coleslaw, it was ample portioning. My maple iced tea, I was a bit leary of, but I decided to be adventurous....the tea was refreshing, not too rich with a gentle hint of maple and lemon. It reminded me of a summer drink best served in the cool of an evening on a hot day.

****(4 Stars) Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

While you are in the area you may want to check out the Yankee Candle Factory or Historic Deerfield.

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory (Deerfield, MA)

281 Greenfield Road
South Deerfield, MA
(413) 665-2805

Northampton Coffee (Northampton, MA)

The atmosphere is clean, wide spacing and family style table in the center draws patrons to socialize in a very homey, local coffee shop environment with light eclectic music playing in the background.

Plugs- but charged WIFI....do these establishments not understand the coffee/ tea hipster culture? Nope, they understand turn over and the necessity of more customers= more money! Such a shame....

Oatmeal raisin cookie....so good I am still fantasizing about it. Rich, crunchy yet moist, dense, and filled with chocolate and dried cranberries. It was one of the best cookies I have ever had....period. Paired amazing with my small chai latte, though I had a sip of their coffee and it is rich, full, with a smooth blend that is both refreshing and comforting. It is a single-orgin fair trade coffee that is a little over priced, but decent.

The establishment also serves a variety of pastries and wine/ beer for an afternoon delight. Too bad they have not tried pairing with a local creamery to get the Wine and Cheese nights started.....then I would be tempted to go back.

3 stars (***)

Northampton Coffee- (Northampton, MA)
269 Pleasant Street Northampton, MA 01060

(413) 587-8987

Weinrich's Bakery- Willow Grove, PA

On a spur of the moment adventure, I decided to venture to Philadelphia (boyfriend in tow) to bring in the New Year. We traveled down toward Philly and stayed in ....for the night before New Year's eve. The morning before the New Year, Jon is the die-hard coffee fiend. He would happily sync himself up to a coffee drip 24-hours a day, purposes for us to grab a second cup of coffee before our train comes. Across from the Amtrak train station and around the corner sits the Weinrich bakery.

The Weinrich bakery has been in operation for almost 100 years, the Willow Grove location has been opened since 1952. The original family migrated from Germany and has been operating a bakery every since. Over the years they branched out to other locations as the family grew from New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

The Bakery in Willow Grove is 100% a landmark of entrepreneurial dedication and sophistication. The authenticity is genuine and the family itself is a treat (3 generations) they are all working hard to serve exceptional service and above average bake goods and coffee. I had walked in by chance and was greeted by the matron of the establishment who gave me a full tour of her family photos and a quick tale of how the bakery at Willow Grove came to be.     

Jon and I grabbed two coffee's a bag of their butter sprinkled cookies and two cinnamon rolls (MADE FROM SCRATCH!!) that were to die for. Delicious....simply delicious. Overall, an unexpected delight that I hope one day to replicate.

(5stars*****)- Cafe & Bakery- Dine in or Take-out

Weinrich’s Bakery

55 Easton Road  Willow Grove, PA 19090
(215) 659-7062

Opened: Tuesday- Saturday

City Food Tours: "Flavors of Philly" (Philadelphia,PA)

What a way to bring in the New Year! My boyfriend and I decided to discover Philadelphia to end the year. What better way to discover then to EAT?! Hahaha! The "Flavors of Philly" food tour is an entertaining tour that takes place in the heart of Philadelphia. Our Tour guide Eric was so friendly and had a wealth of knowledge that it was a game the whole time trying to stump him with an array of questions. He was very informative on the history of the city and a complete joy to spend the day. The food was FANTASTIC! Truly authentic and everything we were looking for whether being a tourist or discovering the city all over again. Our tour was not only a tasting adventure, but a meal that includes classic Philly eats like cheese steaks and cheese whiz fries, tomato pie, soft pretzels, chocolate-covered hard pretzels, and we had Chai cake truffles and ginger whoopie pies!!! Me oh my! It was completely worth it and enjoyed every minute!!!! I would completely recommend this tour and look forward to my next trip to NYC to try the tour in that city as well!!!!

After our food delight we headed over to the battleship in Camden and watched the New Year fireworks. (I loved this pic so much!)

4 stars- ****

(Not a food tour if you are vegan or lactose intolerant....sorry guys!)

http://www.cityfoodtours.com/philadelphia/flavors_of_philly.html