Northampton, MA

[DC in DC]

We are heading up to Northampton Mass for a wedding this weekend. Are there any must-eat places in the downtown/Main Street area that would be good for lunch? Not really looking for any college dives, unless they are actually good... Thanks.

[jm chen]

I had a tasty lunch/brunch in Northampton a couple of years ago at Spoleto. Can't remember any of the other offerings there.

[Joe H]

Both Bart's and Steve Herrell's (almost across the street from each other) contend for the title of best store made ice cream in America. Herrell started Steve's in Boston back in the '70's which spread nationwide. After selling he moved to Northhampton and opened this gem. Still, I probably prefer Bart's overall which may be a bit richer at about 18% butterfat. Neither is quite as good as, say, Two Amy's. But both are superior to Thomas Sweet which I regard as D. C.'s best ice cream shop.

As an addendum I was in Cincinnati last week and stopped at Graeter's which has been an annual tradition for me for over 20 years (their strawberry chip is awesome). This time I was fortunate to go to Graeter's and Bart's within a couple of weeks of each other. Bart's is better.

Edited June 6, 2006 by Joe H

[DC in DC]

Both Bart's and Steve Herrell's (almost across the street from each other) contend for the title of best store made ice cream in America. Herrell started Steve's in Boston back in the '70's which spread nationwide. After selling he moved to Northhampton and opened this gem. Still, I probably prefer Bart's overall which may be a bit richer at about 18% butterfat. Neither is quite as good as, say, Two Amy's. But both are superior to Thomas Sweet which I regard as D. C.'s best ice cream shop.

As an addendum I was in Cincinnati last week and stopped at Graeter's which has been an annual tradition for me for over 20 years (their strawberry chip is awesome). This time I was fortunate to go to Graeter's and Bart's within a couple of weeks of each other. Bart's is better.

Thanks Joe. My husband is an Ohioan (Dayton, but extended family from Cincinnati) and always raves about Graeters, and he will be with me in Northampton so I will definitely make sure we stop at either Bart's or Herrell's. I know its heresy, but I've never drunk the kool-aid, so to speak, on Graeters, but it just might be my contrarian streak. I will report back.

[DC in DC]

After skimming through the egullet suggestions, we ended up having a very nice lunch at the Green Street Cafe. The restuarant is in an old house, and they grow their own organic herbs and veggies. All the entrees came with a cafe salad, and my father and I had scallops, served on a bed of wilted greens and mashed potatoes. Really awesome dish. My mother had the crab cake, with remoulade sauce. Very affordable.. the whole bill came to $40.

We also stopped at Herrells, which was as-advertised. (JoeH, I think I read on egullet that Bart's has closed). The ice cream was extremely rich and good, though I don't think it is as good as the homemade stuff at Obelisk or 2 Amys. Still, definitely better than B&J or other commercial fare.

The restaurant week craze has also hit Northampton...except there, the dinners are $20.06 and there was a handy guide with all participating restaurants and the menu choices they were offering as part of the RW promotion.

[Tweaked]

Northamption is a charming and quaint college town with an old fashion "high" street shopping area along side Smith College. Shopping ranges from kitsch, to the latest in hempware, to high end gifts (pottery, glassware, etc.) from local artisans. However, after three years, my brother and wife have decided that dining is a real minefield.

The aforementioned Green Street Cafe (64 Green Street), is a little off the main beaten path but well worth seeking out. Cozy and warm by the fireplace this is a restaurant that cares about food. Highlights at lunch included the mussels, steak sandwich and pot au creme. Also check out their wine bar and cheese offerings.

Also worth seeking out is Joe's Pizza, a completely townie dive. Good pizza and make sure you get an order of the spanish style mussels.

[Joe H]

Damn, Bart's really did close their original location in Northhampton which opened in 1976. http://www.bartshomemade.com/aboutus.htm

I first went to Bart's in...1977 or '78 with my last visit about four years ago which must have been just before they closed.

Their rocky road was the best of its kind and one of the great flavors I have had anywhere.

[stickmoon]

Haymarket Cafe opened in downtown Northampton in 1999 and has since become a fixture in this quaint New England college town. The cafe's thin storefront gives way once inside to a bigger-than-expected space...the walls are filled with old faded paintings hanging in rather ornate frames, antique mirrors, and other unusual wall art. A lot of artsy-fartsy people, graduate students and "subversive" locals hang out here, typically hunched over their mac computers. You won't find too many Smithees in their J. Crew sun-dresses chillin' out here...this place is a bit too, I dunno, un-Starbucks for them.

The main floor sells fair trade coffee and has a juice bar and a smoothie bar. Honestly I've never really liked their coffee because it tastes pretty muddy, but the juice cocktails and smoothies are generally very good and the price is right ($4.25).

Downstairs is a fully vegetarian restaurant that serves a variety of sandwiches, salads and some rice dishes such as Indonesian Gado-Gado with baked marinated tempeh and a Greek artichoke stew. I usually stick to the more conventional items, which I do recommend for lunch. I've been here a bunch of times and my visit a few days ago was standard: I got a house salad and half sandwich of hummus, avocado, tomato, cucumber and greens on house-baked foccacia (this combo was an uber-affordable 6.50). The sandwich was good, about what you'd expect...fresh ingredients, lemony hummus, the bread was soft and fresh baked but could have used a bit more salt for my taste. The salad had fairly standard ingredients and came with a lemon-tahini dressing...greens were fresh, but it was overdressed and got soggy by the end.

[stickmoon]

So, three months after returning to the area after a few years living in DC, one of the things I've learned is to lower my expectations when I walk into restaurants. DC really did spoil me. But one refuge here in the Pioneer Valley is The Dirty Truth, a nondescript looking beer bar located on Main St. in downtown Northampton. A local guy opened this place about four years ago, and it quickly became a hit among the mid-twenty to mid-forty set. They have 40 beers on tap - with craft brew favorites from Victory, Avery, Bear Republic, Rogue, Founders, among others, and some obscure Belgians (or at least obscure to me). The owner spends a lot of time training the staff and has been known to take his staff overseas on beer-finding missions. They are a well trained staff.

The bar is long and made of beautiful dark wood. There's probably 40-50 seats at the bar, and then 10-15 communal tables, each of which seats 8-10 comfortably. In a region where people tend to keep to themselves, this is an oasis of friendliness - since patrons are often forced to sit at the same table with strangers. The walls are a deep, lush red with local artists work on the walls. Indie rock fills the air.

And the food. The food is several steps up from traditional pub fare. Last night I had a Bahn Mi sandwich made with duck confit and freshly cut, twice-fried fries for 13 bucks. The duck confit was a bit chewier than I've had at other places (in DC), but the sandwich had that lovely contrast of flavors and textures that mark a really tasty Bahn Mi. You can also get it with lamb or seitan (welcome to Northampton!). The fries are great - and they're served with homemade mayo. I also really like the housemade veggie burger, which is dense and nutty, served on brioche with hummus and standard fixins. And the mac and cheese is legendary around these parts.

If you're in town and looking for a beer and some elevated pub grub, this is a great choice. And give me a buzz, I'd be happy to join you.

[Tweaked]

We had an enjoyable lunch at Moshi Moshi in Northhampton over the weekend. After lots of heavy Thanksgiving food, a bowl of steaming Nabeyaki Udon hit the spot. Plump noodles, rich mushroomy broth, some fish cake, egg, and a couple fried shrimp ($13).

4 Main Street, Northampton

[Tweaked]

Five years later and I went back to Moshi Moshi and I again got the Nabeyaki Udon (now $14).  It's still a satisfying bowl of soup, especially after Thanksgiving.

Another good find was Provisions for your beer (good selection of New England area beers), wine, and specialty items with a good sized cheese and cured meat selection.  We sampled the very nice sipping beer, Tennessee Prinse (an ale finished in Tennessee Whiskey barrels 11.5% ABV), from Brewmaster Jack.

McLadden's is pretty much your stereotypical dark Irish pub...but with 105 beers on tap.  I had a nicely dark and rich Relic Black Dawn stout. 

Brits R Us is a bare bones purveyor of overpriced British and Irish food stuffs.  Probably only really worth visiting if you are in desperate need of some Digestive biscuits or Oxo.

Pizzeria Paradiso serves up fairly mediocre wood fired pizzas.  To its credit, the pizza was pretty good cold the next day for breakfast.     

[Tweaked]

A couple more places for your Northampton visits.

Veracruzana Mexican Restaurant Your typical looking mom and pop store front style Mexican restaurant.  Order at the counter and your food order is called out for pick up.  Good pork and cheese pupusa, although slightly on the oily side.  Nice salsa bar with a variety of very fresh tasting salsas and pickled vegetables.  A solid option if you need a Mexican food fix.

Progression Brewing Company recently opened, these guys are going with the hop forward NE style IPA route, with a decent sized taproom.  It's a minimal styled space with a bar for about 12-15 people and collection of tables.  A case in the back had 4 packs for sale.

Dobra Tea a small tea room along Main Street, with a cozy, bohemian college town vibe.  Good selection of loose teas.  If you appreciate Teaism in DC, then this is the place for you in Northamption. (interesting, this appears to be part of an international chain of tea shops founded in Prague).