Upcoming Events to Be Aware Of

It's the holiday season, as I'm sure you can tell by the amount of catalogs in your mailbox.  Here are some important dates to look forward to this season:

Nov. 23-24: Monte's March, benefiting the Western Massachusetts Food Bank

Dec. 3: Hadley Master Plan Forum, 6:30pm, Hadley Senior Center
Dec. 6: Amherst College Vespers and Smith College Vespers @4pm & 730pm
Dec.13: Mount Holyoke College Vespers @ 4pm & 730pm

I was saddened to learn that Valley Gives Day is on hiatus until 2016 -- I look forward to that every year!  Not that that means I won't be giving during this season of gratitude giving and remembering, but VGD made it just a little more fun.

French Fries & Chocolate Cake, Plus 2 More Restaurants You Should Eat At

Recently Mr. Madley and I have been trying a few new restaurants.  Not that the restaurants are new, but they are new to us.  I am writing to give them rave reviews.

First, a shoutout goes to Sierra Grille in Northampton, which does cheesy melt-in-your mouth potatoes au gratin, which pair well with their delicious duck breast with cranberry-peach chutney and grilled vegetables.  We have now been there twice, thanks to the occasional coupon from the Save 30% store on the River.

Second, the Mission Cantina in Amherst.  I know this is old news, and we did go there about a year ago, too, but we were there again recently and it was even better the second time.  I ordered the quesadilla in corn tortillas with carnitas and could have easily eaten a second or third plate of them, had I not been so full.  It really is delicious Mexican food, which I can't seem to get enough of these days.
(And speaking of Mexican food, I am looking forward to the reopening of Mi Tierra in Hadley where The Butterfly restaurant used to be.  While you wait, you can find their homemade tortillas at Atkins Farms and Maple Farm Foods.)

And now, on to the french fries and chocolate cake portion of our post.  Last week, Mr. Madley and I made our way (finally) to High Horse, in Amherst where ABC used to be, and where the upstairs has billiards and the downstairs has dining.  Both floors have a bar with a fairly impressive selection of house-brewed beers.  I can't speak much to those, but perhaps we'll get lucky and Mr. Madley will do a guest post for you.  However, I can speak to their locally-sourced burgers -- delicious -- and their bottomless fries -- better fries I have never tasted.  Seriously.  I love fries and enjoyed my fair share of them at Local Burger and other such fine burger & fry establishments; HH fries topped them all.  And if you get them with dinner, they are bottomless!  Hot, crisp, salted, tender -- everything you want in a fry, and you can eat as many as you can eat.  Who could ask for anything more?  Well, sometimes I do.  Not very often, but it has been known to happen.

Last night we were out and about, looking for something to do after dinner (we ate at Miss Saigon) and not feeling a strong pull towards the cinema or billiards (in olden days this is when we would have visited Captain Candy, alas), we ended up looking for dessert at High Horse.  The dessert menu is small and simple, but the bartender assured us that each item was delicious (his must-have is the $5 milkshake, but it only comes with bourbon, so it was a no-go for me), and I ended up, surprisingly, with the chocolate cake.
I don't usually go for chocolate cake when I'm out.  I find them either too sweet, too bitter, too dense, or desperately in need of some lightening up.  I usually take my chocolate with fruit when I'm at a restaurant; I usually find that it's a more reliable combination.  However, last night I felt a tug towards the cake, and it was thusly delivered.  Delicious.  A reasonable-sized portion with no heavy or thick frostings, just a round cake with a chocolate ganache icing and topping of fresh, lightly-sweetened cream.  A chocolate cake I would eat again.  A perfect ending on a cool, damp evening.

French fries and chocolate cake.  Oh, so good.

Filos Greek Taverna

Filos.  It's a new Greek restaurant in downtown Northampton and where Mr. Madley and I enjoyed a delicious dinner this weekend.  You should definitely eat there.

Eating at Filos is like making a quick trip to Greece (or so I imagine) -- the food is wonderful, the atmosphere is festive, and the owners are friendly and talkative.

 

The restaurant specializes in the typical Greek foods -- gyros, brick-oven pizza, baklava -- all good stuff, in my opinion.  And, happily, the prices are extremely reasonable -- two people could easily eat for under $25, even without getting a pizza.  You can find their menu online, if you're curious or if you just like to decide ahead of time.

During our visit we learned that Filos does not just cater to the wheat-eaters among us, as one might think based on the menu offerings.  They have a variety of gluten-free options, both in their pizza(!) and their regular dinner platters; they'll even swap out the wrap around a gyro for rice, if you'd like.
Let me repeat that the food is simply fantastic.  Mr Madley enjoyed a pork souvlaki platter with a side of gigantes; four days later and he's still talking about how delicious the pork was.

I swooned over my gyro, and if I hadn't been so satisfied after eating it, I would have happily eaten another.  The baklava was huge -- it took me three meals to finish!

One of the most delightful parts of the Filos experience is talking to the owner.  He is very personable and loves to talk about his food, his restaurant, and this wonderful area where we all live.
If you're looking for a delicious quick meal in Northampton, stop by Filos and give it a try!

UPDATE 7/21/15: Mr. Madley tried one of their pizzas on their special gluten-free crust and raved over it.  If you eat gluten-free pizza, give this one a shot!

Free Summer Concerts

Some of the communities surrounding Hadley are offering free summer concerts for the family this year.  I would LOVE to see Hadley do something like this and actually use that glorious common we have available, but in the meantime, I will probably attend in the other towns.

Northampton has a great lineup on Fridays in Pulaski Park starting July 12.  The music is free, is played during the family-friendly hours of 6-8, and features local bands & musicians.  Check out the info here.

South Hadley has music on their common every Thursday night starting July 11 (they also had a concert in June, but it's past) from 6:30-8:00, and also promises a number of fun shows.  You can see their lineup here.

If you know of other free local concerts, add a comment below.

The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum in Hadley also offers a summer concert series on Wednesday nights -- their Wednesday Folk Traditions -- and series on Saturdays during their Perfect Spot of Tea.  Please note that these do have an entrance fee.

Calendaring: Festivals, Fairs, Bazaars

Please check the calendar for the most recent information I have on holiday fairs, festivals, and bazaars!
I've noticed recently an increase of visits to last year's "Holiday Festivals and Bazaars" post.  Sadly, that information is now a bit out of date.  However, in its place is the Local Calendar (see the link to the right, just under Hadley Grass and Valley Ice Cream).  Information on the Local Calendar is regularly updated, and I make additions to it whenever I hear of something appropriate to add (or see the signs along the side of the road).  Included are holiday bazaars, craft fairs, autumn festivals, local Hadley events, and other events in neighbouring towns. 
Included on the calendar page is a link to submit local events (it reads like a comment box but submissions don't get posted until I've looked at them -- this is true for all comments on the blog) and a small collection of links wherein one can find other local activities. 
Coming soon (and already posted on the calendar) -- the chyrsathemum show, a fall craft fair, and the Twist Fair....

Jazz... or Garlic?

O, the disappointment I felt when on the radio today I heard announced the Northampton Jazz Festival being presented this Saturday -- the same day as the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival.  Words cannot describe the excitement of hearing about the jazz festival and then the sudden and heartfelt regret at its timing.  I love jazz.  I love live music.  I love food.  But the annual tradition at our house for the first Saturday of October is to make our way north and east for a little bit of music, a little bit of craft, a little bit of autumn, a little bit of food, and a whole lot of garlic.  It hasn't failed us yet.  And this year, if I'm brave, I'll even try the garlic ice cream....
Which will you choose -- jazz or garlic (or something else)?
I guess if I'm really lucky, I might be able to get to the garlic early -- and the jazz late.

9/29: PS -- there's also the Source to Sea Cleanup on Saturday.

Three Counties of Fun

The 3 County Fair is here for the weekend, from Friday (2) through Monday (5).  Get on over to the fairgrounds in Northampton and enjoy the agricultural exhibitions, the rides, the tasty treats, the music, the demolition derbies, the horse and oxen pulls
Want to know more?  Here's a little piece of history from the fair, and here's what's going on this year.

Looking for more fall fairs and festivals?  Check out the calendar page.

Off the Main Drag - N'hampton Eats

As often as we go to Northampton, we find ourselves usually sticking to the main drag of Rt 9.  Occasionally, we head down Rt 5/10 for bowling or to find parking or to visit La Fiorentina, but we don't often hit the "side" streets.  Last weekend, with the near-warmth and the extra light, we were feeling the need for new adventures and took a stroll down Masonic Street -- where we discovered and explored 3 small new (for us) eateries:

WoodStar: a cafe & bakery (with great key lime tarts -- yum!)
Mosaic Cafe: Moroccan-Euro fare (I've been hearing lots of commercials on the radio), related to Amanouz
Bela: a vegetarian joint with dairy & gluten free dishes

We walked in to each one, checked out the menus and prices and atmosphere, and we can't wait to try them.
Have you been there yet?

WoodStar Menu

WoodStar Breads

Photos by Mr Madley

Disappearing Eateries

Mr. Madley and I were back in Northampton Saturday night to seek out a new 2-for-under-$20 restaurant; we thought we'd try Taipei and Tokyo*, but when we arrived at the dark storefront, there was a sign on the door saying that Butterfly: Chinese and vegetarian would be soon opening there.  No more T&T.
There is a Butterfly restaurant on Rt 9 in Hadley -- one that serves Japanese, Chinese, and vegetarian.  Whether the Butterfly coming to Northampton is the same Butterfly moving spaces, a clone Butterfly, or a completely new one, I can't say for sure yet.  I look forward to finding out.

There is yet more restaurant news for Northampton -- according to rumour, Union Station and company will be leaving Northampton in the coming months.  Keep a watch on that one -- I'm not sure when they're closing up shop.

And in case you haven't yet heard, Amherst Brewing Company is looking to relocate from its keystone position in downtown Amherst to Newmarket Center on University Drive.  The Zoning Board meets tonight to take a vote on issuing the permit.

(By the way -- Saturday we were able to eat at the Teapot for under $20 by eating off the noodle section of the menu.)

*Update 3/20:  Upon walking more of the streets of Northampton last night, we discovered that Taipei and Tokyo isn't leaving -- it's simply moving down the street to the storefronts where Sid Vintage and Sabin Star Lock used to be on Crafts Avenue.  Rejoice!

The Blooms of Spring

March 5-March 20 marks the date for the Smith Spring Bulb Show at the Lyman Conservatory of Smith College.  The Spring Bulb Show is a wonderful preview of spring flowers -- tulips, daffodils, narcissi, crocus, hyacinths, cyclamen, forsythia, camellia, freesia, and more.  Mr. Madley and I went last night, and were exceedingly pleased -- the colours were vivid, the scents were intoxicating, and it felt just like spring!

 

I love flowers -- and I love spring. This is my second visit to the bulb show, and I can't even begin to tell you how happy it makes me -- so much beauty and hope compacted into that small space (especially after a winter like this one).  Today, during a walk around the yard (which is almost possible, with the melting and thawing), I discovered a few fresh shoots poking up out of the ground.  Not yet sure what they'll turn into, but I can't wait to see.

If you've never been to the Conservatory, I highly recommend it -- even outside of the special spring and fall shows.  There is a large variety of amazing plants organized into different collections.  More on the Lyman on a later post.

In the meantime, get to Smith for the bulb show.  Hours are 10-4 daily, 6-8 next Friday (March 18).  A donation of $2 is suggested at the door.  Go during the day or go at night -- just make sure to get there!

Mt Holyoke College also has a spring flower show going on.

The Essentials

The other night, on our way to see The King's Speech at the Amherst Cinema, we walked by the small essentials store that's next door to Tabellas.  We thought maybe we'd stop in for a quick look around -- I've always loved the store and we had plenty of time to spare.
But a note on the door said something to the effect of: Sorry, we're not here anymore.  Because of the current economic situation, a desire to focus more on our special order business, and a need to spend more time with family, we are closing the Amherst location and consolidating to our Northampton location.
I had a mix of feelings about this -- sorrow, because they had to close; happiness, because the Northampton store is staying open (really, I love this store); and respect, because I'm a big fan of people spending more time with their families.

To cut this post short, essentials is a super-cool store, full of funky things for the home, for the baby, for the adult, for the child, for a friend, for the kitchen, for the bathroom....  Stationery, furniture, dishes, baby clothes, stuffed animals, t-shirts, wrapping paper, jewelry, trinkets, bags, books, soaps, perfumes, things with a Euro flair, things with a Korean touch; they even do wedding stuff.  They play music from old records and have a friendly, helpful staff.
Stop in sometime and see what they've got.  It changes regularly -- I discover something new every time I'm there (which isn't nearly as often as I'd like!

The New Old Black Dress

Another fabulous find from Roz's Place, Northampton.
No tears, no stains, no holes, no spots; near-perfect condition, near-perfect dress.



(Photo credits: Mr. Madley.)

Eating: 2<$20

In trying to economize, Mr. Madley and I came up with a list of restaurants where we can eat for under $20 -- both of us.  If you've ever tried it, it's not necessarily easy to do, but at most of these restaurants it's fairly easy to find a good variety of dishes that 2 can eat for under $20 (desserts and drinks excluded -- water is free, tip is variable).
PS -- we're a gluten-free, dairy-free group, so that cuts out most pizza & sub places....

Mi Tierra (Mexican, Hadley)
Miss Saigon (Vietnamese, Amherst)
Thai Corner (Thai, Amherst)
Whole Foods (Hot & Salad Bar, Hadley)
Local Burger (Burgers, Northampton)
La Vera Cruzana (Mexican, Amherst & Northampton)
Rt 9 Diner (Diner, Hadley)
Hillside Pizza (Pizza, Hadley)
Amanouz (Mediterranean, Northampton)

Do you know of another good local restaurant where 2 can eat for under $20?  Please share!