The Federal (Again)

Here is another review that sat in "draft" format for almost a year!  The Federal's menu changes seasonally, but the bucket of balls and the zucchini matchsticks always seem to make the cut. 
 
CHICKPEAS: 5

We went to the Federal on a recent Friday night for a more casual dinner then our last visit.  We sat in the bar area where there was a a guitarist playing covers of Dave Matthews and the like.    The bar area is cozy with dark wood paneling.  There center of the room has a number of small high top tables and low tables border the wall.

To start, we got a "bucket of balls."  The Federal's risotto balls are to die for.  I could eat them as my entire meal, but I restrain myself.   We also got a second appetizer that we had never had before: zucchini matchsticks.  The zucchini was sliced into very thin short slices and then cooked with almond slivers, olive oil and some spices.  It was served covered with pecorino cheese.  Even though it was my idea to order it, I was a little skeptical once it came out.  It turned out to be really delicious.  The zucchini was cooked to perfection.  I wouldn't call it crispy as the menu describes it, but it definitely holds its own and maintains a firm texture.  The almonds definitely add a crunch and the cheese, while delicious, also serves to maintain the temperature of the dish.  We will certainly be ordering this again.

Zucchini Matchsticks

If you remember our last visit, I was in love with the gorgonzola pop over and wanted to order it again.  To my delight, I found it on the menu by itself (well mostly).  Listed under handhelds is the prociutto di parma stuffed "pop-over."  I quickly settled on my decision.  Unfortunately, I think my first encounter with the gorgonzola pop-over was a fluke.  This second order was overflowing with gorgonzala, whereas my first attempt was slightly flavored like gorgonzola.  If you enjoy gorgonzola, you will enjoy this.  I am still on the fence about gorgonzola, and really only enjoy it in small quantities.  Once I removed the bulk of the gorgonzola, this was still a really delicious meal.  

"Pop-over"

My fiance got a burger with fries.  The bun appeared to be homemade and everything on his plate tasted delicious just as it was!

Fries and the extras that came with the burger

Burger

We have already been back to The Federal at least once since and it is probably time to go again!

The Thai Place (Twice)

It's been a while... Back at it.  Here is a review from April 2011. 
 
CHICKPEAS: 5

On a whim, I purchased a groupon for The Thai Place in South Hadley.  I studied abroad in Thailand and now love eating Thai food.  We went a few weeks ago on a Friday night and then embarassingly again less than 48 hours later for lunch on Sunday.  It was that good!  The meals tasted very authentic, the atmosphere was very casual and the staff was proficient.  Aside from english speaking servers, some authenticity was missing with the place settings.  In Thailand, meals are served with a fork and spoon.  We were given a fork and knife.

When we arrived on Friday night, we were seated right away on a high top table in the bar area.  The tables in this section are divided by dark hanging curtains.  The rest of the restaurant is filled with booths.    The menu had many of the Thai classics I have come to enjoy and the prices were very reasonable.  Most entrees were $9 to $15.  Lunch portions were around $7.

I ordered cashew chicken with a side of brown rice.  The chicken was very moist and full of flavor and the vegetables were very fresh.  My Fiance ordered sweet and sour chicken and pork fried rice.  The sweet and sour chicken was also delicious, and he felt that the fried rice was the best he has ever had. We took leftovers of everything home and had them the next day for lunch.

We couldn't stay away for long.  When my friend came down to visit on Sunday, we took her there for lunch.  We ordered the appetizer sampler to start.  I can't name everything (aside from the obvious satay), but everything I tasted was good.

Appetizer Sampler

I was tempted to order the cashew chicken again.  I was thinking that it was so great, I would be a fool not to order it again.  I was still wavering when the waitress came to take our orders, but I resisted temptation and branched out.  I ordered the pad see ew (wide noodles in a dark sauce) and was again impressed with the flavor and freshness of the vegetables.

Pad See Ew

My friend ordered the basil chicken with a side of wide noodles.

Basil Chicken with Rice Noodles

My fiance ordered pineapple shrimp fried rice.  Again, really great, high quality fried rice.

Pineapple Fired Rice

We took leftovers home again and I had them for dinner the following night.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I ate food from The Thai Place four days in a row.  I wish it could have been five!  We will be back again...

Munich Haus

CHICKPEAS: 4

We love going to the Munich Haus Restaurant in Chicopee, MA for drinks and/or dinner.  The Munich Haus has delicious German food, and is a great value if you buy a restaurant.com gift certificate (which are an even better deal if you get them on sale!).   The staff wear traditional German outfits and they sometimes have an accordion player.  The accordion player can be a little loud, as it was on this night.  If that bothers you, request a seat in the bar area.  They have some nice cozy booths.  

One of the things we love about the Munich Haus is the value.  The servings are large and the entrees come with soup or a salad (remember when that used to be standard at most restaurants?!).  The salad is different that your standard house salad with some varieties of beans and other things on it.  They also bring out homemade potato chips with a sour cream based dip when you are first seated.  The entrees typically range from $15 to $20.

Salad

I ordered jaeger schnitzel (tender pork loin lightly breaded and pan fried for a golden finish with a wild mushroom sauce).  It came with a choice of sides. I selected the spatzle and cabbage.  Everything was great.

Jaeger Schnitzel

My fiance ordered french onion soup to start.

French Onion Soup

His meal was a Bavarian platter, which included pfalezer, nuerenberger bratwurst, sauerbraten, jaeger schnitzel, potato pancake, red cabbage, sauerkraut and spatzle.  Don't ask me which is what.  

Bavarian Platter

To finish off, we got some stuffed cookies (this was before I gave up sweets for lent!).  These cookies are so good.  The chocolate stuffed chocolate chip one is our favorite.  In the past, we have split a piece of cake. Be warned: they are enormous pieces.  

Stuffed Cookie

Overall, Munich Haus is a fun place to go for dinner with friends or family.  The food is delicious and reasonably priced.  The atmosphere tops it off.  Keep an eye on their special events (such as wild game dinners) as well!

The Cambridge House Brew Pub

CHICKPEAS: 3

We went to the Cambridge House Brew Pub in Granby, CT on a Saturday night with a friend for dinner.  We arrived around 8:00PM and even though the parking lot was filled to capacity, we were seated right away.  We were surrounded by an eclectic mix of couples on dates, families and groups of friends.  Cambridge House had a selection of their own beer on tap, but unfortunately were out of our friend's favorite: dunkel.

Cambridge House beers

I originally tried to order the beer mussels and a side salad.  Side salad came out, beer mussels did not.

Half eaten side salad

After my salad was served, the waitress said they were out of beer mussels.  I wish I had known that before as I might have ordered one of the larger salads with chicken.  As a replacement, I ordered seared ahi tuna over a black bean salad.  The tuna was a bit salty, but other than that it was an okay dish.

Ann's Ahi Tuna

My friends got wings and a pizza, and they enjoyed them both.  Cambridge House has some interesting flavors of wings like lemon pepper.  

Wings

More Wings

Pulled Pork Pizza

At the end of the night, our friend got some growlers to take home.  I forget how much they cost, but I remember being quite surprised at how cheap they were.  

Overall, mediocre service, good beer, okay food.

The Federal

CHICKPEAS: 5

Last weekend, we went to my favorite restaurant in the Springfield area: The Federal.  The Federal has a very creative menu, along with some traditional favorites for picky eaters or comfort food cravings, a nice seating arrangement and wonderful staff.

We arrived right on time for our 5:30pm reservation on what is apparently called Mistress Day, the day before Valentine's Day.  We pulled up front to complimentary valet parking and walked in to the hostess desk where our coats were checked.  We were seated in the room on the right, once you enter the restaurant.  A small, quaint room, with a non-working-but-still-mood-enhancing fireplace and 5 small tables.  Part of the beauty of The Federal is the way the seating is broken into a few small dining rooms.  Each room gives off a cozy vibe and because of this, the noise level stays down.

We ordered cocktails and a bucket of risotto balls to start.  Our cocktails arrived and we were treated to a plate of some extra risotto balls compliments of The Federal.  This has happened both times I have been to The Federal and it is very nice touch.  Our larger full serving of risotto balls followed.  The risotto balls are breaded and fried, making them slightly crispy on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside.  A nice combination of textures.  I regret that we did not get a picture of these!

After our appetizers, our salads were served.  I ordered the caesar salad with dressing on the side.  I was forewarned, although I also read it on the menu, that the caesar salad comes with a fried egg on top.

Caesar Salad

My Fiance got the chopped salad that came with a unique presentation.

Chopped Salad

Right about here I accidentally spilled my drink.  I swear I was only about a third of the way into it and it was all due to the condensation on my glass.  Regardless of the how or why, or waitress responded right away and helped us clean of the table.  She was really nice about it and joked with us while doing so, really putting us at ease.

I was hesitating between two options for dinner: homemade risotto gnocchi with an XLG veal meatball, or the braised short ribs with mashed potatoes, mushroom salad and a gorgonzola cheese popover.  She suggested the short ribs and while I still have not had the gnocchi, the short ribs were amazing.  The short ribs fell apart easily, the mashed potatoes were creamy, the mushroom salad was interesting (in a good way) and the pop over was my absolute favorite part of our meal.  As I devoured it, I was trying to figure out ways that I could order it again, maybe as a side, or an appetizer or substitute it out for other side dishes, maybe even instead of dessert.  The short ribs were good enough to order again, but the pop over was wonderful enough that I don't think I can go back to the Federal without having it every time.

Braised Short Ribs

My Fiance ordered two half servings of pasta: truffled mac and cheese with short ribs, and chicken bolognese.  I tried a bit of both and they were quite good.  He says the truffled mac and cheese was his favorite, but I had a hard time picking between the two.

Truffled Mac and Cheese with Short Ribs

Chicken Bolognese

For dessert, we ordered white chocolate banana cream pie that came with chocolate gelato.  The banana cream pie was slightly charred on the top, warming the bananas in the process.  The gelato was perfect for dark chocolate fans, bittersweet and smooth.  An excellent end to a wonderful meal.

Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate Gelato

Overall, The Federal is a must for any special occasion (or even just because!)


(1) Risotto Balls
(2) Salads
(1) beer
(1) cocktail
(1) bottle of wine
(1) Short ribs
(2) 1/2 servings of pasta
(1) Dessert
Total = $160

Southwick Inn

CHICKPEAS: 3

The Southwick Inn is not an inn.  It is really a bar.  We occasionally meet up with friends for drinks at the Inn, but my first time eating dinner there was a few weeks ago.

The Southwick Inn has a large horseshoe shaped bar that seats 25 people.  The rest of the area is carpeted, with the exception of a small dance floor (I have never seen anyone dancing, but I hear it does occur).  There is occasionally live music, and there are always TVs on various games.

The best part by about the Inn, by far, is the people watching.  There is no real stereotype for the patrons.  On any given night there will be men and women who are young and old, dressed for a night on the town or dressed for hunting.  Prime people watching.

The food was pretty typical of a bar.  We ordered nachos, a buffalo chicken salad and a tuna melt.  The nachos were on round tortilla yellow chips, and the toppings were layered (not just on the top of all of the chips).

Half-eaten nachos

The buffalo chicken salad definitely had a kick.  I would order it again, but ask for it on a bigger plate/bowl.  The salad was piled too high on the bowl making it difficult to eat. 

Buffalo Chicken Salad

The tuna melt was pretty standard, although the bread was better quality. 

Tuna Melt

We will definitely go back for drinks, but I will warn you... this isn't everyone's scene.

Falls Pizza

CHICKPEAS: 3

This past week, we got take out from Falls Pizza on Main Street in Chicopee.  We ordered a Greek Pizza, an Italian Sub and a Buffalo Chicken Salad and the total bill came to $27.  The wait time was 20 minutes for pick up, which was very reasonable, but after getting home and eating, I wasn't impressed.

Garlic Bread

The chicken on the salad was chicken cutlet, cut into pieces, and covered in buffalo sauce.  I had recently had a very spicy buffalo chicken salad at the Southwick Inn, so I ordered this salad mild to be safe.  I felt that the mild buffalo had a strange sweet after taste.  Additionally, the salad came with garlic bread that was soggy and chewy.

Italian Sub

I didn't have any of the sub, but my fiance enjoyed it.

Pizza

We shared the pizza, which had feta, tomatoes and gyro on it. Overall the pizza was delicious.  While my salad was a miss, the Pizza made up for it.

I may find myself going back to Falls Pizza for pizza, but I am interested in finding another takeout place in Chicopee for salads.  Suggestions?

Day Trip: OSUSHI, Boston, Massachusetts

CHICKPEAS: 3

We grabbed dinner at OSUSHI on our trip to the see the Boston Pops.  OSUSHI was conveniently located in the shopping area of the Westin Copley.  While the entrance was from the mall, it was easy to feel like you were in a cozy restaurant once seated.  We were seated at a high top table near the windows so we could look out over the street.  We had purchased a gift certificate to OSUSHI from Ruelala (an invite only, flash shopping site).  The deal we purchased was $30 for $50 worth of food at OSUSHI.   The prices were high so it was easy to exceed the $50.

To begin, we ordered edamame and a fresh spring roll.  The spring roll was quite good with shrimp and raw tuna in it.  Unfortunately, our waitress's single blunder was forgetting to bring out the edamame.  Once we reminded her, she brought it out at room temperature instead of steaming.

Fresh Springroll

We ordered 4 rolls to share.  Overall, they were good, but as you can see, two were quite big (in terms of diameter).  Really large sushi is difficult to eat gracefully.  From top to bottom we got the follow rolls:  Dragon, Miso Sexy, Spicy Scallop, and Vegetable Tempura.

Sushi

All of the above and one beer came to around $75.  I would go back if I was staying at the Westin and wanted take out to bring back to my room, or if I found another coupon/deal.  Otherwise, you can find sushi of equal or better quality for less.

Cafe Lebanon

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CHICKPEAS: 3


Last week, we met a friend at Cafe Lebanon in downtown Springfield.  It was dead on a Tuesday night during the holiday week.  We were seated in a booth with no one sitting anywhere near us.  I felt the menu was lacking Lebanese authenticity, but I am definitely not an authority on Lebanese food.  Judge for your self...

To start we got hummus and the hummochos.  The hummus was heavy on tahini and light on lemon (I love lemon in hummus).  The guys both loved it.

I got a side of cauliflower as my meal that was quite delicious with a cheesy sauce and artichoke hearts.  

Our friend got chicken and rice.  I was very surprised it didn't come with a vegetable.

My Fiance got spinach pie and some other appetizer that was ground meat in little pockets. 

All of that food, two beers and a soda came to around $60. 

We would go back, but its not at the top of our list.   We found a Restaurant.com gift certificate for the East Longmeadow location and bought it on sale.  That would make another trip more likely.  

Copperline Eatery

CHICKPEAS: 4

My Fiance and I have recently discovered Copperline Eatery. While this doesn't seem surprising since I just moved here, he has lived in the area for three years.  Since our first trip on October 1st, we have been at least five times for breakfast and dinner.  We tried to go back again this morning (would have been our third day in a row... don't judge) but there was a line out the door.

Copperline is in the back of a convenience store at 409 Broadway in Chicopee.  You can enter through the front or on the side.  There is a parking lot on the right side (if facing the building) and there is additional parking on the street.  Copperline is seat yourself, and all tables are booths.

On a recent trip for dinner my Fiance and I got a full carafe of wine ($7, though some varieties are less expensive), a bowl of clam chowder, chicken quesadillas, a buffalo chicken salad and a cranberry walnut chicken salad.  The bill was somewhere around $25.  Cheap date!

PROs: Price, Portions, Keno

CONs: Service is a bit slow sometimes, packed on Sunday mornings, only open for dinner Thursdays and Fridays til 7:30pm.

Wine ($7!)

Clam Chowder

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Quesadilla

Have you been to Copperline?  Love or hate?