Bridgeside Grill (Outside Dining) Sunderland, MA

 Bridgeside Grill

9 Amherst Rd, Sunderland, MA 01375

413-397-8101

Menu: Bridgeside Grill Menu

website:  https://www.bridgesidegrille.com

We first visited Bridgeside Grill while looking for a place to celebrate after my wife had her first Covid shot in Greenfield. We more or less wandered into it and fell in love.  First of all, we love outside dining and with the recent Covid concerns we were looking for someplace outdoors. 

Since then, we have been back for Easter, for dinner with friends, and have been back several more times.  I have discovered that if you work at it, you can get there in about 30 minutes from Chicopee.  Take I-91 to the Deerfield exit (Route 5), take the first exit there onto Route 116.  Cross the bridge, go past the first light, and the restaurant will be on your next right.

It is a much more relaxing time to take the back way home, Route 47 through the countryside back through Hadley.  Several older homes are along this initial stretch of 47. If you have the time you might want to visit the old cemetery near the river.

This is a very relaxing place that we enjoy and highly recommend.  Check the website for their hours and schedules.

 

 

 We especially enjoy eating outside. (Even if it is a little chilly.)

 

 

  It is very pleasant and roomy inside too.

   

I imagine those overhead lights look very nice all lit up some evening.  We have since been there in the evening but as the days have gotten longer, we have not been there in the dark....yet.

 

 Such a beautiful view here.  You can see a church steeple directly behind the empty table and you can see Mt. Sugarloaf in the background.

I am a fan of biscuits and gravy with eggs for breakfast and my wife is a little more adventuresome, here with french toast stuffed with honey cream cheese, topped with blueberry sauce.  No wonder she is smiling!

They have since added an overhead awning.  It was a little showery as we headed up this evening and I was hoping they had the awning in place. It was!

When we went earlier in the year it was sometimes chilly.  Now the sun is getting stronger and believe it or not, that awning is helpful against the sun too.  It is pleasant outside.  Unfortunately you can no longer reserve outside tables so it is "first come, first served".

Huntington General Store (Ice Cream and Much More)

 

 

70 Worthington Road, Route 112, Huntington, MA 01050

Phone: (413) 667-3232

https://www.huntingtoncountrystore.com/j/index.php 

 Hours:

Sunday	9AM–6:30PM
Monday	9AM–6PM
Tuesday	9AM–6PM
Wednesday	9AM–6PM
Thursday	9AM–7PM
Friday	9AM–7PM
Saturday	9AM–7PM

 

 

 

The Huntington Country Store has been a fixture for a long time in the Western Mass hilltown of Huntington. It is far enough into the country to be peaceful, and close enough to easily make the drive. You can get there via the Mass Pike and Route 20 to Rt 112 or my favorite is the back way through Holyoke to North Street in Westfield through the other small towns of Wyben, and Montgomery to Route 112.  Use your GPS, you'll find it.

Like the Williamsburg Country Store, it contains a lot of novelty items: the kind of things you can wander around hours looking at. Kitchen items, aprons, cards... In fact they say:

"We are stocked to the ceilings with country goods, gourmet chocolates and candy, stocking stuffers, jewelry, windchimes, baskets, Christmas ornaments and cards, toys and crystals. We have pewter figurines and lots of collectibles, kitchen gadgets and pottery. Smell the wonderful aroma of the candles, spices, Wrapples, baked goods, grinders, wraps, salads, hard ice cream, fancy soaps, potpourris and gourmet coffees as you shop. Bring a friend and browse to your heart’s content at a locally run family business for over 20 years.  Thank you for stopping in!"

Here is a glimpse:

Although they have "everything," I go for the food!  My favorites in order are: Wrapples, ice cream,  grinders and soup.  My wife says their roastbeef grinder with cheddar cheese is wonderful!  My theory is eat the sweets first, then if you are still hungry order a grinder and soup.

What is a Wrapple you ask?  My simplest description is that it is a rolled up piece of pie. That is not an exact description but you get the idea.  They look like this:

 

This one is a Maple Pecan Cream Cheese Wrapple.  My favorite has been the Apple but I have not tried this one yet!  Try one and you'll be hooked.

 

 

 

And don't forget the ice cream.  I believe they offer 20 flavors of hard ice cream.  An ice cream cone alone is enough to justify the trip.

 

There is an inside seating area where you can enjoy the ambiance of an authentic old store, an outdoor porch, or picnic tables.

You will often see a motorcycle or two outside the store.  You know bikers know a place with good "eats".

This building is adjacent to the store.  I believe it is an old school house that has been made into a museum.  I don't know if it is actively functioning right now but I'm sure they could provide you information in the store.

 

 Menu Sample  This is an older menu so some things may have changed but it is big enough that you can see it as well as more pictures of this iconic store. 

 Tell them Joe T. sent you.

 

McKinstry Farms (and Ice Cream)

 McKinstry Farms (and Ice Cream)

view of old store: Old McKinstry's

 753 Montgomery St, Chicopee, MA 01013

 (413) 536-2043

https://mckinstryfarms.com/

 

From McKinstry's Market Garden:

 

"McKinstry's Market Garden specializes in locally grown, farm-fresh produce at our seasonal roadside stand in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Known far and wide for our early sweet corn and flowers, our customers line up in long lines so not to miss out. In fact, we ship our sweet corn all over the country."

 

See them lined up:  Lined Up For Corn

 Welcome to the "new kid on the block".  Everyone in the area knows that Mckinstry's Market is very popular for their corn during the season.  In fact there is almost a continuous flow of shoppers stopping by to pick up their daily of corn and produce.  But those days are gone.  Now there is a bigger and better McKinstry's  at the same location.  Gone is the old store, replaced by a brand new store which now includes greenhouses for flowers and garden vegetables.

I must admit that after hearing they were going to build a whole new complex there, I drove by several times to check out their progress.  I was not impressed with it because most times I saw that the old building was gone but I did not see much else different except some earth moving equipment in operation. As Spring neared I wondered why things were proceeding so slowly and where are we going to get our corn this year?  

Not to worry!  On a more recent drive by, I was amazed to see that they have completed a brand new building with green houses, and a flag blowing in the wind proclaiming that they are OPEN!

 

A lot of my recent blog posts have been about ice cream places because this is the time of year when many of us like to get out and enjoy a nice ice cream cone.  And that is why I call them the new kid on the block:

TA DA!  MCKINSTRY'S NOW SELLS ICE CREAM!

click for McKinstry Ice Cream Video

  

I haven't had a chance to try their ice cream yet but I am not too worried.  I have never found an ice cream cone that I didn't like.

If you are in the area, stop to check them out. Their hours are listed in the video above.

Danny's Little Taste of Texas (BBQ) South Windsor, CT

 

 Danny's Little Taste of Texas (updated 6-15-21)

1750 Ellington Road

South Windsor, CT 06074

860-436-1236

https://www.dannyslittletasteoftexas.com/restaurant-menus/

 Intro from his website:

"Owner Danny Bell brings a bit of Texas to Connecticut with Danny’s Little Taste of Texas. Bell lived in Texas for a time and got the full experience of authentic Texas barbecue. Bell then decided he wanted to bring those experiences with him to CT and open Danny’s Little Taste of Texas. For over 14 years Little Taste of Texas has been serving residents of CT and all over New England some of Texas’s Best BBQ. Authentic Texas BBQ means that the meat is Dry rubbed with special spices, wood smoked and slow cooked. The smoker brings out the flavors, and nobody can dispute how good a smoker chugging away smells....."

From time to time over the years I have visited two BBQ places in the general South Windsor/Manchester area.  The other is gone but Danny's Little Taste of Texas is still going strong and looks just the way I remember it.

 

 

As you can see, things are reasonably priced and there are a lot of options.  They also do catering.

 

It is brightly decorated and inviting.

Today my wife and I were in the area and stopped there for a late lunch.   I had a pulled pork sandwich and my wife tried a smoked sausage dog with a side of macaroni and cheese.  I enjoyed mine but as usual her meal tasted better than mine, so I might try that the next time.  What did catch my eye was the Mac Toppers which are a container of macaroni and cheese with a choice of various meats on top. Very reasonably priced and I know the macaroni and cheese is good.

 

 

 June 15, 2021 Update:  Tried that Mac Topper today and it was very good! Macaroni and cheese topped with a good portion of pork BBQ. Other toppings are available but I stuck with the pork.

 

 

 

       (I hope no one will report me to Joe's Kansas City BBQ for eating at another place.)

 

 

I went in the smaller side entrance but had to come out the larger main entrance.  I wonder why?

Anne's Dairy Drive In Orange, MA

 

360 E Main St, Orange, MA 01364

(978) 544-2093

Facebook link  Their FB account is usually updated regarding hours, early closings, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

             This was opening day and we got there about 30 minutes after they opened.

 

  Somebody had been counting down!

 

 

They do get busier.  This was on a Sunday close to opening day so a lot of people came out.

 

I discovered Anne's ice cream place in Orange, MA a few years ago when my wife and I were out gallivanting. There were two ice cream places very close to each other and we had chosen to visit the other place a few times.  On a subsequent trip up to the Orange area, we discovered to our dismay that "our" place was closed.  So we decided to try out Anne's (which everyone, including us, calls Annie's) and we have been hooked ever since.  

Our favorite places depends upon how far we want to drive, with Mr. Cone on Granby Road our closest favorite, followed by Cindy's on Route 202 in Granby.  When we are willing to drive about 40 miles and make an event of it, our favorite is "Annie's".  We also like it there because they have a good selection of food, including fried clams and homemade onion rings.

 

           

         A picture is worth 1000 words.  We shared this clam strips meal and had plenty.

 

A few years ago I took two of my grandsons to the Community Boat House for a night kayaking paddle on the Miller River.  A local sporting goods store, Trail Head Outfitters and General Store, had sponsored one of the events including food afterwards and we helped ourselves to homemade chili, hot dogs, chips, etc.  I felt obligated to go by Annie's after the food so I could buy my grandson the largest small ice cream cone that I have ever seen. And of course it would be rude to make him eat alone so I had one too.  It comes close to being the unpardonable sin, I couldn't finish the cone and had.....to throw some of it away.  

That is how big the cones are, so order accordingly. If you have eaten the seafood platter, you might want to skip the ice cream this time!

A fair number of bikers stop by as they often do at such places during warm weather.  Annie's is a very family oriented place.  There is a big grassy area out back and plenty of room for kids to play.  It is also close to the river with a short "tunnel" under the railroad tracks leading to an area where you can pull your canoe or kayak ashore and walk over for ice cream.

For those interested in paddling, be sure to visit Billy Goat Boats  at the Orange Community Boat House where you can rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boats and paddle boards.

If you want to do some further exploring while you are in the area, continue on to Tully Lake in Royalston.  It is a great lake to paddle (with restrictions against larger motor boats), beautiful picnic sites, some islands to explore, a frisbee golf course, a hiking trail around it, and a waterfall on the backside. Camping is available and if you want to paddle further up the river, you can do that from the backside.

 

 

How Many Cooleyville Roads Are There?

 

 

 

 

I have traveled Route 202 North from Belchertown toward the Route 2, Orange-Athol area many times.  In fact one of my favorite ice cream places is in Orange.  Maybe that is why I have been on that road so many times!

Every time I am headed that way I am always amazed at how many signs there are for Cooleyville Road. You see a sign and road on the right side of 202, then shortly you see a sign and road off the left side of 202.  Then a few miles further, you will see the same thing, then again further up.

 I think there are 8 signs for Cooleyville between Belechertown and the turnoff for Orange.  When I am in that area on a scooter ride, I like to take the backroad Route 2A, through Wendell Depot and Wendell Center.  If you take a left turn right in the middle of Wendell Center, you will be on.......you guessed it, Cooleyville Road which will lead you back to Route 202, near New Salem.

Where, you ask, do all these roads lead?  Several of the first ones are very short loops and just cross 202, run parallel to it then cross back over. They are all gravel except the one in Wendell Center.  We explored one of these Cooleyville Roads and maybe we went onto an unnamed branch off it or maybe just an extension of the same road.  Either way, it went way back into the wilderness where, believe it or not, there are quite a few houses.  After following it for a couple of miles, the road was getting steeper and more rugged so we turned around when we got the chance and made our way out.  

I still want to discover where it goes.  Does it come back out on 202? Does it connect to another country road?  Does it dead end? Is there a pot of gold at the end?  A beanstalk?

So I think there are 8 Cooleyville Road signs on Route 202 and one more off Route 2A in Wendell.  Check them out the next time you are in the area and be glad you are not the mailman for Cooleyville Road!

Country Creemee (Ice Cream) Turners Falls, MA

 

 52 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376

 (413) 863-3529

Current hours 11 AM to 8 PM 

Currently there is no indoor dining. 

 

A couple of years ago my wife and I were in Greenfield for the closing of a longtime popular department store.  After shopping and waiting in long lines to get some bargains, we decided to get some ice cream and relax awhile. We found one small place on Main street that had very limited flavors and none that appealed to me at the time.  We kept walking around until we found Snow's Ice Cream only to discover that they manufacture ice cream but do not sell it.  However, they did recommend a place in nearby Turners Falls.  That place with the odd name, Country Creemee, has become one of our favorite places.

During the pandemic we were anxious to get out on Sunday afternoons and this was a good destination.  In addition to ice cream, they serve homemade soups, and delicious sandwiches including one of my favorites, BLT.  

It is located at the corner of a building at Avenue A.  Currently only outside service is available so you go up the stairs to place your order at the window, then step down to await your order and allow others to order.  Prices are reasonable and the ice cream portions are huge.  If you order a small (which I recommend), you will think they mistakenly gave you a medium at least!  There are small tables and chairs along the sidewalk on both sides.  Across the street are picnic tables which are also available.

 It is a popular place and can go from no line to a big line in nothing flat but it goes down pretty fast and people are friendly and polite.

In addition to this ice cream spot, Turners Falls has a lot of old brick buildings and factories along the canal.  A short walk will also bring you to the river where you can sit under the trees and relax. It is an interesting town.  I recommend that you do some walking around and discovering while you are there.

I have posted other information on the area, here: More About Turners Falls

You can just barely see one of the tables along the sidewalk.  Others are around the corner along that sidewalk.

The order window is right on the corner of the building. Step up, order.  Step down while they prepare your order and take the next in line.  Step back up to receive your order when it is ready.

 

 I put this water bottle in the picture so you could get a sense of the size of these small ice cream cups. They are each two pretty large scoops. 

 

Hopefully I can add additional pictures soon.