Paul and Elizabeth off Main Street in Northampton Mass was a place my wonderful, usually spot-on wife Colette and her friend from adolescence B. decided was more interesting than the Green Street Cafe*, rec'd by Smith Prof vivremanger when we dined at Frenchie a few weeks ago. I resisted but lost, as usual.
Northampton was clogged with folks buying junque in their annual sidewalk sale; with diversity in full flower. The resto is in the old Thorne's Dept Store (a nice revival), the menu at lunch is too replete with eggs, soups and salads, but hey, this is the heart of chunchy granola land.
I defied the tone set by our friends and Colette ordering salads, wraps and omelettes with froufrou iced tea by having tilapia with a glazed ginger sauce aside brown rice (I told you), preceded by a mixed salad with a misu dressing with no ginger - both terrific, and a bottle of their house blanc Herault wine for $16, equally good.
So John, what's the problem? Oh yah, I forget to mention that we were on our way to a wedding and had a daughter and grandson in tow, the latter of whom had a despirate need for ice cream, which obligingly was in plenty just a floor away, run by old Steve's of Manhattan. So he brought it back to the table and they got the boot, before allowing my daughter to order.
It would have been easy to transfer the ice cream to a "house" bowl, but no, rules are rules, "if we allow you, pretty soon everyone will try to," so out you go. By the way, the bosslady, I assume Elizabeth herself, offered us desserts we could take out (presumably to eat in our hands with our grandchild), but we demured. Enough was enough.
Our bill was a most reasonable $50.10 for four.
PS Our male friend (a local) said because of what happened he'll never go again nor recommend it to others. So they lost the income from two meals and future custom, because of rigidity. Sad, because I had a nice meal.
* That day's Daily Hampshire Gazette had an artcle about Smith College's long campaign to boot the Cafe out of its present quarters; apparently it's still operating though.
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