Springfield Area Bound need a pub (Holyoke, Amherst: relocating, home, school)

[MathTeacher]

sounds silly, but my husband and I have only a couple of creature comforts: a good homey pub and a natural foods grocery store.

he will be attending western new england school of law so we want to be within 15 miles of springfield.

what towns near springfield have
1.a good pub (not a sports bar)
2.a natural foods grocery store?

I think that northhampton is too far...

I have been reading sooooooo many posts and none address where to get a nice pint of ale near springfield!

[willdufauve]

There's a great number 1 on Sunderland Rd in Amherst, and a big number 2 on Rte 9 in Hadley.

[goyguy]

The Fort & Student Prince in downtown Springfield used to be a fun, good tavern - part of a big German restaurant. Presumably it's still there. The Yankee Pedlar in Holyoke is also "locally popular." And the "Pioneer Valley" towns of Amherst, Hadley, and Northampton really aren't that far away. I-91 can have you at the Route 9 exit (Hadley/"Noho" line) in about 15 minutes. Sheehan's on Pleasant St in downtown Northampton was my personal favorite in my bygone UMass days, there and the perpetually townie-but-cool Joe's Pizza on Market St just off Route 9 right before the railroad tracks when approaching from the east. If FitzWillie's, just west of the tracks on the north side of Route 9, still exists it's a fun place too. They claim to be the birthplace of stuffed potato skins. The bars in Amherst and Hadley all prominently display "Proper ID required" warnings in their ads, so caveat emptor. A pub filled with people who are actually and debatably 21 can have its moments both good and bad.

Whole Foods has expanded into New England and taken over many of the "earthy crunchy" stores that it didn't put out of business. A visit to their Website should tell you of any locations around Spfld - I know that there's one out in "the Valley" (Hadley, on the south side of Route 9 east of I-91.) You could also Google food co-ops for more possibilities.

[FutureSoxFan?]

sounds silly, but my husband and I have only a couple of creature comforts: a good homey pub and a natural foods grocery store.

he will be attending western new england school of law so we want to be within 15 miles of springfield.

Hi MathTeacher

I have no great love for either math or lawyers, but I won't hold that against you . . .

We are also relocating to the Springfield area. Can't tell you about the pub scene, but Fresh Acres Market on Wilbraham Road, in the 16 Acres section of Springfield looked promising from the grocery perspective. I don't think it's 100% crunchy granola but it did look like they'd have a good selection of stuff. They have a website you can check out.

Fresh Acres Market - Home

There is also a Whole Foods right up Route 91 in Hadley, probably 15 min from Springfield.

Otherwise I'm sure there are numerous smaller "natural food" stores.

Good luck!

[tonrob]

Originally Posted by MathTeacher

sounds silly, but my husband and I have only a couple of creature comforts: a good homey pub and a natural foods grocery store.

he will be attending western new england school of law so we want to be within 15 miles of springfield.

what towns near springfield have
1.a good pub (not a sports bar)
2.a natural foods grocery store?

I think that northhampton is too far...

I have been reading sooooooo many posts and none address where to get a nice pint of ale near springfield!

Not sure from your posts what your tastes are exactly but I'll assume that "nice pint of ale" means quality. I'm afraid you're out of luck in Springfield, my man... (The German place mentioned already is still open and has a small selection of good quality lager though).

Northampton is realistically your closest and best bet (20 mins north). The Dirty Truth is a great beer bar with a modern atmosphere and a good bar food menu. They probably have around 20-30 beers on tap including a good spread from micros across the US and also imports (mainly Belgian and German). They have a handpump that dispenses a real ale from time to time.

Around the corner is a classy restauarant called the Sierra Grille. Modern American cooking and around 15 or so taps, all with interesting beers. Both places have a good bottled selection too. There is also the Northampton Brewery, but its food and beer both pale next to the aforementioned places.

If you could bear to drive a little further then The Peoples Pint in Greenfield is the place for you (40 mins drive). Small-ish homely brewpub, with a selection of home-brewed British-style ales (no fewer than 3 served cask conditioned at any one time) and a locally sourced food menu. Heaven!