Miss Dish

I second Chef Mamou's and Pho Saigon. Also, Carmela's - if it's still open? Carmela's Restaurant 770 Main St, Springfield - (413) 737-5800

I like Cafe Miranda in Rockland. www.cafemiranda.com

Hi, The Market Basket has great (albeit expensive) sandwiches. The Corner Shop in Rockport Village is a local hangout, although my experience with their food has been mixed. Will you be able to get to Camden or Rockland? That would expand your options quite a bit.

Bub's BBQ is near UMASS. Northampton is chockfull of great place to eat. Two of my favorites are Lhasa Cafe & Osaka. I'm not sure about place to stay. There are lots of chain motels between Amherst & Northampton.

I like the A1 too. I had some gingerbread there once that I still think about. Moody's is the closest "real" diner to me. My favorite summer Sunday ritual is a meal at Moody's and then a stop at Beth's Farmstand. Turkey & gravy over biscuits is always good, if coma-inducing.

Hi Roger, What I found in my research was that all kinds of people eat all kinds of ferns all over the world. But many of them (bracken, for example) are considered unsafe. Ostrich & cinnamon seem to be the only safe & edible ferns in New England.

Thank you both for your responses. I appreciate the input! I used to live in Western Massachusetts, and we got fiddleheads, so I would think you would be able to find some in the woods around New Haven. From what I've read, the ostrich fern is the one people eat. I have read a bit about the toxicity issue, and I will be sure to address it. I don't want to play a part in anyone getting food poisoning!

Hello all Mainers ( + interested others) , I'm a writer for Edible Coastal Maine magazine, and I've been assigned a fiddlehead story for our spring issue. I hope this isn't an inappropriate post - my apologies in advance if it is. I've already read some previous threads on fiddleheads in the egullet archives, so I know that people either love them or hate them. They are a Maine tradition though, so I'd like to do them justice. Here are my questions for you potential readers: What would you like to know about fiddleheads, especially fiddleheads in Maine? What would make an article interesting to you, keep you reading past the intro? Of course, a list of great places to go picking would be good, but I don't think my sources will share those! I'd appreciate any suggestions from you knowledgable Mainers. Thanks!

Thanks for looking, and for the feedback. I am not sure why the ECM publishers chose pdf vs. html for the website's articles. I write for them and help with copyediting, but leave the technical stuff to others! I will ask though, the next time I'm in touch...

I'm getting good feedback. I've already turned in my articles for the next issue, so hopefully we're up and running. Thanks!

The second issue of Edible Coastal Maine, the "Holiday" issue, is now out. You can check it out and read several of its articles online at: www.ediblecoastalmaine.com I wrote the cheese article - let me know what you think!

There is some great food in the Valley. Chef Mamou's is a fabulous cajun place in Springfield. There is also a high end Italian restaurant called Carmela's in Springfield. Pintu's is my favorite Indian restaurant in the area - a little tricky to find in West Springfield but worth it. I agree with the Osaka recommendation for Northampton (order the sweet potato roll!). The Korean place on rt 9 between Northampton and Amherst is good. For an interesting side trip go to the Montague Book Mill. There was a cafe there the last time I went - the Lady Killigrew (???). A nice place to relax. Its been about a year since I was there, so I can't be sure that all these places are still open...

Hi, Its a wild and windy day on the Midcoast. We're expecting winds of up to 60 mph (or so my neighbor said). I'm anxiously awaiting the fall issue of Edible Coastal Maine as I have 2 articles in it: one on Maine cheesemakers and the other on our artisanal breadbakers. What's happening with cheese in Maine right now is really interesting - finally some good news for our dairy farmers. Anyway, I'm glad to be here (however infrequently) and I look forward to reading more from everyone! Rachel

Hello there, This is my first post to eGullet, so forgive me if I screw it up. Oyster Creek are the mushroom folks at the Camden's Farmers Market. Here is a link to their site: http://www.oystercreekmushroom.com/ I've never foraged for mushrooms before, but people are really into here on the midcoast. Its one of those million and one ways that Mainers have of making extra income. --Rachel PS I love Beth's! Try their farmhouse cheddar! Crumbly but delectable.