A recent telephone get-together with Joe Stevens of the Hofbrauhaus in West Springfield incorporated an update on what his restaurant is up to these days. Stevens tells me his beer dinners, which he offers on the first Wednesday of every month, are continuing to grow in popularity. Each such event showcases a particular beer style; for the April 3...
A recent telephone get-together with Joe Stevens of the Hofbrauhaus in West Springfield incorporated an update on what his restaurant is up to these days.
Stevens tells me his beer dinners, which he offers on the first Wednesday of every month, are continuing to grow in popularity.
Each such event showcases a particular beer style; for the April 3 dinner Stevens is focusing on Maibock.
Those attending get a half-liter stein of the featured beer along with an all-you-care-to-eat buffet. The beer evenings typically begin around 6 p.m., with dinner served at 6:45 p.m.
April is to be BockFest month at the Hofbrauhaus, with the restaurant offering a seasonal menu of spring-inspired flavors.
Among the appetizers Stevens will be featuring in the weeks ahead are a crab cake served over an Asian seaweed salad and a fried oyster taco.
He’s also serving chicken livers Madiera. Speaking of the dish, Stevens observes, “People love ’em.“
Bockfest entrees include grossmutter schnitzel with cream sauce, potatoes, carrots, onions, and mushrooms all served over egg noodles and tournedos Oscar, which are presented with the classic asparagus, crabmeat, and Bearnaise sauce garnish.
He’s also put a seafood stew on the seasonal menu. “It’s like a French bouillabaisse,“ Stevens says.
The Bockfest menu will be available through the end of April, after which Stevens will switch to a selection of Maifest offerings. Stevens also say’s he’s looking forward to warmer weather and the opening of the restaurant’s Beer Garden. “I’m planning a whole new beer garden menu,“ he adds.
For more information on what’s happening at the Hofbrauhaus this spring, call (413) 737-4905.
MRKT Restaurant in South Deerfield will host an Italian-themed dinner on April 1 as part of a new monthly series, "International Flights ⏻ Local Food with Faraway Flair.
For the inaugural event, MRKT chef Josean Jimenez will be sharing his kitchen with Martin Amaya of Alina's Restaurant in Hadley. The two will be cooking side-by-side, preparing local, farm-to-table ingredients using classic Italian techniques. Dinner is $40 per person, tax and gratuity not included. Reservations are required.
MRKT, which is located at 6B Elm Street in South Deerfield, answers at (413) 397-2190.
Delaney’s Grill in Holyoke will be presenting a Five Course Wine Dinner on April 12.
Hosted by Paul E. Provost, well-known wine educator and consultant, the event will feature six special vintages Provost has selected as his “special favorites.“
The event, which begins at 6 p.m., includes a “social course“ paired with Champagne; an appetizer of scallops and bacon gone upscale will follow. After a first remove of olive-poached salmon, the dinner’s main course, a grilled filet, will be served along with a 1983 Chateau Margaux.
Dessert is to be a flourless chocolate torte. Tickets, which are $125 per person, can be had by calling Delaney’s Grill at (413) 532-1800.
Brunch buffets have become a popular dining out option for Easter Sunday. 30Boltwood in Amherst has developed an interesting variation on the buffet idea that builds in traditional, at-your-table service.
30Boltwood’s Easter Brunch Buffet, which begins at 9:30 a.m., will offer what Executive Chef Dino Giordano describes as a “Starter Market Buffet“ of breads, smoked salmon, salads, locally-sourced cheeses, and a display of cold meats.
After a bit of leisurely grazing. seated guests can order an entree from a selection of eight different options; both breakfast-style and luncheon selections are available. Dessert is similarly served.
The brunch buffet, which is available until 3:30 p.m. on Easter Sunday, is $35. Contact 30Boltwood at (413) 835-2011 for reservations.
The Rotary Club of West Springfield, which sponsors West Side’s Taste of the Valley each June, has announced that legendary folk/rocker Jonathan Edwards will be the headlining entertainer at this year’s Taste.
Edwards, known for iconic 1970s hits such as “Sunshine,“ “Everybody Knows Her,“ and “Shanty,“ will perform Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m. The Taste of the Valley, which will run from June 6 through June 9, 2013, is held on West Springfield’s Park Street common and serves as a major fundraiser for Rotary Club community projects.
Restaurants interested in participating in this June’s Taste can e-mail organizers at info@westsidetaste.com
Plan B Burger Bar in Springfield will be holding its first Bourbon Dinner on April 15. Scheduled to start at 6 p.m. and wrap up around 9 p.m., the event will feature a five-course menu along with the opportunity to taste a selection of Bourbons. The dinner is slated to begin with a Bourbon-cured salmon plate before moving on to crispy rice balls, a Bourbon maple-glazed sirloin and a peach Bourbon upside-down cake dessert. Tickets, which are $60 per person, can be ordered at PlanBBurger.com/Bourbon. The ticket price includes tax and gratuity, but is not refundable. Plan B Burger Bar answers at (413) 285-8296.
The Greenfield-based Comedy Mystery Tour and the Munich Haus in Chicopee will be presenting a dinner-theater performance of “Murder at Clown College,“ the troupe’s 2013 interactive whodunit, on April 12. The Munich Haus will be putting on a complete dinner that includes a number of the restaurant’s most popular entrees; a Vienna-style dessert station will wrap up the knife-and-fork portion of the evening. The fun begins at 6:30 p.m.; tickets are $35 per person. Contact the Munich Haus at (413) 594-8788 for more details.
Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community College’s hospitality and culinary arts program and has more than 35 years of restaurant and educational experience. Please send items of interest to Off the Menu at the Republican, P.O. Box 2350, Springfield, MA 01102; Robert can also be reached at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com