The venue just celebrated its first anniversary on Feb. 8.
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The Roost, a restaurant located at the corner of Bridge and Market in Northampton, opened in February 2011.George Lenker: "We welcome The Roost to the fold" »
Sometimes you want to go out at night, but don't want to be subjected to throbbing DJ bass lines, sports blaring from TVs, or the up-and-down talent that appears at open mics.
This is one reason that The Roost, while not a traditional club in the sense that it doesn't feature live music or karaoke or dancing, has been successful during its first year. It definitely has become known as a bustling, albeit subdued, nightspot in Northampton, where the competition for your nighttime entertainment dollar is steep. The venue just celebrated its first anniversary on Feb. 8.
Where The Roost does qualify as a club, is the beer, wine and cocktails it offers, as well as the cozy atmosphere. It also features an evening noshing menu that dovetails well with the vibe. It's hard to beat a $3 pint of Lagunitas IPA accompanied by a tasty plate of chips and homemade salsa with lime paprika sour cream for $5. Other food offerings include a local cheese board, tempeh wings and a game board (as in duck, calabrese, and chorizo, not Monopoly or chess).
And while the venue doesn't have a full liquor license, it makes due with an inventive list of cocktails using beer, wine, cider and mead. One of these, the Dark and Stormy, features Left-Hand Brewing Co.'s Milk Stout blended with Green River Ambrosia Ginger Beer. It also has free wifi, but make sure your tablet or laptop is dully charged: there are no outlets—a wise tactic to prevent Internet squatters from roosting too long at the expense of reasonable customer turnover.
So congratulations to The Roost on finding a niche in the crowded Northampton market and celebrating its first birthday. And speaking of birthdays, they also have some delicious cake of you decide to stop in for dessert after a dinner elsewhere. The Roost is at 1 Market St.
SCOUTING REPORT
While we're talking about the east side of Northampton, let me mention a change at Paradise City Tavern. The former Tater Tots and Games Galore night on Tuesdays is now movie night. At 9:30 p.m. Each week, bartender Deven Kenison will show a popular or classic film on the tavern's five big screens. Fortunately for Totzillas like myself, Tater Tots will remain on the menu. Paradise City Tavern is at 1 Bridge St.
Maybe you can't "party every day," but if you want to rock and roll all night, then head to Geraldine's in West Springfield on Feb. 18 because that's when and where the KISS tribute band Alive! will be playing. Geraldine's is at 1519 Elm St.
The metal-punk band Knucklehead will play a reunion show at Maximum Capacity in Chicopee on Feb. 17. The bar is located at 116 School St.
