What I’m eating: A food tour of East LongmeadowDate: 7/25/2023 One of the perks of being a reporter is you find yourself constantly on the road. This lifestyle is not for everyone, but I grew to love moseying around new areas, discovering all sorts of fascinating destinations and obscure diamonds in the rough. Aside from my beat in Chicopee and Springfield, the community I traversed through the most during my full-time days at The Reminder was East Longmeadow.
Before two years ago, I rarely spent a minute in the town. It was an unknown borough to me, a mysterious hidden land resting just outside the hectic Sumner Avenue roadway. That quickly changed while working in the East Longmeadow Reminder Publishing office. I spent several afternoons scouring the community for a bite to eat, trying out several well-known staples in search of a satisfying midday meal. My constant experimentation led me to a bounty of delectable destinations that still stick with me today.
With no further ado, here is my first food tour of East Longmeadow.
The Pizza Shoppe, 134 Shaker Rd.
I will be honest; when I heard the idea of infusing sweetness into pizza dough, I had some skepticism. Pizza is such a traditional, time-honored relic. Who could actually reinvent the pizza wheel in a new context?
Well, to The Pizza Shoppe’s credit, the sweet dough idea is an improbable marriage that lands a powerful flavor punch. The contrast between richly aromatic pizza sauce, golden brown cheese and an irresistible rush of sweet dough flavor blends perfectly within each pie. I always associate their signature pizza with fun staff celebrations. The editorial team would all jam into the slight kitchen of the paper’s old office and commemorate special occasions in the only appropriate way — by indulging in slice after slice of mouthwatering pizza.
Going to The Pizza Shoppe is just as festive. The building’s interior features a warm, friendly aesthetic while intermixing the charms of a bustling sports bar. Their menu also hosts an assortment of delicious options, including juicy chicken wings doused in tangy buffalo sauce, glorious grinders topped with stacks of meat and fixings and an endless lineup of bar food classics. No matter what you decide to order, you are sure to find a satisfying meal.
Center Square Grill, 84 Center Square
A restaurant synonymous with refined elegance, Center Square Grill elevates modern Americana meals through every plate that races out of their kitchen. Going to this restaurant was always a special treat for me. Each time I visited, I frequently found myself running up the bill ordering a combination of well-prepared dishes.
Center Square Grill boasts an expansive menu, yet every item I’ve tried spotlights the same consistent brilliance. Classics like flawlessly fried fish and chips, dynamically seasoned Jamaican jerk chicken, delectable burgers and cast-iron baked macaroni grace the menu with flavor and flair. You can’t go wrong with whatever you order because every dish is prepared with exacting consistency and remarkable precision.
Redstone Pasta Company, 642 North Main St.
Whenever a sumptuous Italian meal lands on the table, my eyes are transfixed by its brilliance. I’ve always held a personal affinity for the cuisine. When done right, Italian food delivers bold, fragrant meals composed with panache and love by skilled artisans.
Redstone Pasta Company certainly gets the formula right. Most Italian restaurants lean toward an old-school rustic aesthetic. Here, every plate arrives at the table with a heightened sense of finesse. Each dish’s exquisite plating and well-balanced composition is genuinely something to behold, with each meal taking on a photogenic appearance that instantly draws patrons in.
Thankfully, the food tastes just as good as it looks. With each bite, the restaurant’s focus on local, hand-crafted cuisine renders savory delight. Crispy calamari, hearty chicken Parmesan, traditional wood-fired pizzas and a medley of well-prepared pasta dishes are just some of the pleasure’s patrons can discover at Redstone Pasta Company.
I do not spend nearly as much time in East Longmeadow anymore, but when I do, I feel a sense of nostalgia driving down each street and corridor. For all the places we go, sometimes the little things are what keep us affectionately looking back.
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