The perfect spot to take a few friends or a date, the Café seats only 30 people and is quite popular among the townsfolk (hint: get there around 6-6:30 p.m. for optimal dining experience). The tables and artwork are mismatched yet similar in the way that the dinner feels both at home and out-on-the-town simultaneously. The array of music-songs from such artists as Norah Jones and Van Morrison-make the ambience even more cozy.
Seated by the door with four of my girlfriends, I stared at the menu and found myself wanting to try a little of everything. As my table decided what to order for appetizers, our affable waitress brought us a basket full of wonderful, warm and toasted rosemary bread with parmesan. Finally, we decided upon the crab and smoked shrimp cakes ($7.95), which came with a tangy tomatillo and lime salsa and fresh greens. While a few of us dusted those off, one of my other friends had a cup of clam chowder ($3.75). The chowder was certainly fresh and welcoming on the rather chilly evening, but it could have used a bit more stuffing of clams and potato. Although we could have gone for more appetizers, like the grilled asparagus and roasted red pepper, we chatted as we patiently waited for our entrées.
Our garden salads came first. The purple lettuce was a bit bitter, but that could have just been my not really liking purple garden lettuce in my salad. The apple vinaigrette, however, was spot on.
Next, our entrées arrived, but not too soon after we had finished our salad or before we had asked if the door could be closed because of the cool breeze (the chef, himself, came out from behind the kitchen counter and was quite pleasant as he closed the door and received our exclamations about what we had eaten so far). Two of my friends had the sundried tomato-encrusted trout with arugula mashed potatoes and thin, roasted vegetables ($17.95). The trout was a little too salty and just on the side of overcooked; and, although the mashed potatoes would not have stood out alone, they were a nice complement to the fish and vegetables (interesting looking too-they were green!). Another friend ordered the fresh vegetable penne ($15.95), which was an enormous bowl of penne with delectable, colorful, crisp peppers, snap peas, asparagus and other seasonal vegetables. Yet another friend had the tomato salad special ($15.95), consisting of a variety of heirloom tomatoes, goat cheese, tasty bruschetta and avocadoes, all of which which combined to make a rich and flavorful dish. Last, I had the pan-blackened salmon with mouth-watering mango butter ($18.95). At first, I was unsure about the mango butter, but after one bite of the intense flavor that the mango brought out of the salmon, I was in food ecstasy. Sautéed spinach and an off-the-charts good asparagus risotto accompanied my salmon; for those who do not know, risotto is extremely difficult to make and mine was textbook perfect.
By popular vote, my dish won, hands down, as the favorite of the evening. Just as we were discussing how pleasantly full we all were, our waitress walked by with a chocolate dessert for another table. We jumped on her asking what it was and soon found ourselves delving into a flourless chocolate torte with a multi-chocolate ganache drizzled on the side with strawberries ($5)-talk about the perfect chocolate fix and finish to a wonderful dinner.
As for the prices of our meals, Side Street Café may seem somewhat pricey for those of us on a college budget. Appetizers range from $6.95-$8.95, salads from $4.50-$7.25, entrees from $15.95-$24.95 and dessert is about $5. When considering the cost, though, I would like to reiterate the fact that the quality, and quantity, of food paired with the nice service and atmosphere make the expenditure well worth it. To view the menu or get the address and phone number, visit the Café's Web site at www.sidestcafe.com.
I can definitely say that my decision to venture away from the always crowded, and usually noisy, restaurants of Amherst and Northampton in search of a quieter, more relaxing place was a fine one. So, pick a weekend and go exploring, stopping along the way for an enjoyable meal and experience at Side Street Café.
Know another quaint restaurant with out-of-this-world cuisine? Let Jesse Jokinen know at jjokinen10@amherst.edu.