5 Restaurants You Can’t Miss in Amherst, Massachusetts
For an inexpensive and filling lunch, try Panda East located at 103 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, Massachusetts and can be reached at (413)256-8923. Lunch at Panda East includes soup, rice and an entree of your choice. A more expansive dinner menu is always available, and includes larger portions and higher prices. Sushi is also on the menu. If you’re in the mood for Chinese, and don’t have a lot to spend, try the lunch menu, which is served Monday-Saturday from 11am-3pm. You could order the Egg Drop Soup or the Hot and Sour Soup, however, the light-brothed Wonton Soup is a local favorite.
Even if you are just having lunch it would be a shame if you did not try the House Special Dumplings. They are pan-fried, pockets of succulence dressed in a sauce with fresh garlic. They also offer a light alternative to the traditional eggroll, the Spring Roll. For a cold option, you can’t go wrong with the Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce. Everything on this restaurant’s menu is fresh, flavorful and impeccably cooked. Top dishes include the savory Ginger Chicken with String Beans, Moo Shoo with choice of meat is served with delicate pancakes and a scrumptious plum sauce. For a hotter palate, order the Empress Chicken.
Another great restaurant to try for lunch if the dinner menu is too pricey is Judie’s, located at 51 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, Massachusetts and may be reached at 413-253-3491. Another reason to eat lunch rather than dinner at Judie’s is the long waiting lines on weekend nights. Judie’s has been serving up delicious salads, entrees, desserts and their infamous popovers for 29 years. When you’re headed to Judie’s be sure to bring your appetite. Any of Judie’s soups are a hit, but for lovers of rich seafood chowder, the Seafood Bisque is completely heavenly. Appetizers and salads are all delectable at Judie’s, there are even five types of Caesar salads on the menu. Although sandwiches and burgers are on the menu, they are all cooked with Judie’s incredible attention to detail and you won’t find these combinations elsewhere. The dinner menu does change, however you will always receive an original and tasty meal. Judie may even come out of the kitchen to see how you liked it. Save room for dessert. Children’s menu available.
Not far from Judie’s, for something that you probabaly don’t or can’t cook at home, try New India Restaurant located at 17 Kellogg Avenue, Amherst, Massachusetts and may be reached at 413-253-4200. In addition to the flavoful dishes, a great reason to eat at New India Restaurant is that the dishes as healthy as they are tasty. Also, it is a great place to find vegetarian dishes. For a sweet start, try the yogurt drink, Mango Lassi. For an appetizer, order the samosas or the Coconut Soup. When ordering, don’t forget the Naan. Naan is a delicious flatbread served with fresh seasonings, meat or plain. For an entree, the Tandoori Chicken is chicken marinated In yogurt with freshly ground spices and grilled in Tandoor, an Indian clay oven. Other entrees include lamb and rice specialties.
For a romantic or upscale Italian meal, visit La Cucina Di Pinocchio located at 30 Boltwood Walk, Amherst Massachustts, and can be reached at 413-256-4110. The lunch menu includes the traditional soups and salads, but also features flat breads and deliciously grilled portobellos, sauteed spinach or asparagus in garlic butter. Dinner entrees inclue veal, seafood, chicken, pasta, beef and risottos.
When you first walk into Antonio’s Pizza you will be rewarded with the aroma and colors of 50 fresh cooked pizzas just waiting for you to order a slice or two. The pizza is the best in the area and it’s convenient for grabbing a quick bite while exploring downtown Amherst.
Whether you go Chinese or Indian, Creative American or Italian, or just need a slice of pizza, any one of these restaurants will delight you.
