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(MassLive Staff)
Maple Weekend in Massachusetts is March 21-22. Sugarhouses will be open for visitors and area restaurants will feature menu items made with locally-tapped syrups.
Northampton will offer a host of dining options. Breakfast lovers can get their pancakes, French toast and more served with Massachusetts maple syrup at both Jake's Restaurant and Sylvester's. Woodstar Cafe will have maple syrup-sweetened granola and bran muffins.
Jake's Restaurant serve up maple-brined roast pork Cuban sandwiches and hash and VIVA Fresh Pasta Co. will offer sweet potato ravioli in a maple-walnut sauce. Spoleto will feature rum-maple glazed scallops wrapped in bacon atop farro and fresh spinach, and a "New Beginnings" cocktail with rum, maple syrup, fresh lime, dry curacao and egg white garnished with fresh cayenne and sage.
Dobra Tea will make their sweet rice with maple syrup, GoBerry will have maple frozen yogurt and maple syrup available as a topping and Herrell's will have a selection of maple ice creams and cookies. Paul & Elizabeth's in Thornes Marketplace will dish up a warm Indian pudding with maple and molasses-sweetened cornmeal and whipped cream.
Hampshire Country
The newly-opened Bread and Butter Cafe in Amherst will serve local syrup with pancakes, French toast and waffles plus a maple-sriracha pork belly in breakfast and lunch sandwiches. The Roadhouse Cafe in Belchertown will have a maple sausage egg bake and maple crumb coffeecake.
Old Creamery Co-Op in Cummington will present a maple mustard roasted chicken and squash for a main and sweets like maple pecan pie and cashew-coconut granola. Galaxy in Easthampton will have small plates of light and fluffy corn and sweet potato fritters with a reduced cream and maple sauce and a maple Manhattan made with Berkshire Bourbon and candied bacon.
Franklin County
Hagers Farm Market in Shelburne will have a grass-fed Maple Burger topped with Cabot cheddar and bacon on a homemade roll. West End Pub in Shelburne Falls will offer French toast with maple syrup, maple hot buffalo wings, maple balsamic salmon, sweet potato fries with maple Dijon dipping sauce and maple whiskey sours.
Taylor's Tavern and Restaurant in Greenfield will showcase a bacon wrapped shrimp appetizer drizzled with chipotle maple butter and a Bostrom Farm pan-seared pork chop finished with maple cream sauce or maple steak tips served over rice.
Sunderland's Blue Heron will feature a "New England Smash" cocktail with bourbon, muddled mint, lemon and maple syrup. Chandler's Restaurant in South Deerfield will offer Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey hot toddy, maple habanero chicken wings with apple and jicama slaw and a maple cheesecake for dessert.
Berkshire County
Taking a Berkshire road trip? Breakfast at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge will feature Massachusetts maple syrup along with their oatmeal, Texas-style French toast and malted buttermilk, blueberry and Berkshire apple pancakes. Pleasant and Main in Great Barrington will bring back their seasonal "sugaring off" crepe, maple lattes and maple hot chocolate. Travelers can get snacks of maple shortbread or scones at Wild Oats Market in Williamstown Maple scones.
Gramercy Bistro at MASS MoCA in North Adams will offer an evening menu with maple balsamic vinaigrette spinach salad, trout with soy maple ginger glaze and maple cake for dessert. Gala Steakhouse & Bistro in Williamstown will have maple vinaigrette salad with dried fruit, roasted herb pork tenderloin with maple honey whole grain mustard sauce and maple creme brulee for dessert.
For more information on Massachusetts Maple Weekend, visit massmaple.org.