Tonight I was fortunate to leave the restaurant before close and meet my wife (who had a much deserved night off) for dinner at Coco, Easthampton's new eatery. We had a really nice evening. It was nice to eat a place that serves honest food. I think this is something the Pioneer Valley lacks. There is a air of pride around the Valley that it hosts some the best restaurants outside of New York City. I have heard almost these exact words from more than a few people. While I believe at one time it was home to quite a restaurant scene, I think those days have past and we are on the verge of another run. There is some good blood coming back into the area. A good group of people who are willing to work hard and take pride in their food. A group who still get excited about food and being in the business. From what I saw today, this defines the owners of Coco. They seemed to deeply care about the image of their place. They seemed to understand that it is important to be present and actually working at their establishment. And finally, they seemed to be truly excited and proud of the food they were serving and the the work they were doing. We chatted with them for a minute and it was a delight to hear how excited they became after tasting one of their new dessert creations, olive oil ice cream...which was delicious by the way. People seem to think that as a chef, when I go out to a place I either like it or I don't. I rarely go to a place with the intention of judging it. That doesn't mean that it doesn't happen though, I can be very judgmental.
How do I define an honest restaurant? Well, it starts with the owners, or chefs, or managers, or employees, or all of the above having pride with what they are doing. Then it refers to the food itself. Be it a fine dining restaurant, a street food cart or a casual lunch spot, it needs to be something people want to eat, made from good whole food, and made fresh from scratch. Honesty is what I felt from Coco. Sure there are things I loved and things I would do differently, but that doesn't make them right or wrong, good or bad. That's what makes Bistro Les Gras, Bistro Les Gras and Coco, Coco. Take the olive oil ice cream for instance. I have thought about doing it before, but never as a dessert. The types of olive oils I use at the restaurant are bold, spicy and/or grassy ones, rarely ever fruity. Therefore the olive oil ice cream I would make lends itself to savory preparations. They use a fruity, melony oil, which as it turns out, is perfect for a dessert ice cream. This is why I love to eat at other restaurants, it's inspiring, interesting and fun. It's somebody elses take on the same thing I do.
I am not saying that there aren't good restaurants in the Valley. I am saying that there aren't as many as people in the Valley like to think. While there are some really great places, there are too many that are are getting a free ride. It is up to you as customers to push us and them to be better, maybe then the Pioneer Valley will get back to it's legendary status as one New England's restaurant destination towns. Coco is a very welcomed addition and I hope that they keep it up.
Now I have had a few glasses of wine and will probably wish I hadn't posted this in the morning, but I am glad I finally said it. I want to be proud of the restaurants in the area, unfortunately, well, I'll stop there...
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