Recently I sat down with Lily Hunter ’19, who runs a foodie Instagram account, @huntingfare, and possesses a love for and taste in food that blew palate-less me away. Here are a few of her favorite spots in town and nuggets of advice for dining in town.
“When ordering in restaurants, I would first study the menu and figure out what you’re craving. If you’re really hungry, then take note of which dishes come with sides, and determine if you’re in the mood for quantity or quality—ie, if you’d enjoy two or more entrées or just one entrée that the restaurant is famous for.
Appetizers are also a smart way to order. At Johnny’s Tavern, for example, you can get two good-sized appetizers for the price of a pasta dish. One of my favorite appetizers at Johnny’s Tavern is the truffle fries, which are amazing. Burgers comes with sides, so that’s another option to consider when ordering.
Also keep in mind dishes that you can’t get at Val, such as anything with avocado that isn’t guacamole or good-tasting shrimp. Eating out may be your only chance to remedy this, so keep that in mind when you’re studying the menu.
This wouldn’t be a guide to Amherst restaurants if I didn’t mention Antonio’s. My personal favorites are Avocado Quesadilla, Bacon Chicken Ranch, and Artichoke. Certain kinds of pizza come in square slices rather than the usual pie slices, so if you’re into square shaped pizza slices, ask the staff before you order. Also keep “hot cheese” in mind.
A pretty affordable, healthy option is Pita Pocket. The staff is very friendly, and since all the ingredients are displayed on countertop behind the front register, you can see the vegetables and meat that will make up your order. Everything I’ve gotten there is good, and you get a lot of food considering the price. My favorite order is the falafel salad, which comes with the best stuffed grape leaves I’ve ever had. Bonus: the atmosphere is great for doing work.
On the sweeter side, Glazed is definitely one of my favorites. After 10 pm, they have day-old $1 doughnuts, so that’s a great deal. Always ask what flavors of fresh baked doughnuts/pastries they have, since fresh baked is always better. I love the Apple Fritters, which have a moderate apple flavor and moderate sweetness, and which are twice the size of normal doughnuts. The Maple Glaze Long John is a favorite as well. Speaking of doughnuts, my favorite is the Triple Chocolate, which features a chocolate doughnut with chocolate glaze studded with chocolate chips. I love chocolate.
Amherst Ice Cream, formerly known as Bart’s Ice Cream and adjoining Pita Pocket, is excellent. If you’re going with a friend or are in the mood for lots and lots of ice cream, get the sundae, since it’s great value for the price. It’s possible to swap a flavor in a sundae for another flavor that you like better. A favorite flavor of mine is chocolate with raspberry cups; the cups are like small Reese’s Butter Cups but with raspberry jelly instead of peanut butter.”
I then asked Lily (who hails from Charlotte, North Carolina) how she started her Instagram account.
“I followed a lot of other foodie Instagram accounts, and thought to myself that starting my own would be a lot of fun. I’m always hungry, so food is always on my mind and I also really love food. To me, the visuals of food are an essential part of my eating experience, so I enjoy taking pictures of food. I also love coming up with interesting captions for my pictures, and thus my Instagram account was born. It’s also my method of rest and relaxation from work and study.”
I’ll be having brunch at Johnny’s Tavern later this week, and I know for sure that I’m getting truffle fries.