North Hadley Sugar Shack - MA

Paid a recent visit to the wonderful[url='http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=405']North Hadley Sugar Shack[/url] in Massachusetts this past weekend.

Maple sugaring season is in full swing. The guys boiling the sap said they are having a great year, with warm days and below freezing nights. They expect to be busy for a few more weeks, but have already surpassed their totals from last year.



White smoke (okay it is steam) rising from the building means that there is a new pope, or that they are boiling sap into syrup.







While waiting for a table you can get some wonderful maple donuts...which have a mild maple taste. They are outstanding!





The pancakes and waffles are good, but the real star here is the plentiful syrup you will put on top. We finsihed one pitcher, and they brought us another.





So, if some genuine maple products are what you are after...definitely put this place on your list! It is the real deal.

Ok I am now drooling, the sites, the smells, the tastes.....

Damn it, why hasn't Stephen inventer smell or taste-o-vision!!

Tony,

Everything looks great, I think I would drink the fresh syrup straight from the bottle

quote:

Originally posted by CajunKing

Ok I am now drooling, the sites, the smells, the tastes.....

Damn it, why hasn't Stephen inventer smell or taste-o-vision!!

Tony,

Everything looks great, I think I would drink the fresh syrup straight from the bottle

There is a counter in the boiling room where they have a big jug of syrup that is fresh out of the boiler...cooled for your safety of course...and small medicine cups so you can pour a sample. There is nothing like shots of grade A maple syrup!

The likes of which I have never seen...Sounds wonderful.Great pics, too!!Can the syrup be mail ordered somehow?

quote:

Originally posted by annpeeples

The likes of which I have never seen...Sounds wonderful.Great pics, too!!Can the syrup be mail ordered somehow?

My wife's family lives nearby, so we always get our supply in person, but I looked and they DO have online ordering.

http://www.northhadleysugarshack.com/store/syrup.htm

I can tell you that the prices online are the same as in the shop...of course they do charge for shipping.

Until 2002 we used to go to[url='http://www.grayssugarhouse.com/']this place [/url] (see pictures below) called Gray's for our Sugar Shack breakfast. Unfortunately they stopped serving breakfast a few years back...too many regulations made it hard for them to run a restaurant for a few weeks during sugaring season. It was a real neat place. They still produce syrup and also sell online, but I see their prices are from 2007...so you may want to check for 2008 info.

Just to add...

Here are a few pictures of Gray's from about 10 years ago...these were taken with my first digital camera, so excuse the fuzzy quality...what a difference a few years and a ton of extra pixels makes!

[img] http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3292/2364038595_d3f9794a2f_o.jpg[/img]

Gray's really put the word SHACK in sugar shack!

[img] http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/2364870844_479d6e633b_o.jpg[/img]

The long row of windows was where you waited for space to open in the dining room.



The "waiting room" was higher than the dining area and afforded you a view of people eating their great sugar shack breakfast. Note the log seats, cheese grater light shades.





These are Gray's magnificent corn fritters which were served with a chalice of maple syrup for dipping. Wow these sure were good!

This was a wonderfully unique place that I really miss. The North Hadley Sugar Shack is also great, but it is different. Gray's was a throw back to another time.

Your usual great job Tony, thanks.

Thanks for the site,Tony.What is the difference between Grade A&B?

quote:

Originally posted by annpeeples

Thanks for the site,Tony.What is the difference between Grade A&B?

Grade A is most often the kind people have on their breakfast. It is further divided into Light, Medium and Dark. The darker the more intense the flavor. The kind most people are familiar with is Grade A Light. It has a good, but not over powering flavor. They say the dark stuff is best for cooking, but I always get a can of the grade B...High Test...for my own use. It is an intense maple taste, so you don't need much, but it is great!

I think the various grade A types correspond to what part of the season it was gathered. Early season sap is lighter and clearer than late season sap.

I am not sure if all this is right, but I can tell you you'll like whatever you get!

Oh Tony, maple donuts, fritters with maple syrup and log seating in a shack, this, sir, has Roadfood written all over it!! How far of a drive is it from Manhattan? Thanks so much for sharing!

quote:

Originally posted by billyboy

Oh Tony, maple donuts, fritters with maple syrup and log seating in a shack, this, sir, has Roadfood written all over it!! How far of a drive is it from Manhattan? Thanks so much for sharing!

The second place pictured (with log seats) is sadly just a memory...but North Hadley sugar shack is about 3 hours from you. They should be boiling for a few more weeks. Get up there!!

Sweet Jesus that looks good. I don't remember hearing about this joint during my years in the Happy Valley. Sorry I missed it. Thanks for the pics. The donut is my new wallpaper.

I'm with Tony on Grade B. Two other things to mention: besides being more maple-y, it's less sweet. And it costs less, sometimes quite a bit less, than Grade A, which is awesome, cuz I really feel like I'm getting over when I buy it.

Humph. Just went to the website and they're selling Grade B at the same price as Grade A. I do not think I've seen that before.

Tony Bad-
Man, did I love this report! Great photos and descriptions of a classic Roadfood place I have not only never been to, but I have never visited anyplace like it. But after seeing the photos (the donut photos are spectacular), I am going to change that and soon! Thanks for the great report!