The Three Forks Review

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

☀️ The Summer Scoop with The Three Forks Review:

Orchard Run Ice Cream at Atkins Farms Country Market

🍦 Offerings: soft serve, hard ice cream, sundaes, floats, & shakes
🍦Vibes: picnic tables and shaded seating with lovely mountain views
🍦Hours: Open daily 11am-8pm
🍦What we ordered: kiddie size chocolate & vanilla twist with rainbow sprinkles
🍦Rating: 3/3 Scoops

05/26/2026

🐟 Nothing kicks off the summer season in New England quite like a seafood dinner. While we love a good meal with ocean views, luckily there are many great inland spots that offer enjoyable seafood when the coast is just a little too far away.

Fishtales Bar & Grill offers “small hometown cooking in the heart of Hatfield.” While the menu includes sandwiches, burgers, and salads, the seafood is the star and is delivered fresh daily. (On a side note, they also offer an excellent prime rib dinner on Sundays and Wednesdays for $21.99 — quite a deal!)

Fishtales is a popular local spot to enjoy drinks, good food, and conversation, and it was hopping on the day we visited. With its casual and comfortable atmosphere, it’s an easy place to settle in for an enjoyable dining experience.

To me, it’s officially summer once I’ve had steamed lobster. What’s better than one delicious lobster dipped in warm melted butter? Twin lobsters! 🦞 Once my metal bucket for the shells arrived — along with the wet towelette and crackers — my summer mode was officially activated. I added a side salad and the daily vegetable, creating a meal I can honestly say I loved.

My dining partner ordered the fried scallops, which arrived as a huge portion of large scallops alongside french fries and creamy coleslaw. They were so good that he said he would definitely order the scallops again.

Our server promptly made sure all of our dining needs were met, which we appreciated. For fresh seafood served in a relaxed and welcoming setting, the Three Forks Review awards Fishtales Bar & Grill 2.5 forks.

If you like discovering new spots to dine, please follow our page 🍴

05/22/2026

Otto's in Keene, NH presents a fun date night destination boasts an diversified menu, full bar, and separate restaurant area, with outdoor seating and a notable 2 1/2 forks rating from the Three Forks review, ensuring a memorable dining experience.

05/21/2026

The Three Forks Review: Snack Edition 🐄

We recently came across a shop that, while not a traditional dining destination, impressed us enough to deserve a review.

Based in Westfield, Mass, Whip City Jerky offers an amazing variety of over 15 flavors and several unique cuts of jerky, including shaved, nuggets, and straws that are smoked right out back.

Inside the store, you’ll find spices, sauces, bacon, as well as a “meat cave.” The best part - you can sample all of the flavors and cuts of jerky. We enjoyed so many flavors, but the standouts were garlic parmesan, Hawaiian, and spicy teriyaki. Whip City Jerky is a fun and flavorful stop that’s well worth a visit — and a great way to support a local business. If you can’t make it out to Westfield, Big Y grocery stores carry Whip City Jerky.

05/18/2026

🏡 51 Park Restaurant in Lee, Mass is housed in a charming historic 1800s home that has contained a variety of businesses over the last 200 years. In 2014, 51 Park Restaurant opened as a gathering place for people to enjoy quality food in a welcoming setting, priding itself on a menu featuring fresh, made from scratch items.

The restaurant spans two floors with plenty of seating spread throughout the different rooms of the former house. We started things off with an order of eight jumbo wings — half honey sriracha and half sesame teriyaki. The meaty wings were cooked perfectly with crispy edges, and both sauces were delightfully flavorful and absolutely worth ordering.

The Black Garlic Burger is one of the restaurant’s signature menu items, topped with black garlic truffle aioli, caramelized onions, and fontina cheese, served on a brioche roll with house-made chips. We enjoyed the rich, savory flavors of the burger and especially loved the crisp, freshly made chips.

The Smashed Chicken Sandwich featured grilled chicken topped with a jalapeño popper, garlic aioli, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and onion on a brioche roll. We swapped the chips for truffle fries, which were even better dipped in extra aioli. It’s another solid menu option that combines several favorite flavors into one satisfying sandwich.

51 Park Restaurant offers a casual, relaxing atmosphere and a menu with something for everyone. The table next to us was enjoying wood-fired pizza and raving about the honey butter glazed salmon that we would love to try on our next visit. Our server was friendly, attentive, and offered excellent menu suggestions throughout the meal. With flavorful comfort food and warm hospitality inside a beautifully restored historic home, 51 Park Restaurant & Tavern delivers an experience that is both inviting and memorable. The Three Forks Review awards 2.5 forks to 51 Park Restaurant.

05/12/2026

After starting out as a tropical fusion food truck on Boston Road in Springfield, Koqui Restaurant has been cooking up some delicious and creative food at Brookside Cafe in Ludlow. Tucked inside a neighborhood bar, there’s a small window inside at the back where you can order food to enjoy inside the cafe or take out if you prefer.

The menu is filled with classic Puerto Rican dishes alongside standout fusion creations. If you take a peek at their page, you’ll see that “standout” may actually be an understatement — they’ve been known to completely sell out of food because it’s that good.

El Borichino is a plate packed with Puerto Rican and Chinese flavors that may be new to us here at the Three Forks Review, though this thriving culinary subculture has been growing in Puerto Rico since the 1990’s. At Koqui Restaurant, the Borichino plate delivers an immediate wow factor from first sight. With so many options to build your own plate, we went with fried rice, crispy chicken Koqui Krunch Bites tossed in guava chili sauce, and tostones — twice-fried slices of green plantains. It was like ordering a party for your tastebuds on a single plate. Every bite was flavorful, and we didn’t even finish half of it because of the generous portions.

Next, we tried a classic Cubano sandwich - tender roast pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and passionfruit mustard layered on a perfectly toasted roll. Perfection — nothing more needs to be said.

We can’t wait to return and try more menu items, including the mofongo, tripleta, and tamarind BBQ wings. Based on the food coming out of Koqui Restaurant, we’d have to give it 3 forks for serving flavorful dishes that leave us wanting more. Trying new foods at new places can feel like a bit of an adventure. When you discover delicious new bites and something special, it reminds us just how rewarding it can be. 🇵🇷

05/09/2026

🐄 Barstow's Dairy Store and Bakery is located in one of the most scenic and idyllic spots in the Pioneer Valley.

Situated along the historic scenic byway Route 47 in Hadley, Massachusetts, Barstow’s Longview Farm has been a working dairy farm since 1806. The dairy store and bakery opened in 2008 and sells local milk, eggs, produce, and beef. Serving breakfast and lunch, Barstow’s offers plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a drive-through window for days when you’re short on time to take in the lovely views.

The Kelly Girl sandwich is made with turkey, bacon, Cabot cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, red onion, and avocado on a grilled sun-dried tomato wrap (which I swapped for a ciabatta roll). Fresh ingredients and a savory combination of flavors make it a satisfying lunch option.

The Farmhand is a classic, simple turkey sandwich served on whole wheat bread with Cabot cheddar cheese, apple slices, and Dijon mustard. There were also soups, salads, ice cream, and plenty of baked goods to round out the meal.

As much as we enjoyed our lunch and friendly service, I can’t say enough about the beauty of this spot. Grassy green fields dotted with dandelions and grazing cows, set against forests and rolling hills in the hamlet of Hockanum, make it clear how this nearby landscape inspired Thomas Cole’s famous painting “The Oxbow.”

The Three Forks Reviews awards 2.5 forks to Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery.

05/06/2026

🍴🥂 The Monthly Bite & Sip

This month’s pick: Godzilla Roll & Spicy Girl Roll paired with a flavorful Scorpion Bowl (perfect to share if preferred) from Ichiro Hibachi & Sushi Restaurant in West Hartford, CT

📍 Why we loved it: Conveniently located in the heart of West Hartford, this restaurant is ideal for both a quick meal and a relaxed gathering with family or friends. The staff was welcoming and attentive, service was prompt, and each dish was prepared to a high standard. Overall, an excellent dining experience—we look forward to returning.

👉 Have a bite or sip we should try next? Drop your recommendations below!

05/04/2026

🌮✨ Three Forks Review | Cinco de Mayo Picks

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we’re highlighting some local restaurants we have enjoyed 🇲🇽

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when Mexican forces defeated the French army against the odds. While it’s not Mexico’s Independence Day, it’s become a meaningful way to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage—especially here in the U.S.

🌼 Posada's Tavern Greenfield, Mass
Posada’s serves authentic Salvadoran and Mexican cuisine, drawn from the family recipes the owners — the Rivas sisters — learned as children in El Salvador.
Our picks:
▫️Coconut Margarita
▫️Carne Asada Tacos, topped “Posada’s favorite style.” 2 warm corn tortillas with bite sized pieces of grilled steak topped with pico de gallo, queso fresco, and sour cream.

🌼 Frontera Grill Chicopee, Mass
After settling into a booth, a basket of freshly-made chips and salsa is promptly placed in front of you.
Our picks:
▫️Coconut margarita
▫️Milanésa Chicken Tacos. Two hand-battered, pan-fried chicken breasts are wrapped in a soft tortilla and topped with melted cheese, roasted poblano crema, pico de gallo, and a mixed cabbage slaw.

🌼 Mission Cantina Amherst, Mass
Serving delicious Mexican food and margaritas since 2011
Our picks:
▫️Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa & chips
▫️Burrito Ahogado - filled with pork carnitas and smothered in red enchilada sauce

🌼 La Piñata Mexican Grill+bar Jaffrey, NH
Authentic Mexican cuisine served in a warm and inviting family run restaurant
Our picks:
▫️Margaritas (all delicious)
▫️Loaded Nachos with Chicken & Beef
▫️Fried Ice Cream

🌼 Titos Greenfield, Mass
Serving delicious tacos since 2016, what started as a roadside stand is now 3 locations and 2 food trucks
Our pick:
▫️Made to order burrito bowl - unique toppings like chili cheddar cheese, chipotle sour cream, and pickled red onions

👇 Drop your favorite local spots and what you’re ordering
(we’re always looking for our next review 👀)