When Our Favorite Restaurants Leave Us
Article by Eric H., at VisitingNewEngland.com The other day while driving to the Eastern States Exposition (The Big E) fair in West Springfield, MA, I noticed one of our favorite restaurants was closed. I later learned that the Ivanhoe had shut its doors permanently at this location in July of 2007, mainly because of losing a significant amount of parking space to an expanding furniture store. When driving back to suburban Boston from our frequent Cooperstown, N.Y., vacations, the Ivanhoe served as a welcoming dining friend for supper. While we were always sad to leave Cooperstown, the Ivanhoe could stand on its own as a revered last vacation meal with really great food, superb service, and a comfortable atmosphere. It didn't matter that the "Anytown USA" strip mall look of West Springfield couldn't hold a candle to pristine Cooperstown; the Ivanhoe became a wonderful tradition that became part of the fabric of our overall Cooperstown vacation. In the past few years...