The New England Patriots aren’t the only winners in Massachusetts. (Though this native New Englander would like to state, for the record, “Atta Boys, Pats!”)
The state’s delicious culinary scene is also a winner. From group-friendly food tours and restaurants to cooking classes and tastings at local microbreweries, there are many ways for planners to whip up tasty meetings throughout the Bay State.
During an outing with Boston Food Tours or Boston Foodie Tours, groups are introduced to the city’s iconic neighborhoods, including Beacon Hill and North End, as they taste everything from chowder and pasta to chocolates and ice cream.
Groups made up of beer enthusiasts will enjoy a tour and/or an off-site event at Sam Adams Brewery or Harpoon Brewery.
“The new Beer Hall at Harpoon Brewery is an excellent group space for a fun time before or after your tour,” says David O’Donnell, spokesman for the Greater Boston CVB.
He adds that there are many hotels in the city, including Boston Harbor Hotel, Intercontinental Boston or Seaport Hotel, that have group-friendly restaurants with a “distinctly Boston feel.”
In Cambridge, according to Robyn Culbertson, executive director of the Cambridge Office for Tourism, there are several cooking classes at eateries including Tatte Bakery and Rialto Restaurant.
And at Formaggio Kitchen, groups can book a private cheese-tasting event, during which attendees will learn about pairing a variety of cheeses with condiments and beverages.
Culbertson adds that the recently opened Salt & Olive, which periodically hosts events and classes, offers a large selection of fresh olive oil, salts and vinegars that visitors can sample.
The newest restaurant in Cambridge is Cafe ArtScience, where design is key. Both the look of the dining areas and food presentation is impressive. The restaurant has a private dining area for up to 60 people.
Planners can also count on Cambridge’s group-friendly hotels, including the Charles Hotel and Hotel Marlowe, to provide memorable foodie experiences for groups.
“Royal Sonesta Hotel did a wonderful upscale New England clambake outdoors for a group of VIP Hainan Airline executives from China and had instruction cards on ‘How to Eat a Lobster’ printed in Mandarin,” Culbertson says.
PageBreak
In the North of Boston region is Woodman’s of Essex, which according to Kristina Smith, spokeswoman for the North of Boston CVB, is a “Yankee tradition and the home of the fried clam,” where groups can join in on a monthly cooking demonstration.
Newburyport’s Chococoa Baking Company offers group lessons in creating its specialty, whoopie pies, and Appleton Farms in Ipswich offers private workshops and dinners during which groups can take a farm tour and learn how to prepare a farm-fresh meal.
There is also a diverse selection of local handcrafted libations North of Boston, Smith says, including in Gloucester, where groups can sample lagers, ales and various other brews at the Cape Ann Brewing Company, and gin, rum, vodka and whiskey at Ryan and Wood Distilleries.
In Cape Cod, says Bill DeSousa-Mauk, spokesman for Cape Cod & The Islands Meetings, boiled lobster and lobster roll dinners, as well as clambakes, which can be catered anywhere including on the beach, are all “enthusiastically received” by visiting groups.
Private jam-making classes at East Sandwich-based Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen, during which attendees prepare eight-ounce jars of jam to bring home with them, are also popular with groups. As are outings with Cape Cod Foodie Tours, including stops throughout the scenic streets of Hyannis for pizza, chowder and more, and the Harwich-based Cranberry Bog Tour.
Local drink purveyors, among them Cape Cod Beer in Hyannis, Truro Vineyards in North Truro and Devil’s Purse Brewing Company, which opens this spring in South Dennis, offer tours, tastings and spaces for group gatherings.
And at Chatham Bars Inn, a favorite Cape Cod meetings host, DeSousa-Mauk says groups can count on farm-to-table dinners featuring the inn’s own produce from its eight-acre farm and seafood fresh from the day boats at Chatham Fish Pier.
PageBreak
Western Massachusetts, according to Mary Kay Wydra, president of the Greater Springfield CVB, is full of unique culinary opportunities for groups meeting in the area.
Frigo’s Gourmet Foods, with locations in East Longmeadow and downtown Springfield, facilitates hands-on cooking classes lead by chef and owner Joe Frigo, during which participants “learn to cook like a Frigo” and afterward sample their creations.
For thirsty groups, Wydra recommends stopping by Paper City Brewery in Holyoke and Fort Hill Brewery in Easthampton for a tour and tasting.
“One restaurant not to go unmentioned is the Student Prince Cafe & Fort Dining Room,” Wydra says, adding that the downtown Springfield eatery is located within walking distance of the Marriott and Sheraton hotels. “More commonly referred to as ‘The Fort,’ it has recently undergone an extensive renovation that makes it ideal for groups.”
This favorite restaurant among area residents also recently unveiled a new menu that still highlights German classics, including bratwurst and potato pancakes as appetizers, and sauerbraten (a sweet and sour pot roast), Hungarian beef goulash and various schnitzels among the main course options.
Meanwhile, the city’s main group venue, MassMutual Center, features an impressive catering lineup, with everything from local favorites like New England scrod to slow-roasted prime rib of beef.
In Central Massachusetts, groups will find the 30-plus year-old Worcester-based Blue Jeans Pizza, which is available to cater events, as well as several restaurants with handsome spaces that accommodate group events.
Among them are One Eleven Chop House and Peppercorn’s Grille and Tavern, both located in Worcester, and the West Brookfield-based Salem Cross Inn Restaurant and Tavern.
Lenox-based Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club in the Berkshires, according to Lindsey Schmid, spokeswoman for the Berkshire Visitors Bureau, offers cooking classes that are great for teambuilding, as well as beer, wine and scotch tastings for groups.
Another inviting option is the meetings-friendly Williams Inn On-the-Green at Williams College in Williamstown, where Adam Brassard, the property’s executive chef, focuses on local, seasonal ingredients in his New American cuisine. In addition to catering, private group space is available in the dining room and the tavern.
This beautiful area is also home to Furnace Brook Winery at Hilltop Orchards in Richmond, where, especially during the shoulder season, groups are welcome for wine and cider tastings.
“They also have great hiking and cross-country ski trails,” Schmid says, adding that the winery works with groups to customize fun packages.
And the recently opened Berkshire Mountain Distillers in Sheffield offers tours and tastings as well as private events for groups of 10 or more.
“Using local ingredients, this award-winning distillery is putting the Berkshires on the map with their unique spirits,” Schmid says.
Regular contributor Carolyn Blackburn knew a delicious German meal was on the way whenever she visited her late grandmother, who was a Massachusetts resident and a big fan of The Fort.
