The Grind in Lee Ma, Part I

Earlier this week, Dan and I had made big plans to: go to Northampton, have an obscenely large and very delicious breakfast at Sylvester's, shop around at Holyoke Mall, go to a movie, get groceries, and then eat a slightly less large but equally delicious dinner at Rendezvous in Turner's Falls.

And then a pipe burst. Water, water, everywhere, all coming from the sink. So while we had originally planned to be out of the house by 8:30am, we ended up walking out the door at 11. I was in a bad mood. It felt like our beautiful, wonderful, perfectly planned and scripted day had been ruined. Worst of all, I hadn't eaten breakfast yet. I try not to eat dinner after 8pm, either, so I was at about 15 hours without food. (I imagine low blood sugar contributed to the bad mood.) Being 11 o'clock, none of the places Dan and I frequent were still serving breakfast. Drat!

So we decided to settle, miserably, for lunch and began driving down Rte 20 in Lee, towards the thruway. Then we saw the sign for The Grind. We'd passed by it many times, but had never stopped in for I don't know what reason. That particular morning Dan and I wanted cafe food. Nothing else would suffice. So we stopped. And might I say what a pleasant surprise The Grind was? This place had been hiding not even 10 minutes from us this whole time!


Bill, the owner, was incredibly kind and helpful. Remember my low blood sugar? Physically it translates into me being involuntarily snippy. I have the patience of a toddler, my head hurts, my body is devoid of energy, and I want food NOW. But he saw right past my insulin level and, at the mention that we were seeking breakfast, offered to make me a egg, cheese, bacon, and tomato breakfast sandwich even though they only serve breakfast on the weekends. It was a Wednesday.

This was my sandwich.

See how lean and crisp that bacon was? How perfectly melty the cheese was? The crisp, lovely bread? This was exactly what I needed.

Dan on the other hand, was convinced by their menu that lunch was exactly what he needed.

This was his sandwich. Er... wrap, rather. It's like a sandwich. Except cylindrical and with less bread.

Anyway! This was a turkey and bruschetta wrap with a lightly dressed Italian pasta salad on the side. The turkey, we found out, is roasted and sliced in house, and the bruschetta is also homemade with just a touch of balsamic vinegar. This wrap (I stole a bite) was juicy, flavorful, and perfectly balanced.

Unfortunately, his coffee machine had broken the day before we came in, so we weren't able to try a latte or any other fun drinks with our meal. But Bill assured us that a whole new system that will be able to make frozen drinks, espresso drinks, and Italian sodas was on order. How exciting! He also let us know that in the summer they have a patio, beautiful and spacious lawn, and live entertainment. They cater, too!

So, in response to the fact that our food was great, service was beyond exceptional, and Italian sodas (my favorite) are on the way, I'll be doing an updated post this spring that highlights the new updates at The Grind. In the meantime, if you happen to be in the area and are in the mood for some good ol' Italian cafe food, check them out at 62 W Center St in Lee, MA!

With Love,
~ Brande N.