A listing of local smokefree dining and entertainment venues.
July 2004: A statewide smoking ban in work places (including restaurants and bars) now in effect. Private clubs and cigar bars exempt. This basically encapsulates local bans already enacted by about 100 cities in the state.
ARLINGTON
China Cafe
882 Massachusetts Avenue 646-6621
Small, good restaurant. Vegetarian-friendly. Cash only.
Panera
1398 Massachusetts Ave 643-9080
A national chain of bakery/restaurants. Clean, inexpensive. Soups, salads, hot sandwiches.
BEDFORD
Newsong
The First Church of Christ, Congregational
25 The Great Road (781) 275-1135
Alcohol and smoke-free environment with live folk music. Wheelchair-accessible.
Beverages and pastries.
All public restaurants and buildings in Bedford went smoke-free in 1998.
The gentleman who sent this information says compliance is taken for granted
nowadays. Bedford sounds like a good place to go for a meal!
He particularly recommends the following:
Dalya's
20 North Road (781) 275-0700
An excellent restaurant with an eclectic American-Mediterranean menu.
But forget the menu and go with the daily fish special. It's different every night
and you won't be disappointed. Casual dress. Entrees from $10-25. I love this restaurant.
Thanks Jeffrey Pelletier!
Cafe Luigi's
152 Great Road (781) 271-0666
Good cheap Italian food.
Fujiyama Japanese Restaurant
78 Great Road (781) 280-0188
Quality sushi.
BOSTON
New laws (1999) require physically separate areas for smokers
in Boston restaurants. The laws don't affect restaurant bar areas that are behind
"partitions" or 6 feet from eating areas. The laws don't apply to bars or to private clubs.
Mermaid Transportation
1-800-696-2463 (1-800-MY-MAINE)
Offering smokefree limos between Logan (Boston), Portland, Maine
and Manchester, New Hampshire airports.
Mount Vernon Place
6 Mount Vernon Place (617) 248-8707
e&p@uua.org
Pleasant, restored B&B in the Beacon Hill area, run by the Unitarian Association.
Near Boston Common. 20 bedrooms with bath. No TVs.
Breakfast is self-serve in the dining room.
Trattoria I Panino
11 Parmenter St (617) 720-1336
Italian cuisine.
CAMBRIDGE
Casa Mexico
75 Winthrop Street (617) 491-4552
Mexican restaurant and bar. Moderate prices.
Casual but nice atmosphere.
Open Mon-Sat for lunch and dinner
Club Passim
47 Palmer Street (617) 492-7679
11am - 11pm daily
Showcase for folk, jazz and blues musicians. Coffeehouse and mideast
lunch/dinner.
Regattabar
1 Bennett St (Charles Hotel) (617) 661-5000
Upscale but laid back jazz and blues nightspot with (upscale) cover charges,
price depending on the act. Shows start at 8:30pm Tu-Thurs, shows at 8 and 10pm
on Fri-Sat.
1369 Coffee House
1369 Cambridge St @ Inman Square
(617) 576-1369
Soups, sandwiches and pastries.
A place to sit and read the paper.
Weekdays 7am - 10pm, weekends 8am-10pm
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CAPE COD
(Barnstable, Bourne, Hyannis, Yarmouth, Dennis, Brewster, Harwich, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham,
Wellfleet and Truro)
We were informed in June 2000 that all restaurants and bars on Cape Cod,
from Barnstable to Truro, are now supposed to be smokefree.
Also pubs, dance clubs, music venues, sports venues, hotels, airports -
basically any public accommodation or entertainment you can think of -
as well as a 100% smoking ban in all workplaces.
We are told that most towns on Cape Cod are now 100% smokefree.
If you have comments on how this is actually playing out,
please let us know!
Update: "Harwich has decided the smoking ban (bars and everywhere) will begin July 1 instead of September, because the majority of residents want it!!! Cape Cod has got to be one of the best destinations for non smokers these days. Enforcement is very strict, and I have yet to see anyone breaking this law." (sez a kindly correspondent)
Another report from the field:
"I'm from Cape Cod... it's true, there is a 100% smoking ban in the given towns, Harwich voted to start the complete ban July 1 instead of September. Compliance (I've noticed) seems to be universal. The restaurants and bars are monitored frequently. Business doesn't seem to have suffered, actually, it has been great going out now and being able to stay for longer periods of time. A lot of places (such as Doyle's in South Yarmouth) have installed decks for smokers, but smoking indoors is history! I could never go back to a smoky place now!"
Update May 2001: The Town of Sandwich voted to ban smoking in all restaurants and bars.
Update June 2001: The Town of Bourne bans smoking in all restaurants and bars.
CHICOPEE
Al's Diner
14 Yelle Street (413) 534-3607
The next time I'm feeling sorry for myself for having to be up early,
I'm going to think of these guys. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day.
Mon 5am-6pm / Tu-Sat 5am-8pm / Sun 6am-3pm
Now and Zen Yoga
165 Front Street Tower D 4th Floor (Chicopee Center)
413-335-5314
A variety of yoga classes and workshops for all ability levels
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GREAT BARRINGTON
Club Helsinki
284 Main Street (413) 528-3394
Smokefree nightclub, live music: funk, jazz, hiphop, folk, blues, Americana, reggae, rock.
Bands range from the local to the widely known.
Offshoot of the popular Helsinki cafe.
1984 Town House
26 Pine Street 528-2055
e-mail: bouteilr@bcn.net
Victorian townhouse with 4 units, full kitchen,
washer/dryer, open porch, no indoor smoking. Phone and cable T.V.
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GREENFIELD
The People's Pint
24 Federal Street (413) 773-0333
Smoke-free restaurant/brewery that serves
its own beer, locally produced hard cider and blueberry wine, and great food
featuring local produce and farm products whenever possible. Bread and desserts
baked daily on premises. An excellent selection of beers from their brewery
from light ales to rich stouts and porters, strong IPAs and even
'cask-conditioned' traditional English style ales.
I waited tables there for over a year and still visit once a week for dinner.
The Pint caters to a wide clientele -- there are dartboards, live music some
evenings, a hugely popular open Celtic session every Sunday evening, and a kids
toys, books and puzzle area that my 20 month old daughter loves!
I can't say enough positive about this place, it is a great community
gathering spot with great beer, good service and very civic minded owners (they
compost all kitchen scraps, grow some of their own food, and are involved with
local environmental groups). It is not a hippie joint -- but it is a hip joint!
The People's Pint is open daily 4 p.m. - closing; closed Mondays in summer,
with a few one week closings in the winter for staff breaks, equipment upgrades,
etc.
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LENOX
Canyon Road in the Berkshires
165 Kemble Street (800) 742-9000
Resort with low-fast cuisine. Gym. Pool, spa, sauna, yoga, skiing,
hiking, group bicycle outings, tennis, racquetball and squash,
indoor track, boating. Consultation available to quit smoking.
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NEEDHAM
Highland Jazz
Christ Episcopal Church
1132 Highland Avenue (781) 237-1917
Smoke-free and alcohol-free venue features great traditional jazz!
New Garden Restaurant
250 Chestnut Street (781) 449-1450
Chinese cuisine. Daily till 11pm.
Not Your Average Joe's
105 Chapel Street (781) 453-9300
Bustling Italian diner. Drinks available. Good cooking, moderate prices. A local chain with locations in Needham, Dartmouth and Watertown Square (Boston).
Mon-Th 11am-10pm / Fri-Sat till 11pm / Sun 11am-9pm
Pacini's Eatery
1185 Highland Avenue (781) 455-0922
Modestly-priced pizzeria.
Mon-Sat till 7:30pm / Sun till 9pm
NORTHAMPTON
We have learned that Northampton has banned smoking in restaurants for some years.
Comments on the seriousness of the ban are welcome
State Street Fruit Store
51 State Street (413) 584-2301
Produce and general store. The reason a store is listed
is that the owners have stopped selling cigarettes and,
get this, when they stopped, they invited to turn in
their own cigarettes in exchange for bags of apples.
They also own Cooper's Corner in Florence
and are doing the same thing there.
I don't think the apple offer goes on forever!
This is just an example of their creative thinking.
Iron Horse Music Hall
20 Center Street (413) 584-0610
Small folk and jazz club that gets such well known and varied acts
as 10,000 Maniacs, Wynton Marsalis, the Battlefield Band and Bo Diddley.
Full restaurant and bar. Often sold out, but tickets can be charged
by phone at (413) 586-8686 or (800) THE-TICK (843-8425).
Thanks Arnie!
Sylvester's Bakery and Restaurant
111 Pleasant Street (413) 586 5343
Cheerful restaurant serving three meals a day, along with pastries, espresso, beer and wine.
Healthy cooking and fresh ingredients are emphasized.
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