BeanBath Café

The Scene

This clean-lined contemporary café and coffeehouse boasts bucolic views, abundant free parking, recently increased seating and a secluded lounge ideal for relaxing with a cup of house or fancy coffee. While friendly service is a hallmark of the 4-year-old family-owned and -run seven-day-a-week café, a weekday takeout window provides convenient order pickup when time is at a premium.

The Cuisine

Trade in an ordinary diner fare for attentively prepared breakfast and lunch dishes with a gourmet edge. The large menu – which changes quarterly to showcase seasonal tastes – rounds up classic and New American specialties, from creatively stuffed omelets to breakfast wraps, sandwiches, salads and homemade soups. Hot and cold beverages go from fruity frappes to frothy chai.

Q&A with Lynn Colvin, chef

As a Philippine native, how did you become so adept at Western cuisine?

I bought a cookbook and made every single recipe in it – enchiladas, tortellini, everything. Then I graduated from the Culinary Arts program at Northampton Community College. School teaches the stairs: It’s up to you to climb them.