Everything is amazing and I've had some of the best meals of my life here. Don't miss:
Risotto balls
Autumn Bon bons
Tuna tartar/Asian style
Beet risotto
Truffled Mac and cheese
Braised short ribs and/or veal cheeks if they are available
You really cannot go wrong here! The Sunday brunch is also amazing but be sure you plan for it to be a long breakfast. It's not a place you rush in and out of.
I went here last weekend and had a good time. Yes the pictures of kids on the wall is creepy and the awning and all that funeral home feel is weird but who cares. The strength of this place is without a doubt the service. Our waiter was about as perfect as a server could be. Perfect timing, courteous, and knew his stuff. The food was above average. The clam chowder is very good, and of course quite unique. The Chicken Bolognese is good, not great. I'd love to come back and try another dish. Overall a very sold restaurant and I will be back. P.,S. Awesome touch offering the Chinese food bucket of dog treats. My dogs loved them!
Review Source:While on our honeymoon my husband and I came here for what we hoped would be a romantic gourmet dinner. Â Not being from the area we relied on Yelp to guide us towards our good meal and night out. Â The Federal was so well reviewed we thought it couldn't get any better and made reservations. Â The restaurant itself is large but with a quiet intimate setting and attractive decor inside. Â The photographs of children on the walls was a bit odd though. I'm sure there is a story behind the artwork but without knowing it or the children it just felt strange sitting in a dining room surrounded by them. Â
The service and food we experienced were an extreme disappointment. Â Our waitress was very unattentive from start to finish. Â It was not a busy night but she made her presence very limited. Â I don't enjoy spending a meal trying to hunt down your server because they disappeared. Â And while I don't need to waited on constantly it seems customary to ask dinners how their meal is at least once.
Poor service aside our bigger problem was the food itself. Â We came here with high expectations not only after reading reviews but also seeing the expensive prices on the menu online. Â We were pleased with their signature appetizer - a bucket of risotto balls - but that was all we liked. Â For an entree my husband had the surf and turf - short ribs and a half lobster tail. Â The meat and sauce were very salty. Â The lobster tail looked as it was quartered not halved - the tiniest thing we'd ever seen. Â It only gave him three small unimpressive bites. Â The lobster meat did not have that succulent "melt in your mouth" quality that you'd expect. Â I had ordered the pork rib chop served with braised cabbage and pierogis. Â The chop was 3 inches thick. Â You would think that would equate to moist and tender meat. Â Instead it was an overcooked exterior and undercooked center that was extremely difficult to cut due to its shear size and texture. Â I would have rathered they split it and served me only half. Â I could not taste any of the horseradish brine or really any flavor at all in the pork chop. Â The cabbage was what tasted brined - then braised. Â It tasted so salty and bitter I could barely eat it. Â I like cabbage raw and cooked but this side tasted so overwhelming and pungent because of the sauce. Â For someone who enjoys salt and has a tendency to oversalt food even I couldn't appreciate the high sodium levels in either of our dishes.
My plate was left almost half full when the waitress simply came by to retrieve the dishes and asked my husband if I'd like mine to go. Â We were never asked the quality of our food but I was hoping my full plate would have been a clear indicator to pose the question. Â Instead I came back from the bathroom and saw my meal wrapped up for me. Â I knowingly left it behind. Â I can't imagine reheating an already poorly-cooked pork chop. Â When asked if we'd like dessert we politely said no thank you. Â A complimentry basket of homemade cotten candy was served to us with the check. Â All that sugar was actually a great offset to the large amounts of salt we had just ingested. Â We paid our bill and quietly left feeling like we had been fooled into the most dissatisfying and costly dinners. Â I realize we could have presented our concerns to the waitress regarding our food. Â But when you are dining at such an upscale restaurant you tend to hope you would never have to. Â We were truly let down by our experience here.
Who would ever think this little restaurant tucked away in Western Massachusetts would be so, so, so divine? Â I meaaaaan, we sort of had an idea judging by previous reviews, but still. Â Wow.
Started with a tomato salad with Buratta that was so perfect, words don't even begin to describe. Â Also had the pork belly fries, which were silky and salty, and fried to perfection. Â The risotto balls = yes please! Â Also, try the chowder. Â That is it.
I was my own chef for my entree, but believe it when I say, there is no lack of quality of creativity on their menu. Â I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the goodness of our first courses, that I need something simple, and delicious. Â And that it was.
This theme remained through dessert, when we had the beignets, which were the proper ending for this spectacular food experience.
The service was fantastic, consistent, and friendly.
Made the reservation online based on all the outstanding reviews. This is probably the finest restaurant I have ever been to from the professional, knowledgeable and friendly staff to the fabulous food and atmosphere. And, I have been to restaurants all over the country and all over the world. We all had incredibly wonderful dinners. The menu selection is over-the-top, meaning something for everyone in any price range. No one will be disappointed. Love this place. It's how every restaurant should be. If you are lucky, you will be there on a night where everyone gets the cotton candy. How cool is that? In addition, we were all freshly grieving the death of a family member. This was a real treat that we truly needed.
Review Source:Wow. Â Had one of the best meals I've had here tonight! Â
I made my reservation right here on Yelp!
After humming and hawing over the whole menu, I opted with "Be your own chef." Â Pick the main deal, add two sides and a sauce. Â I got the Filet Mignon (medium rare - perfectly done) with truffle butter (orgasmic), grilled asparagus and pureed butternut squash. Â
I even took home my dining partner's leftovers - he got the scallop hash, so I can't wait to try that tomorrow!
Everything was just perfect, from the bread, to the amuse bouche risotto balls and finally to the dessert that I was already too full for - Red Velvet Cupcake Sundae. Â
I'm kind of ticked I haven't come before and I'm hoping to try tons more on the menu. Â It doesn't go that light on your wallet, though, and the atmosphere was a bit... quiet for my taste - it felt a bit like a library.
I've have always been impressed with the food at The Federal. I even had my wedding reception in this building and the service was impeccable. All of the centerpieces I had sent up were laid out, the lights were dimmed just enough to be romantic, and the cake was center stage along the wall. The food, again, was amazing and my family and friends all cleaned their plates. I can't wait to go back!
Review Source:As you can see everyone has a lot to say about the Federal in Agawam. I will not continue with the lofty raves about this restaurant. Â Let it just be said that this is an outstanding establishment in the back roads of western Ma. Â Wonderful food, fresh veggies from their own garden (tomatoes that might be the best in southwestern New England) and a dining experience that outpaces any of the city restaurants in the area, Â Springfield and Hartford combined. And I dont't know where they find their waitstaff but it equals any I have come across of late. You cannot go wrong visiting the Federal. Pricey.....yes $250 for 4 with app, entres, wine, drinks and dessert. Â Well worth the price. Â If you are in the area, visiting or a local, it is a wonderful dining experience. Â Try it......you'll like it !
Review Source:The Federal is one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. Â I have tried many different meals on their menu and I honestly can say that I have never had a bad meal. Â Their menu changes every season so we try to make a visit at least once every few months. Â They usually give you complimentary risotto balls before your meal which is a good way to try them without committing to the entire appetizer. Â The Rhode Island Calamari was my favorite appetizer which had fried calamari and grape tomatoes over a bed of mashed potatoes. Â I was skeptical about the mashed potatoes with this dish but just trust the chefs at the federal- they really know what they're doing. Â
I love getting the Federal Chop Salad which comes in a mason jar that you pour out into a dish which I assume helps the avocado spread to mix better. Â For me, that could be a meal by itself, especially if I add shrimp or chicken. Â I have also had the braised short ribs which were amazing, as is the truffled mac and cheese. My friend usually gets the Kobe beef burger which is always cooked perfectly. Â The quality of the food here is outstanding. Â Their prices are about $20 per dish, give or take, but worth every penny. Â
The deserts are awesome- they usually give you complimentary cotton candy but I would recommend also trying pretty much anything else they have. Â We have tried the beignets that come with 3 different dipping sauces as well as the crepes and they are both delicious and fresh. Â
The service here is excellent as they are very informative about the meals and the drinks. Â They are also very attentive without hovering. Â The Federal is awesome and definitely our go-to place for a nice dinner out.
What a fun night. It was packed when we arrived and we were half hour early for our reservation so we had a drink in the bar and we even seated early. The wait staff is very professional. The wine glasses are the cheap thick ones and they don't have wine stands so the wine chiller has to be on the table, thus taking up a lot of space and even worse- the table was wobbly so we ended up putting it on the ground. We did get the free ball, we also opted for the bucket of balls, fried clam chowder, beet "risotto" and fried clams. All was excellent, the chowder was the best. Entrees we did the veal trio special - chop, cheek, sweetbread, the veal t bone, the short ribs and the scallops. Everyone was very happy with their meals. We received the free cotton candy for dessert. After that we ended up back in the bar for espresso martinis, which were not the best we have had but who cares the place was great fun. attached many pics
Review Source:I came in from Cleveland, OH to visit family and my Aunt raved about this place. Â Not many people realize this, but Cleveland actually has an impressive food scene that rivals many other culinary US destinations. Â It's started to make me a bit of a food snob when traveling. Â At any rate, my Aunt said my wife and I would love this restaurant. Â I didn't set my expectations high since I'm quite picky, but wow was my Aunt was correct! Â There's not much to say that hasn't been already stated by other reviewers. Â The Federal would easily be one of my favorite spots if it were in Cleveland. Â I would say it ranks quite high even when I consider the food I've had in other large cities. Â Western Mass should be proud to have such a great place available.
The space is beautiful and classy--a classic New England home with a splash of modern contemporary. Â Service was outstanding and the waiter was one step ahead of us at every turn. Â He knew what we needed and when we needed it without us even asking! Â The menu was also exciting. Â I've seen a lot of these dishes in the past, but the Chef's style seemed to add enough new elements that each dish went well above the boring same-old same-old. Â The items we ordered were also perfectly executed. Â I can't rave enough about this place. Â This will be a regular stop for me every time I visit family.
I was in Enfield for some training and had to spend one night by myself before my wife and daughter joined me for vacation:( Â I decided to find a nice place for dinner and The Federal had some good reviews. Â The restaurant is in a beautiful old white building surrounded by trees and lawns. Â I had made a reservation on Open Table, so the friendly and helpful hostess found my reservation and took me to my table right away. Â I didn't wait long before a very attentive waitress came and brought me a menu and wine list. Â They didn't have many California wines, but I found a very nice reasonably priced Spanish Garnacha which I thoroughly enjoyed. Â I started with the Mussel Chowder with Bacon that was incredible. Â My entree was broiled lamb loin with so many other pleasant surprises I can't tell you exactly what was on the plate. Â I can tell you that it was amazing. Â I had no room for dessert, but they brought a complimentary cone of cotton candy anyway. Â All evening my waitress checked on me and made sure I was having a great experience and I did have a great experience. Â Dining alone is never much fun, but the folks at The Federal along with the food and wine made this a special memorable experience for me.
Review Source:It was our first time here and both my fiance and I were pleasantly surprised. Â Everything on the menu was mouth watering. Â The wine list was extensive. We ordered the Osso Bucco and the surf and turf. Â The food was amazing, my one negative was that it took a long time to be served. Â However, everything is made to order, so a bit of a wait is understandable.
Review Source:LOML couldn't make this one as it was business only but I pushed on without her. So my group started with a bucket of balls which is risotto, truffled butter and chives. Great start and the Il Borro wine was a perfect match for the roasted cod over grilled calamari that followed. Finished up with a little caramel gelato and home to LOML. Does not get much better than The Federal....wait staff had great timing and worked our oversized group very well.
Review Source:Love to go there for lunch on Fridays. The service is always outstanding and the food was amazing. The chef can create a custom vegetarian platter if you ask, which is amazingly good. The food is on the heavy side, but I love it. Lunch prices are good, dinners are pricey but worth the money.
Review Source:Awesome experience...we both commented that everything was wonderful from the home baked ciabatta bread to the blood orange cocktails...wow! Harpooned swordfish was flawless, pepperoni pesto pizza was outstanding. My only disappointment is that we were to full for dessert. I would highly recommend this place.
Review Source:Outstanding! Everything! The menu is diverse with more choices than you can have at one meal. On the last page of the menu you can creat your own meal by choosing the entre, 2 sides, and sauce. That's what I did- got grilled shrimp with garlic butter sauce, polenta, and fried brussel sprouts. No left overs! I was there with a party of 5, each had something different, and everyone was happy.
We started with an order of the famous risotto balls- not to be missed, and ended with the cotton candy they make fresh and deliver to each table.
It is really expensive. This is not a cheap quick dinner out. But the service is fabulous and the food outstanding, and for a special occasion (which this was) it is THE place to celebrate.
I'm going to start this review talking about the service.  Notice it's a 5 star?  If this place served dog food, I think I would have given it 5 stars on service alone.  NOT many places would I say this about! I'm in a service oriented business... and when  you can hire and train a staff of people to make them seem as ONE service team making sure that your experience is perfect?  THAT'S what I'm tall king about.  Whoever is responsible for this knows what they are doing - congratulations!  Our server, Heidi, was absolutely the best server I have ever experienced.  Really... she is a super star.  That goes for the other members of the team as well.  These folks should open another business for training restaurant employees.  i could give you many references for potential clients!
Now... the food.  They started out with complementary risotto balls - at least they were free tonight - I'm not sure if they do this every night.  Two of us had the fried clam chowder - WHAT?- yes... fried clam chowder.  It's hard  to explain, but it was amazing... I know I can't do it Justice in writing... but they had clams, fried oysters and all kinds of goodness into this chowder... of course... topped with a wonderful piece of bacon.  mmmmmmy goodness... it was delicious!  Salads were wonderful.  I had the Cod Fish on a bed of lobster and other "things" - I'm not sure what it all was, but it was great.  The rack of lamb was very good as well.
The Federal does it right. Â I am already looking forward to my next trip back. Â I'm sure it won't be too long from now.
After seeing all the four and five stars you're probably thinking this guy is an idiot! Seeing that I am intimately familiar with the person writing this I could see where at times this could be true... this is not one of those times.
Im going to start off with the pros: I never have to go there again.
Now for the lengthy list of cons:
So to start off with we made reservations at 6:45pm on a Saturday night and we weren't seated until 7:05pm. I wasn't aware that reservations had a built in 20 minute fudge factor. Our food also took awhile lets just say that if we were at Bennigans I would have ate fo' free!!! That being said I realize this isn't that type of establishment but seriously realize its the weekend people and staff the kitchen accordingly. Our waitress was nice but that is where the compliments end. The overall word that describes the food and decor was disjointed. Â Like another fellow yelper said an industrial ceiling with the commercial ventilation louvers and the yellow aged recessed lighting really detracted from the wainscoting and the restored fireplace and other original like touches of the place. For art they chose pictures of babies in diapers and random other people I don't care to know. WTF!!! Either put art or nothing at all I'm suprised there weren't fingerpainting on the wall. Some of the trim at the front door and other areas reminded me of my sisters house where years of screaming kids hitting everything with god knows what has given it that unkempt touch that no one cares to see when they are paying this much money for food. I really love old buildings and finish carpentry work so seeing a beadboard on one side of the hallway with wainscoting on the other really threw me for a loop. Just because they each look good doesn't mean you should put both in the same space how they did, freaking ridiculous. Ok so on to the food.
We started off with the roasted beet rissoto with goat cheese and "candied" (guess they forgot the candied part) walnuts. I thought the beets and the cheese were nice but the huge size of the walnuts made those particular bites unpleasant because all you taste is the bitterness of the nut. I would recommend actually having candied walnuts and making everything in the risotto more uniform in size. The best thing I had all night was the clam chowder. It truly was delicious all five bites of it. So here are where my problems began I paid 10.95 for this bowl of clam chowder so I am expecting a hearty serving when in fact it was a paltry amount served in a very large bowl which made the size that much more infuriating. So you know how people ask you how you are doing and if you really laid all of your shit at their feet they would be like "WOW this is akward I was just expecting you to say "Everything is great... and you", well I don't roll that way. So when the waitress asked how everything was I playfully mentioned the fact that just because it is served in a bowl doesn't make it a bowl of soup and maybe they should serve it in a cup. I know I sound like a dick but really who hasn't been let down at a restaurant, and wanted to say something. So for dinner we both went with a fish I went with salmon topped with a lobster coleslaw with a polenta and beef short rib base, my wife had the cod with some type of broth and a crab cake on the side. So to start off with both of our fish were very dry. My wife's crabcake was barely edible its kind of like if you burn toast and when you eat it the inside may be fine but all that is ruined by the charred outside... meet my wife's crabcake. After I tried her fish I told her "it tasted like 2nd day old microwaved fish" it was awful the only saving grace is the broth wasn't bad which in no way saved this dish. My dish was like me taking a crown and coke and blood mary mixing it together and wondering why it tastes like cat piss. Two good things mixed together dont make a great thing. The salmon was dry but edible. The lobster slaw was actually quite nice. The polenta was cooked correctly and the beef short ribs were subpar in my opinion for all the hype.That being said each portion of the dish by itself was ok but if you try mixing it together it was confusing to say the least. I don't know if they use a dartboard to determine what to put in the sides or with the entrees but it was all very bush league. So after our dinner to make sure the evening wasn't a total bust we went to Bottega Cucina for their creme brulee which was delicious. I have been to nice 5 star restaraunts and I have eaten from a roadside truck... with each of these experiences we have certain standards that we estabilish as the baseline which in my opinion the Federal failed on all accounts with the exception of the waitstaff. If you want good food go to Bottega Cucina or Shallots they may not be considered a fancy restaraunt but at least you don't leave feeling cheated.
Last night was our first visit to The Federal. Â
The house is charming on the outside but that funeral parlor awning look at the entrance needs to be redone. Â Once inside, we wanted to sit at the bar but it was around 7:00 on a Friday night and that wasn't going to happen. Â A small table near the bar opened up right away so we grabbed that which was our mistake. Â My husband was in the direct line of traffic between the waitstaff at the bar and the other customers so he kept getting "nudged" as the waiters walked by. Â The management should just remove that table; not a good location to seat customers. Â And, if you're looking for quiet conversation without hearing your neighbor's conversation, don't sit in the bar area. Â With this said, the ambiance of the bar area is warm and cozy and the musicians playing in the corner was a nice touch. Â
Now, here's the food bad news - don't order the crab "cakes". Â "Cakes" is a misnomer! Â When I order crab cakes elsewhere, I expect 2 cakes about 1/2" thick roughly the diameter of a hocky puck. Â What we got last night were 3 crab "nuggets" each about half the size of a golf ball on a small skewer. Â I wish we had sent them back; I kept thinking where is the rest of the appetizer? Â I thought the waiter might have dropped the other skewers on the way to our table. Â Although the flavor was nice (but nothing extraordinary) along with the spicy homemade tartar sauce, at $14.95, you absolutely do not get what you pay for with this choice. Â Also, I ordered a caesar salad which was ok and actually pretty salty tasting. Â I thought there might have been anchovies in it but the menu did not list anchovies as one of the ingredients. Â
And, now, here's the food good news - Â we shared the lobster and grilled asparagus pizza which was excellent! Â And, although the cocktails are a bit pricey, the 1/2 & 1/2 I had was very tasty! Â
Our waiter was fine, not exceptional but attentive enough without being overbearing. Â
I mentioned above that this was our first visit here but it won't be our last. Â We will give this restaurant another chance since there are many appealing choices on the menu. Â However, we won't be ordering the crab "cakes" that's for sure!
Here's a perfect example of what the Federal is like. We ordered their signature "Bucket of Balls" appetizer, billed as truffled risotto balls, which sounds playful and a little innovative. The app is fine: amiable little puffs of nondescript friedness with no distinctive flavors (not even truffle!?) but with a pleasant warm crispiness that's nicer than a boot to the junk. These are served over a cone of whipped potatoes that are tasty enough, made with the add-enough-butter-and-anything-becomes-yummy rule. Here's the hilarious part: before the appetizer came, we were treated to an amuse-bouche, solemnly presented with compliments of the chef. The server handed us each a single risotto ball on a spoon: the exact same appetizer we were about to be served five minutes later! So much of the Federal experience is like this, i.e. gestures that are meant to say "fancy restaurant" but are done with no real understanding of what they're supposed to mean, so they become strange, confusing little distractions.
The best thing about the Fed is its shamelessly heavy use of ingredients like butter, cheese, oils, etc. in everything. I ordered truffled mac-and-cheese with braised short ribs. The truffle flavor came through here, unlike in the app, and the ribs were nicely cooked, moist and falling apart. This restaurant shines when serving this kind of comfort food, and they'd be smart to discard all their trendy ingredients and zany flavor combos and stick to basics. Somebody back there actually knows how to cook, so why not keep it simple and let that person do his/her thing?
As counterpoint, the chef should have a better palate before trying to add pink peppercorns and strawberry sorbet to a warm lemon pudding dessert. Sounded interesting enough to order it, but it just wasn't good. The "Coffee and Doughnuts" dessert also had nice elements, like perfect cinnamon doughnut balls--warm and crisp on the outside, soft and light inside--but went too far with a heavy-handed coffee creme caramel that tasted like one of those low-fat coffee yogurts from Big Y.
Another typical bit of Federalness: the restaurant is in a huge stately old white wooden house, worthy of the name. It's beautifully lit from the outside, and driving in you feel like you're in for something special. The main dining room has nice woodwork and a grand fireplace in the center of everything. Then above all this is...a drop ceiling with commercial air vents like you'd see in an airport bathroom. This room could really be elegant if it weren't for this one incredibly obvious and baffling lapse, so it's inexplicable and sad to see that nobody has ever bothered to rectify it in the decades this place has been around.
Yet another almost-right-but-horribly wrong concept. My wife has a soft spot for cotton candy, so we were momentarily delighted when a pink goblet of the stuff was presented to us with the check. Unfortunately even this nice gesture was undermined by the fact that the candy had clearly been made a long long time ago, so instead of being light and frothy, it had developed a sticky leathery shell that felt a thick layer of hairspray. This is probably because it was a humid evening and the sugar had absorbed enough water from the air to change its crystalline structure into something more like a fruit rollup. Even though this was a nice idea and probably makes people happy most of the time, my wife found the texture so gross that she wouldn't eat the stuff, unprecedented when cotton candy is available.
As I write, three more things come to mind that are so specific to this restaurant that it'd be wrong to leave them out:
1. I went to this place a long time ago when it was called The Federal Hill Club. Back then it had only African-American servers, who were dressed very formally to give the place a sort of "plantation" vibe, which in hindsight I'm pretty sure was intentional. I couldn't have articulated this as a kid, but it made enough of an impression to recall decades later, as we were being led into the dining room. The food might've been better then, but at least the servers aren't racist caricatures now. Good call.
2. Back in those olden times, the Federal Hill Club didn't have a printed menu. Someone came out, pulled up a chair, and sat at your table to describe every available dish. This was inconvenient because it was easy to forget stuff, but charming and distinctive. I've never seen it anywhere else, and it was an interesting idea.
3. The dessert menu has something else I've never seen at another restaurant: a list of candies and other portable items to take home "for the babysitter," including gourmet dog biscuits. Of course this is a transparently cynical attempt to sell even more food (to people who aren't even there!), but part of me wants to believe there's at least a mote of sincerity and thoughtfulness in there as well. This is probably the one innovation at The Federal that works well for all involved.
Great atmosphere and style. This is the place to go on a romantic night out. The prices may be a bit high (not that bad) but the service and food are worth every penny.
Every night they have free apps in the lounge/bar where they serve samples on spoons. This is a great way ti sample the menu.
Try the Kobe beef burger.
This place is top notch.
Food - A+
Drink - A
Service - A
Environment - A+ Â
Cost - B (but worth every penny)
Best food in Western Mass hands down. The restaurant is carved out of an old money mansion and done quite well. Great bar, multiple rooms, and private parties are welcome. I usually attend dinner with my better half and a friend or two, and not once have we been disappointed.
Word to the wise though, never split the risotto balls appetizer with only one other person, especially if you plan to eat a main course. They are delicious, but awfully filling. By the time your main course comes out you will be pretty set after the rich risotto balls expand in your stomach. Also, it should be noted 9/10 they give you a sampling anyway, so stick with something light for an app because you want to save room for their excellent  main course dishes.
You really cannot go wrong with any of the dishes here.
Excellent and interesting salads, very good pasta (though I'm not a restaurant pasta-eater- from what I have sampled from others they are great), fantastic main course-fish/beef/chicken... whatever you are feeling you will not be sorry.
Check out <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> before you go as well. For one of the more pricey places, they actually welcome the online discounts.
GO GO GO GO
The Federal. Considering you'll pass establishments like "Mr. Rooter" and "Food Bag" en route, it gets extra credit just for existing.
First impressions were mixed. The exterior looks more like a funeral home than a place to dine. The bar area (think crab shack wood paneling, mirrored walls straight from an RV and uncle Rocko's carpet) was full to the brim on a Friday night. Some poor chap was crammed in the corner, crooning Cat Stevens covers and vying for enough elbow room to strum his guitar. The takeaway here: Â Make a reservation.
Once seated - safe from musical harm and swampy atmosphere - the good stuff started. Our waitress was smart, informed and helpful. She never hovered. She did recommend what turned out to be a weak cocktail. (Skip the raspberry lemonade. The Bellini, however, is terrific.)
Their signature risotto balls are served over fresh ricotta as an amuse-bouche - a delicious surprise. The menu is inventive and ambitious. They seem to be trying to appeal to both "foodies" and the steak and potato crowd, particularly in the entree department. For the former, they provide curious combinations like seared tuna au poivre served over Asian-inspired noodles with sesame cucumber salad and...fried oysters? Sold me. For the latter, they offer a "you be the chef" list of mains and sides you can combine as you like. There is a peculiar employment of mashed potatoes as fixative in several dishes, including the Rhode Island-style calamari which came with another curious but not unwelcome compliment...chick peas.
The dessert menu is clever. In addition to a good "eat in" selection, they offer "take home" packs of their house-made cotton candy, toffee and even dog biscuits for the poor pooch who wasn't invited. There is a decent selection of after dinner drinks, dessert wines and scotch.
We had a good if not pricey experience here. In general, the house approach to achieving flavor is to man-handle rather than caress; what's served is more "bam!" than "come hither". But there's a time and a place for that. Given the options in the area? Bam! Go for it.
Historic beauty of a building, Open Table options, fresh raspberry lemonade, great half bottle wine list, amazing salad and gourmet pizza options, with a classy and likely qualified romantic environment. Â The live acoustic guitar at the bar flowing into the dining room, vast mixed drink options, and mindful service staff make this likely a high quality stop for anyone in the area (20+ mile radius easily). Â When I looked around for other chef presented food options this really was the only one and when I went looking for it I was shocked to find it was real - the surrounding options are scary so keep this in mind when reading my review. Â I could easily bump this up a notch just because I was lacking alternatives of high quality.
Review Source:My review for The Federal is long overdue. My mother threw me my baby shower here back in February and it was truly an awesome experience. I arrived early with friends in tow to set up the tables and was greeted by the head waiter with such a sweet and helpful smile, I was immediately put at ease. He toured us around and explained how the buffet would work, how the tables were laid out and even where the coat rack and bathrooms were. He let me know that he would help me in anyway with anything I needed. I WISH I remembered his name (I actually wrote it down but lost the paper). Either way... THANK YOU!
The food was phenomenal as usual (I have dined here before with family) and the presentation was beautiful. I really don't think my guests had ever seen such a delicious brunch display at a shower. Everyone raved about the truffle mac n cheese and the brioche french toast. The same waiter even packed up the leftovers from the buffet and wrote my name on the things he knew were my favorite. Now this guy knows how to please a pregnant patron!!
I never once needed or wanted anything that wasn't immediately offered or even preemptively brought to me. My guests had an awesome time and my baby shower was a memory I will always love to look back on.
Thank you so much to the staff of the Federal for pulling off a perfect brunch for me and my family and friends. I will be recommending The Federal for private events to everyone who is looking for a really special experience.
Ambiance: Â I dined with several friends at The Federal ~2 weeks ago. Â Being wintertime it was extremely dark, but nonetheless the building seemed like a rather charming place a warm house type feeling inside. Â Relatively secluded rooms, spaced out tables and the New England atmosphere make this a great choice for a nice semi-fancy to fancy dining location. Collared shirt is fine but anything less may make one feel out of place.
Cost: Â For the food quality and service I thought the Federal was correctly priced. Â A solid $$$, you realistically aren't escaping for less than $50 a head. Â Please note here to be mindful of drinks -- similar to another review who commented that the restaurant used generic soda, a few of us ordered gin & tonics which were poured extremely light and with diet tonic without any comment from the waitress.
Food Quality: I'm giving The Federal 4 stars, but for the most part this a tad of a misnomer since a few ho-hum dishes did drag this rating down.  The drawbacks: The signature risotto bolls were fair but by no means my favorite item (several restaurants in NYC have heightened my senses on these).  We shared the sea scallops w/ duck from the menu among the table  and were rather underwhelmed, despite the rather unique decoration to it based mainly on too many taste pallets going off at once.  The positives: Most surprisingly, I was very impressed by the pesto paper thin pizza, a nice snack to share before dinner.  The clam chowder was extremely fresh, and after having it 4+ times in 3 days I can say this was the best one.  The other items that were commented on as 'great' at our table included the lamb, filet, short ribs and banana Nutella crepe dessert.  The most enjoyable part of the menu to us was 'you be the chef', allowing a diner to match a main dish with any sauce and sides, which would come in handy for anybody dining with picky people.
Service: Good not great. Our waitress missed two people by accident when pouring wine, and did not have much of a answer to the gin & tonic mystery discussed above. Â Last, we came in just over an hour before close, and were completely rushed through courses by the wait staff (they actually began taking away dinner plates when only ~half of our table was done eating). Â Somewhat understandable but if we knew that was going to be the case we could have gone elsewhere -- if you're within 90 minutes of close make note of this.
When to return: Â Special occasions and with friends. When making a reservation, probably plan ahead by phoning wait staff and describing your party given the different rooms.
Looking for a truly great dining experience in the Pioneer Valley? Â This is it. Â Great ambiance, a nice selection of cocktails, and a unique menu make The Federal a star in the area.
The Bucket of Balls is a must, although most likely you will be presented one ball as a complimentary amuse busche from the chef. Â For me that's never enough. Â I need the creamy deliciousness of at least 3 or 4 balls to feel satisfied. Â The mac and cheese as others have said is to die for. Â Last time I went I had the tuna which was a little bit overcooked but the presentation was excellent. Â After the drinks, apps, and entrees I've never had room for dessert but it always looks good. Â Once I saw they were serving some sort of gourmet cotton candy which struck me as fun, whimsical, and something completely different so be prepared for some potentially creative desserts.
There's some great restaurants in WMass so don't take this as a knock, but I 100% agree that if this place was in NYC or Boston it would be a much hotter destination then it seems to be right now.
I drove almost 90 minutes each way during a snow/rainstorm to eat at The Federal and it was worth every near-death experience I had today.
Long version: I went to The Federal along with the Western Mass Eat-Up Meetup group for an event. So I suppose this isn't a typical dinner experience since there were 42-ish of us there. They were really good in accommodating us though since the layout of the old house really lends itself to many dining rooms for medium-large parties.
We started with their risotto balls, which I gather is some kind of signature appetizer of theirs. It was good; just like a deep fried ball of risotto should be. Their list of drinks was impressive and folks who drank really enjoyed it; I didn't drink since I had to drive 90 minutes in a winter storm after dinner to get home.
Their salad was delicious. Also, their bread. I cannot take my father here because he will gorge himself on the bread basket and not order a meal and that's not polite. Speaking of politeness, this place is fancy. I'm slightly intimidated by it but it is a nice change from the more casual places I usually go to.
I had the hard cider braised pork chop with caramelized sweet potato salad, smoked bacon, rocket and romesco sauce. It was really good pork. The sweet potato salad and the sauce complemented the pork very nicely and I ate every edible particle on my plate. I also had a bite of someone's salmon dish and it was great; it was a little dry, but I like my salmon dry. We got a special group price for dinner but, really, I would definitely pay "normal" price for that pork.
My only two complaints were with the dessert and the menu. The dessert, a chocolate cake, wasn't anything spectacular (possibly because I had a slice of really good chocolate cake a few days ago for my birthday). But I guess I'm just being picky because it is pretty good chocolate cake; just not as good as the rest of the restaurant. Their menu also use quotation marks liberally making it look somewhat like a diner menu. I get that when they put quotes around "veal parmasan" they are implying that there's a special twist to the veal parmasan but it is still kind of annoying.
That, and the bathrooms (especially the doors) are kind of run down, patched up looking, which matches the old federal house theme but not the atmosphere of the place.
Besides that, this place is amazing. The service was great and the atmosphere is really cool once you get used to it. It's expensive, yes, but there are lots of under $15 options for dinner (although you can certainly shell out $30+ for steak and seafood) so I definitely would recommend it even to my employment-challenged friends if they have a special occasion or something. It certainly is one of the best places I've eaten at in Western MA and well worth it.
I have lived in Agawam for 2 years and have wanted to go here since I moved to town...I am mad it took me so long to give this amazing restaurant a try! The menu is extensive, flavors impeccable and presentation like no where else in wmass. The prices are high for the area but worth EVERY penny! Splurge and you won't be disappointed!!!!
Review Source:I was happy to find this restaurant because I didn't have the same luck last time I was in Springfield... I sat at the bar since I arrived rather late for dinner. Â It is definitely a beautiful restaurant and perfect for a date.
Ok the good...
I ordered the truffled mac and cheese and it was out of this world good. Â If I could have licked my plate clean I would have done it. Â I also had their special for dessert which was a creme brulee, with a dollop of gelato nestled between two homemade chocolate chip cookies. Â It was super yummy. Â The interesting part of this was the end, in typical dessert fashion they placed a couple mint leafs on top. Â Since I don't like the taste of mint I moved it aside, but it was when I touched it that I realized it was crumbly like paper. Â I wasn't sure what they had done but decided to try it. Â It tasted Ahhwesome!!! So I asked the bartender about it and she said they deep fry it! Â I guess everything does taste better fried.
The bad...
The hostess wasn't very friendly, which is never good for a hostess. Â
I thought the portions would be generous so I only ordered the half portion of the mac and cheese and it was almost appetizer size or tapas size. Â Which was disappointing considering the price.
Oh and they are guilty of doing my least favorite thing... if I ask for a coke and you don't carry it, tell me that... don't just serve me a generic and expect that I won't know the difference. Â Big faux pas. Â Come to think of it, with their prices they should be able to afford real coke products... no, it wasn't pepsi either.
I cannot believe this place doesn't have more reviews. I was not expecting it to be this good. I did read somewhere that somebody said this place could be placed in NYC and have a line outside the door to get in and I thought,"Ok sure", but after eating there tonight I can say that is absolutely true. I was blown away by everything. The ambience and service were superb but if I had eaten this food take out in a car I still would have thought it was incredible. The portions are HUGE. After our appetizers we were already full and the complimentary fried risotto balls were delicious. We have tons of leftovers and when I got home, even after being stuffed out of my mind I still managed to take a little bite of each thing and it tasted even better than it did at the restaurant. I also loved this place, it's a very charming and romantic dining room and I loved the music. The restaurant is not on a main road, infact touching their parking lot is the driveway of a house. I think this adds to the feeling of eating here, it's almost like a little getaway when you come here. The food was so delicious, my favorite was probably the butternut squash ravioli, I got the half portion as an appetizer and my boyfriend and I could not stop eating it, we even soaked up the sauce with our bread. My boyfriend also got the sloppy joe sliders as a starter. I thought it was ridiculous that A. they would have sloppy joe sliders here and B. he would order them but they were delicious! He got the quail for an entree and my only complaint was that it was really salty with the olives and the sauce on top of it, but the flavor was great. My scallops "hash" with duck confit and sugar pumpkin puree was sweet, savory, and delightful. I can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow. The nutella crepes for dessert with hazelnut gelato was SO yummy and the most adorable thing about the entire meal was that they actually sell doggy biscuits for you to take home to your dog. For three dollars they gave me a cute little box with one big and two small doggy treats, and they actually smell really good (kind of like gingerbread cookies). My puppy went crazy for them.
Every bite of food here was exciting and never failed to impress, which is something that is very hard to find in a restaurant especially in a very unlikely town on an unsuspecting little road in Agawam. This has to be the most pleasant surprise of a restaurant I've ever encountered. Expensive, yes, but you will not leave hungry or disappointed. If you want a romantic, delicious meal and aren't sure where to go, go here. I'm so glad we came here instead of going to a more reviewed place in a bigger city because I really don't think much comes close to this. This easily rivals the top restaurants in NYC and Miami, including Gordon Ramsay's. Looking forward to going back!
Oh and private parking lot, so there's no worries about parking.
Absolutely the BEST Resturant I have ever had the pleasure of dining at... Everyone had a different and awesome dish!
A MUST "go to" if ever in this area. Can not wait to go back!
If I ever had to have a "last meal" prior to execution...(ha) .....I guess this would be the place to go to.....the tiered desserts are a must have.....a great sampling of some of the finest I have ever put in my mouth!
What a delightful place to dine.....
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