Finding a restaurant that encompasses fine dining at a fair price can be hard to come by these days. This however, is not the case for Pages Loft in Northampton located inside the Clarion Hotel. Pages Loft is once again the place for great food at an incredibly reasonable price.
Pages Loft began when founder George Page Sr. first built the Northampton Hilton Inn, now known as the Clarion, in the 1960’s. His son, and current owner Bo Page, first served as the assistant manager and later went on to purchase the hotel and restaurant from his father in 1977. Known for their dinner specials, social atmosphere and tasty complimentary popovers, Pages Loft was the place to be in the 1980’s. Whether you were looking for a romantic night out, or a banquet hall for any celebration, Pages Loft was always top choice. However, several years later when George Sr. became ill, Bo sold the hotel and restaurant to Clarion and moved on to other ventures, one in particular was retiring in Florida. Though the environment was nice and the people were friendly, Bo found that he was just not cut out for the retirement life. He longed for the fast paced atmosphere that he had grown fond of during his time at Pages Loft. Growing tired of spending his time fishing and golfing, Bo decided that he needed to contact his friend and current owner of the Clarion, Curt Shumway. The two took off from there and in no time at all Bo was back into the business, except this time with new and creative ideas.
Though he was very successful with the original Pages Loft, Bo desired something new and innovative for this restaurant that would set it apart from other restaurants based in Massachusetts. What was once old farmhouse wagons and bales of hay, was quickly replaced with modern furniture and contemporary local art. Though the lighting was a bit dim in the original Pages Loft, it now illuminates the entire facility with a warm and welcoming ambiance. In addition to changing the dining area, Bo also created a new cocktail lounge which includes a piano for live entertainment and an extensive granite top bar perfect for mingling and socializing. No change was greater than the addition of acclaimed chef Bill Gideon, who has done work at several five star hotels including Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, CA. Gideon’s “fresh American” spin on the new menu incorporates using fresh local produce whenever possible and making sauces and salad dressings from scratch. With new flavors such as Chicago-style pork chops and gnocchi with beef tips in a peppercorn cream sauce, Gideon’s creations promise to satisfy any creative appetite. Though the menu has made some changes, Bo promises that some fan favorites will remain such as their complimentary popovers along with offering baby shrimp for salads. Bo also believes that “people will find that we are quite a bit more upscale than your normal banquet house, but not price-wise”. Prices are extremely reasonable and when combined with their coupon for 25% off a dinner for two found on our Partners Page, they make it hard to say no. With a new look and new menu it is well worth making Pages Loft your next destination dinner location.
As you’ll see in the video below, a few things have changed at Pages Loft but we can guarantee you that the reliably great service and quality of their tasty food remains true at Pages Loft.
