Weekend plan was to get out of the Merrimack Valley and get some air. What we found instead was great beer and muscles. Is there a better combination on earth? Oh and killer ( I need to come up with a better adjective) bread! Hot and crusty from the oven (Atkins who?). We found all this nirvana in Northampton, foodie capital of the Pioneer Valley. Just outside of Springfield (D’oh) lies this fun food town. The restaurant scene is trendy, diverse and filled with enough finds to keep a South Ender satisfied for a few days. We first hit the dirty truth, a beer museum on Main Street with too many taps to count, high ceilings and red walls. A sucker for design, I instantly fell for the cool look so marked by single hanging light bulbs and a giant mirror fastened with turnbuckles. I had a Dogfishhead summer ale, which tasted like lemonade. SInce it was midday, it was a perfecet choice. Gourmet guy had a hearty dark Belgian which provoked a giant smile. The fries here were great. Thin and crisp, cooked to an ideal temp and perfectly salted, but the food is not really the draw. I kept looking across the street at Spoleto with the big yellow awnings and I got strong food vibes. Later, after an eight mile ride on the nearby bike path left us peckish, we hit Spoleto. And it was a good call. The bread that arrived came from Iggy’s in Watertown and that was the first tip we were in good hands. The second tip, was the bartender who really seemed to appreciate food. He complimented us on our choices between churns at the lime machine, where he made fresh squeezed margaritas. Our spinach salads was so tender, I thought the little leaves where picked that day. With gouda and cherries on top and a tangy dressing, what could have been better? The muscles were in a nice tangy, spicy sauce and we had stuffed grilled squid (points for being different.) Check it out next time you hit Noho at 50 Main St. What's you favorite food town?