Mama Mia, Massachusetts! Please answer me this: Is there anybody currently reading these words right now who doesn't like pasta? There are plenty of us pasta lovers who would consider it an honest-to-goodness sacrilege to dislike pasta.

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Now I realize that there are many different types of pasta. Honestly, "pasta" covers a lot of ground. Let's see...just a few examples...spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccini, manicotti, cannelloni, rigatoni, macaroni, cavatappi, ziti, penne, ravioli, lasagne, tortellini...really, the list does indeed go on...and on...and on.

Growing up, my favorite pasta dish was spaghetti. Always spaghetti. With meatballs or sausage. And, thanks to my late, loving mother, I could never order spaghetti at a restaurant. What can I say? Mom raised the bar in my eyes (and taste buds).

Honestly, my mom's cooking spoiled me. The few times I ordered it at a restaurant were a disappointment. It was never the same. Anyway, at some point growing up, my favorite pasta dish changed from spaghetti to Fettuccine Alfredo. It has remained my pasta fave to this very day.

Every year, February 7th is National Fettuccine Alfredo Day (I realize I'm a couple of days late, but do you really need a special day to tell you to eat fettuccine alfredo?) and I decided to research which local eating establishments make the best anything Alfredo.

The crowd-sourced business review website Yelp helped me out a lot by compiling a list of the best restaurants for Alfredo in Western Massachusetts and we are very fortunate because three Berkshire County eateries are in the Top 10!

Here's the list according to Yelp:

  1. Joe's Cafe & Spaghetti House - Northampton
  2. Sibaritas - East St., Pittsfield (Yayyyy!)
  3. Mazzeo's Ristorante - South St., Pittsfield (Ditto!)
  4. Emma's Everyday Gourmet - Westfield
  5. John's Pizzeria & Restaurant - Chicopee
  6. Pasta E Basta - Amherst
  7. Gianni Fig's Ristorante - Deerfield
  8. Mom & Rico's Specialty Market - Springfield
  9. Brooklyn's Best - North St., Pittsfield (Awesome)
  10. Via Appia - Wilbraham

Great job all around to our three local restaurants that made the top 10 and a special shoutout to Amici Berkshires (West Stockbridge) for making the top 20. Visit Yelp's website for the full rundown here.

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