There’s always been a fish on the menu at P and E’s. But the menu has gone through a gradual transformation— evolving from a raw, simple combination of ingredients to a more layered and nuanced incorporation of flavors.

“I think featuring regional flavors and styles and ingredients (baked scrod, scallops, and a variety of local vegetables—roasted, fried, raw or sautéed—herbs and fruit) and an international style and flavors give us a certain balance and options for me as a chef to explore.” — Nate Sustick

Paul & Elizabeth,started their restaurant in 1978 and have been incorporating local ingredients into their dishes from the very beginning. You have to, Nate says, if you care about the quality of your food. This is especially true for a restaurant that features so many vegetables front and center on the menu.

Each season brings with it a new bounty from the fields in and around the pioneer valley. It is easy to distinguish what time of year it is when reading the specials menu at Paul & Elizabeths. Nate and his staff feature the harvest as it comes in from the farms, from asparagus and fiddle heads in the spring, to tomatoes and corn in the summer, and root vegetables and squash through autumns end & into the winter. Being locally grown himself, Nate finds he is often sourcing his vegetables from old family friends, and classmates he has forged relationships with over the years. This collaboration brings the best of what the valley has to offer to the table, while working to ensure that the rich agricultural tradition of the area continues to flourish.