Tangerini's -- New
England Dining
Feeling Refreshed and in a New England State of Mind at Tangerini's
Farm in Millis, Mass.
Tangerini's Farm.
Article, photos by Eric Hurwitz
created and updated for VisitingNewEngland.com on 10/1/2021. Find us on Twitter: @newenglandinfo
Just the turn of the car from suburbia
into wide open farm land at Tangerini's Spring Street Farm in Millis,
Mass. transforms our daily suburban world into one that we thought left
us a long time ago.
Suddenly, the air becomes fresher and the plants, produce and expansive
fields with accessible walking trails take on colors that contrast
against the often dull haze of the east coast industrial belt. It's
almost like going from the black and white scenes of Kansas in the
Wizard of Oz to the vibrantly colored land of Oz.
That autumn feeling.
The whole scene truly comes alive with farm fresh rural day scenes and
beautiful sunsets gracing those open lands with a dimension that makes
one seem like they are somewhere in the Midwest when the reality is the
Boston city line is just 45 minutes away (well, on a good traffic day).
Out here in the
fields at Tangerini's.
Fall time is also quite colorful, as the bright, well-formed pumpkins
will get one into a New England autumn state of mind in no time.
Whether autumn, spring or summer, Tangerini's embodies a family-run
business that is joyfully open to the public and practices responsible
farming in the best sense. Organic farming yields some of the best
produce and herbs around, as evidenced by a stroll through the quaint,
old farm stand.
Families and households can also sign up at Tangerini’s Farm to become
a "shareholder" of the upcoming season’s harvest. Here, participants
are part of the farming process and its byproducts, including "U-pick
opportunities, pesto making, tomato picking, onion topping, sauce
making, potlucks and volunteer days!"
Apples in the tree.
Tangerini's Farm goes way beyond produce, however. The Farmer's
Porch cafe
features at least five seasonal menus, "farm to fork" cuisine and
scenic outdoor dining areas overlooking the vast farmland. This isn't
one of those farm-to-table dining spots that takes locally-sourced food
and then screws it up with weird flavors that are incompatible with our
taste buds. Instead, The Farmers' Porch serves comfort foods we all
love and does it right -- and then some.
Take this turkey sandwich (pictured below) with turkey sourced from Outpost Farm in
nearby Holliston, Mass. and accompanied by cranberry sauce and
stuffing. And then those homemade potato chips -- yum! Without a doubt,
the best turkey sandwich and homemade potato chips I have ever
tasted and, of course, a glass of locally-produced apple cider makes it
a truly complete lunch!
Lunch at Tangerini Farm.
Additionally, Tangerini's also features a traditional ice cream stand
with delicious locally-made hard serve ice cream, as well as soft
serve, sundaes, floats, frappes, fresh fruit smoothies and homemade
lemonade. This wonderful farmstand also sells beautifully grown plants and flowers
for sale including hanging baskets, container plants, annuals,
perennials and other seasonal kinds. Call ahead for availability,
however, as currently there's a limited amount of plants for sale.
With all the wonderful produce and cafe offerings, perhaps the best
flavor here is "New England" with beautiful
farm views everywhere you look. Enjoy the scenes from a picnic table or
out in the field!
Special events like a "Gardeners Lecture Series," birthday parties and
hayrides, field trips for local schools and a one-mile walking trail
through fields of vegetable and cut flowers make for a wonderful time
at this idyllic location.
Flowers in the field.
One visit is not enough -- coming to Tangerini's could easily become a
way of life, part of a special, wholesome weekly regimen.
A family run business in the best sense, Tangerini's proves that
simplicity yields a wonderful quality of life. The farm has been around
since the early 1800s and you can sense its "good bones" no matter how
much development has occurred surrounding the property. The Tangerini
family has operated the business since 1995, responsibly growing its
farm stand as sensibly as its produce (translation: this is not a
tourist trap!. In April of 2019, Linda and Steve Chiarizio proudly took
over ownership of Tangerini’s and have wonderfully carried on the
tradition.
Pumpkins, field.
It's clearly evident that the Tangerini's Farm take care of their
property with the utmost care and passion. They don't have to say "I
love my job," it's shown already in the way they interact with their
customers, their livelihood and their staff. It's really a way of life
here, not a job.
Farm field on Spring Street.
To no surprise, Tangerini's Spring Street Farm is our pick as one of
suburban Boston's best run farms. Everything here is so real and down
to earth and the produce, u-pick offerings, events, cafe food, ice
cream and a place to
commune with nature creates a place where you look forward to returning
to the minute you leave ---all the sign of a great farm stand business.
Tangerini's
Spring Street Farm, 139
Spring Street, Millis, MA. Tel.
(508)376-5024. Always call ahead or log onto the Tangerini's web site
to see what is currently offered!
Additional reading:
This is the only restaurant in Massachusetts located
in a town hall building
Finding the ultimate family-run market in Milford,
Mass.
Why
Kravings in Millis, Mass. comes highly recommended
Dining at a beautifully restored H.H. Richardson
former train station in Palmer, Mass.
New
England Gift Idea! Fall Meets Winter in Walpole, MA Unframed
Photo Print -- Your
purchase of
this Fall Meets Winter Unframed Photo helps
keep VisitingNewEngland
going. I captured this scene on Oct. 31, 2020 on North Street in
Walpole, Massachusetts. Notice the contrast of foliage and recent
snowfall. This is part of what makes New England so special!
North Street is one of the most beautiful semi-rural locations in the
Boston suburbs. If in the area, definitely take a ride there!
This photo was taken at 80 ISO, F8.0, with a shutter speed of 60. It is
best printed at 8X10 but also looks fine at 11X14 or 16X20.
Interested in
your local business
becoming part of our New England community?
VisitingNewEngland business partnerships differ than feature articles
previously posted on VisitingNewEngland.
Businesses pay a small, one-time fee to have pages like this appear,
and first must be accepted by VisitingNewEngland.com editor and
publisher, Eric Hurwitz, as a business he approves as part of "real New
England travel" to keep the integrity of the site. Businesses that sign
up for business partnerships receive priority by receiving more social
media exposure and link placement on VisitingNewEngland.com. Contact Eric
if interested in forming a business partnership.
Explore
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