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Whip City Neon Gem

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Written by Randy Garbin

Westfield, Massachusetts also known as the "Whip City" still has an architecturally intact downtown, and in the heart of it, shines this little beacon of cool. The City Hotel Cafe sports a perfectly maintained neon sign and has a well-weathered interior that features a glass block bar.

No, don't go here to find 30 beers on tap or a lengthy menu of various martini drinks. The City Hotel Cafe is, frankly, a classic dive bar, but one that retains a great deal of its hey-day charm. Most of the beer offerings come from the big three breweries, but at least one tap was reserved for a locally produced ale, Berkship Brewing Company.

Normally, I might stay away from such an offering in a place that you might not expect to find many beer aficionados. How long has that keg sat there? How clean are the lines. No worries, though. The pale ale looked and tasted fine.

You can sit at the glass block bar or at the streamline banquettes, one of which is circular. On our visit on a Saturday night, we had no problems finding seats, and the bar closed at 11:30 p.m. Not much on the menu food-wise, though we did see a hot dog cooker behind the bar, but opted not to order one. The Cafe also features a pool table.

Built in 1912, the Cafe will celebrate it's 100th anniversary in a couple of years. We hope to help them ring in their next century. Find this gem right on Elm Street.