Bombay
435 Laurel St
Lee, MA 01238
http://www.fineindiandining.com/bombaylee.htm
Let me be frank from the beginning: don't go to Bombay. Got that? If you have no other options, go to the McDonald's on route 20 by the Mass Pike. Seriously. Don't go.
When I first bought the house in Lee in the spring of 2008, I spent a dinner with my new neighbors discussing dining options in the area. They were big fans of Bombay although they pointed out it was pricey. I tried it a few times, and while it did add up quickly once an appetizer or nan is on the order along with entrees, it rated "pretty good" Indian. There are a few top-notch Indian restaurants in my hometown of Waltham, MA, so I tend to assume all Indian food will at least be in the pretty good category, if not even excellent. There is one Indian place in Natick, MA where I had my first truly bad Indian meal, so I know it existed. But Bombay was good enough that I took my family there in the summer of 2008.
That was a weird visit, and I see I did not write it up at the time. It was before a Tanglewood concert, so the place was pretty full. It's not the best atmosphere because although it has a beautiful view of Laurel Lake, it's also in a Quality Inn. So off the rather small dining room, which has that lingering scent of Indian spices (and in an "open a window and clean this place" kind of way, not a "this smells delicious" kind of way), is a breakfast room with containers of cereal. I cannot imagine eating breakfast in a stuffy Indian restaurant. The service was pretty terrible. The waitstaff did not seem at all interested in the customers and it left a bad taste in all of our mouths. I don't really remember the food.
Anyway, speaking of bad tastes, tonight I was driving up the mass pike trying to decide what to get for dinner. I had just been looking at Indian recipes to use in the slow cooker I got for Christmas, so I thought I would splurge on Bombay and then have plenty of leftovers for lunches for the next few days - an indulgence tonight and then utilitarian the next few days - excellent.
So I picked up the order and spooned out chicken saag, lamb rogan josh, a vegetable samosa, and added some raita on the side. I also ordered a plain naan, which was a garlic naan. I like garlic as flavoring, not as the main event, and especially not as big hunks sitting on top of an oily nan. Ick. Where do I begin with the rest of the awfulness? The fact the entrees were incredibly oily? The flavorlessness of the saag? The big piece of gristle I bit into from the rogan josh? The chopped raw onion in the raita (at least that's what it tasted like)? The tough, tough, elderly crust of the samosa?
I spent too much money and now I wish I could go back in time and not eat any of it. I also have a whole pile of Indian food garbage on my hands.
I am drinking a beer now, trying to forget.
Don't go to Bombay. Seriously.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Berkshire Mountain Bakery Honored by Bon Appetit!
One of ten best bakeries in the country - so the exceptional deliciousness wasn't just in my imagination....
http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2011/01/top_10_bread_bakeries_in_america
http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2011/01/top_10_bread_bakeries_in_america
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Red Lion Inn
www.redlioninn.com
The Red Lion is maybe the most well-known inn in the Berkshires, and there are dining options in the main dining room, the tavern, and the courtyard. The dining room is a bit stuffy for my taste, but the courtyard is delightful. However, the hallmark of any dining experience at the Red Lion is the haphazard, bordering on terrible, service. The food is good (in general) - a blend of seasonal, local ingredients and warhorses such as roasted turkey and prime rib. Actually, it's a little refreshing to see prime rib on a menu in a world of aioli, jus, confit and the rest. So between the charm of the courtyard setting and the good food, I keep going back. It's also one of the few places in the Berkshires where you can make a reservation for breakfast with a large group.
In any event, the service has been so bad in the past that once a waitress was fired in the middle of our meal. Last night was no exception. The pattern seems to be that very nice, ill trained people are hired for the summer season and seem over their head all through service. Last night, our very nice waitress had trouble juggling her tables, didn't get the descriptions of the specials correct (the lobster cake I ordered had truffle oil on it - and I hate truffle oil), and stood next to our table holding our bread basket, after a long wait, talking to the hostess. The bartender kept yelling out to the wait staff that he was out of stuff - mineral water, wine glasses, martini glasses. I ordered a glass of wine after the first course that arrived when I was almost done with my entree. One patron at the table next to ours was so tired of waiting for his glass of wine, he went up to the bar himself, which flummoxed the waitress completely. SO - be warned. This has been the experience regularly.
On to the food. For an appetizer, I had lobster cakes which were not what I was imagining - too heavy on stuffing that the rich lobster meat did not need. The salads my parents had were nice, however, and I had their house salad earlier this summer - local greens, oranges, Marcona almonds, goat cheese and maple vinaigrette. For a main course, my dad and I both had pan seared scallops on greens with a citrus vinaigrette and waffle chips. The scallops were done beautifully but the chips - we each had about three sad, lonely chips on our plates. My mom had a risotto with English peas, pureed carrots, and shiitake mushrooms, which she reported was delicious. However, the best course of the meal was dessert - warm brown sugar cake with peach ice cream and caramel sauce - gorgeous. Exactly the melt-in-your-=mouth experience you would expect form the description. And the coffee was excellent as well.
So go for the food and atmosphere and not the service... you have been warned!
The Red Lion is maybe the most well-known inn in the Berkshires, and there are dining options in the main dining room, the tavern, and the courtyard. The dining room is a bit stuffy for my taste, but the courtyard is delightful. However, the hallmark of any dining experience at the Red Lion is the haphazard, bordering on terrible, service. The food is good (in general) - a blend of seasonal, local ingredients and warhorses such as roasted turkey and prime rib. Actually, it's a little refreshing to see prime rib on a menu in a world of aioli, jus, confit and the rest. So between the charm of the courtyard setting and the good food, I keep going back. It's also one of the few places in the Berkshires where you can make a reservation for breakfast with a large group.
In any event, the service has been so bad in the past that once a waitress was fired in the middle of our meal. Last night was no exception. The pattern seems to be that very nice, ill trained people are hired for the summer season and seem over their head all through service. Last night, our very nice waitress had trouble juggling her tables, didn't get the descriptions of the specials correct (the lobster cake I ordered had truffle oil on it - and I hate truffle oil), and stood next to our table holding our bread basket, after a long wait, talking to the hostess. The bartender kept yelling out to the wait staff that he was out of stuff - mineral water, wine glasses, martini glasses. I ordered a glass of wine after the first course that arrived when I was almost done with my entree. One patron at the table next to ours was so tired of waiting for his glass of wine, he went up to the bar himself, which flummoxed the waitress completely. SO - be warned. This has been the experience regularly.
On to the food. For an appetizer, I had lobster cakes which were not what I was imagining - too heavy on stuffing that the rich lobster meat did not need. The salads my parents had were nice, however, and I had their house salad earlier this summer - local greens, oranges, Marcona almonds, goat cheese and maple vinaigrette. For a main course, my dad and I both had pan seared scallops on greens with a citrus vinaigrette and waffle chips. The scallops were done beautifully but the chips - we each had about three sad, lonely chips on our plates. My mom had a risotto with English peas, pureed carrots, and shiitake mushrooms, which she reported was delicious. However, the best course of the meal was dessert - warm brown sugar cake with peach ice cream and caramel sauce - gorgeous. Exactly the melt-in-your-=mouth experience you would expect form the description. And the coffee was excellent as well.
So go for the food and atmosphere and not the service... you have been warned!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
NY Times Berkshire Grown article
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/travel/22journeys.html?_r=2&emc=eta1
This article appeared today to underscore the Berkshires as a leader in the locally grown movement. Nudel gets more press than Allium but pssst - go eat at Allium. :)
This article appeared today to underscore the Berkshires as a leader in the locally grown movement. Nudel gets more press than Allium but pssst - go eat at Allium. :)
August Food Shopping
Great Barrington Farmers Market
www.gbfarmersmarket.org
Taft Farm
119 Park Street
Great Barrington, MA
www.taftfarms.com
Nejaime's Wine Cellar
60 Main Street Lenox, MA
www.nejaimeswine.com
I spent a few hours yesterday shopping, as I had never been to the Great Barrington Farmer's Market (Saturdays 9-1pm). The Lee market is on Friday AM, so this year I have yet to make it there. The Lenox and Lee markets are humble compared to Great Barrington and I have heard GB pales in comparison to Sheffield's (Friday mid afternoon) - but I haven't made it down to Sheffield yet for that event. GB had a number of farms with everything you would hope - except I couldn't find corn. I did get a pint of mixed variety cherry tomatoes that were perfect, however, and there were fresh beets, lettuces, greens of all kinds, etc. The folks working the booths were consistently polite and happy to discuss the best tomatoes for gazpacho versus the best for salads, for ex. The Berkshire Mountain Bakery booth had a selection as complete and well stocked as that at the main bakery in Housatonic. There were also several other bakeries represented, but I couldn't help but stick with the tried and true this time around. One the web site, several cheese makers and fresh meat from a farm in Lee were listed as vendors, but I didn't see them.
One note of caution - don't expect to find some kind of authentic "rural life" experience here - this a farmer's market for upscale weekenders and their many pure bred dogs. In fact, one beautiful giant schnauzer was keeping things lively - which made me contemplate the wisdom of whoever first decided to create a giant terrier breed in the first place. I am quite happy with a 30 pound one, thank you. I shudder to think of a giant, bouncing, too smart for her own good Wheaten.
To find corn, I stopped at GB's Taft Farm on the way home. Last year they were lamenting the rain but this year the produce was plentiful. I left with sweet corn (fabulous) and cucumbers (makes you realize how watery the supermarket version is - theses had a real melon-y taste). And I had a pick up a homemade cinnamon sugar donut - a treat even for those like me that don't really like donuts! There are pies and sweet breads aplenty, and a nice deli for sandwiches as well. Taft has more of a feel that it serves both the year round residents and us visiting weekenders.
Finally I stopped at Nejaime's Wine Cellar and Cheese Shop in downtown Lenox. I suspect the cheese monger at their Lenox store in a strip mall near the Pittsfield line is more knowledgeable, but in this location there was still an impressive selective of cheese. The wine prices are a bit on a the high side, but I have found their selection to be generally excellent.
www.gbfarmersmarket.org
Taft Farm
119 Park Street
Great Barrington, MA
www.taftfarms.com
Nejaime's Wine Cellar
60 Main Street Lenox, MA
www.nejaimeswine.com
I spent a few hours yesterday shopping, as I had never been to the Great Barrington Farmer's Market (Saturdays 9-1pm). The Lee market is on Friday AM, so this year I have yet to make it there. The Lenox and Lee markets are humble compared to Great Barrington and I have heard GB pales in comparison to Sheffield's (Friday mid afternoon) - but I haven't made it down to Sheffield yet for that event. GB had a number of farms with everything you would hope - except I couldn't find corn. I did get a pint of mixed variety cherry tomatoes that were perfect, however, and there were fresh beets, lettuces, greens of all kinds, etc. The folks working the booths were consistently polite and happy to discuss the best tomatoes for gazpacho versus the best for salads, for ex. The Berkshire Mountain Bakery booth had a selection as complete and well stocked as that at the main bakery in Housatonic. There were also several other bakeries represented, but I couldn't help but stick with the tried and true this time around. One the web site, several cheese makers and fresh meat from a farm in Lee were listed as vendors, but I didn't see them.
One note of caution - don't expect to find some kind of authentic "rural life" experience here - this a farmer's market for upscale weekenders and their many pure bred dogs. In fact, one beautiful giant schnauzer was keeping things lively - which made me contemplate the wisdom of whoever first decided to create a giant terrier breed in the first place. I am quite happy with a 30 pound one, thank you. I shudder to think of a giant, bouncing, too smart for her own good Wheaten.
To find corn, I stopped at GB's Taft Farm on the way home. Last year they were lamenting the rain but this year the produce was plentiful. I left with sweet corn (fabulous) and cucumbers (makes you realize how watery the supermarket version is - theses had a real melon-y taste). And I had a pick up a homemade cinnamon sugar donut - a treat even for those like me that don't really like donuts! There are pies and sweet breads aplenty, and a nice deli for sandwiches as well. Taft has more of a feel that it serves both the year round residents and us visiting weekenders.
Finally I stopped at Nejaime's Wine Cellar and Cheese Shop in downtown Lenox. I suspect the cheese monger at their Lenox store in a strip mall near the Pittsfield line is more knowledgeable, but in this location there was still an impressive selective of cheese. The wine prices are a bit on a the high side, but I have found their selection to be generally excellent.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Lucky's Ice Cream and Grill
30 West Center Street
Lee, MA 01238-1503
(413) 243-1011
I am very fond of Lucky's because it has the charm of a handmade Dairy Queen - more selection, more Lee-ishness, outdoor tables, and outdoor order window as well as indoor seating. I can bring the dog. The food is all pretty good and very cheap - decent cheeseburgers with lots of cheese for $2.75, for example. The ice cream is fine - it's Hood's.
However - be warned that part of its charm is that I don't think I've ever seen anyone older than 17 working there. This means you will often see many well-meaning and cheerful bodies speed past you and wonder why no one is waiting on you. It also may mean no one will be able to figure out how to run your debit card through the cash register. But remember - it's all part of the charm!
Lee, MA 01238-1503
(413) 243-1011
I am very fond of Lucky's because it has the charm of a handmade Dairy Queen - more selection, more Lee-ishness, outdoor tables, and outdoor order window as well as indoor seating. I can bring the dog. The food is all pretty good and very cheap - decent cheeseburgers with lots of cheese for $2.75, for example. The ice cream is fine - it's Hood's.
However - be warned that part of its charm is that I don't think I've ever seen anyone older than 17 working there. This means you will often see many well-meaning and cheerful bodies speed past you and wonder why no one is waiting on you. It also may mean no one will be able to figure out how to run your debit card through the cash register. But remember - it's all part of the charm!
Nudel
37 Church Street
Lenox, MA 01240
413.551.7183
I was really expecting to love Nudel. This restaurant has been receiving ecstatic raves for its not just seasonal food, but food based on what is available fresh on a daily basis. So very few items are repeated and menus are posted daily on the web site. Ah -= foodie heaven! Fresh! Inventive! Tiny and hard to get a table!!
Sigh.
Where do I begin? I asked what the appetizer bluefish confit was - specifically, was it a spreadable consistency? I will be honest and seeing "confit" without "duck" before it was in and of itself confusing. The response I received was "no" from the waiter. No other helpful info. Hmmm. When i got home I looked up the definition of confit, which specified that it was meat, usually duck, salted, cooked and then preserved in its own fat, or a condiment cooked to a jamlike consistency. So my question was not, in fact, stupid. I did take the plunge and ordered the dish and what arrived in front of me was a square of bluefish in an orange sauce (a "consomme"). The bluefish has a strong oily taste and the orange sauce was sharply acidic. Not a particularly tasty combination. My friend ordered young lettuces in a sherry vinaigrette with almonds and wheat berries and what arrived was a bowl of sloppy looking, too-large green. I had just seen an episode of Top Chef where chef Eric Ripert had taken a contestant to task for putting salad in a bowl because the different elements of the salad prove hard to get at in a bowl. This was the case with the Nudel salad. And - we were almost done with our appetizers (in a very tiny restaurant with a "bar" made up for a few bottles of wine) before our glasses of wine appeared.
I had a pasta with shredded beef, "bone marrow roasted garlic", white beans and lemon. It was rich and interesting, but one note, under seasoned. My friend got the split pea hummus which was satisfactory but not spectacular. The best thing on the table was the side of sourdough toast with olive oil - crispy and moist on the top with a soft underside, as if it had been grilled. Yum.
The dessert was the best part of the meal. I had a walnut tart that would have been perfection with a few dark chocolate morsels, but still managed to be very satisfying. My friend had a vanilla pot de creme. I tried it and while it was nice, I did not have the desire to dive into, the way I did with the maple pot de creme at Allium in GB.
Will I try Nudel again? Likely yes as often the menus are intriguing. Will I rush back? Likely no.
Lenox, MA 01240
413.551.7183
I was really expecting to love Nudel. This restaurant has been receiving ecstatic raves for its not just seasonal food, but food based on what is available fresh on a daily basis. So very few items are repeated and menus are posted daily on the web site. Ah -= foodie heaven! Fresh! Inventive! Tiny and hard to get a table!!
Sigh.
Where do I begin? I asked what the appetizer bluefish confit was - specifically, was it a spreadable consistency? I will be honest and seeing "confit" without "duck" before it was in and of itself confusing. The response I received was "no" from the waiter. No other helpful info. Hmmm. When i got home I looked up the definition of confit, which specified that it was meat, usually duck, salted, cooked and then preserved in its own fat, or a condiment cooked to a jamlike consistency. So my question was not, in fact, stupid. I did take the plunge and ordered the dish and what arrived in front of me was a square of bluefish in an orange sauce (a "consomme"). The bluefish has a strong oily taste and the orange sauce was sharply acidic. Not a particularly tasty combination. My friend ordered young lettuces in a sherry vinaigrette with almonds and wheat berries and what arrived was a bowl of sloppy looking, too-large green. I had just seen an episode of Top Chef where chef Eric Ripert had taken a contestant to task for putting salad in a bowl because the different elements of the salad prove hard to get at in a bowl. This was the case with the Nudel salad. And - we were almost done with our appetizers (in a very tiny restaurant with a "bar" made up for a few bottles of wine) before our glasses of wine appeared.
I had a pasta with shredded beef, "bone marrow roasted garlic", white beans and lemon. It was rich and interesting, but one note, under seasoned. My friend got the split pea hummus which was satisfactory but not spectacular. The best thing on the table was the side of sourdough toast with olive oil - crispy and moist on the top with a soft underside, as if it had been grilled. Yum.
The dessert was the best part of the meal. I had a walnut tart that would have been perfection with a few dark chocolate morsels, but still managed to be very satisfying. My friend had a vanilla pot de creme. I tried it and while it was nice, I did not have the desire to dive into, the way I did with the maple pot de creme at Allium in GB.
Will I try Nudel again? Likely yes as often the menus are intriguing. Will I rush back? Likely no.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Flattest Walk in the Berkshires
I enjoy taking Nessa over to Stockbridge on a beautiful day. There are several do-able hikes with dogs in the area, but I confess one of my favorite walks is just from one end of Main Street, down by the town hall, all the way to the other end, where the country club and cemetery reside. For anyone who is adverse to hills, this is a great, scenic walk - and a walk without hills is hard to come by in the Berkshires.
Most people walk the few blocks down the main drag of Stockbridge and end at the Red Lion. If you keep walking, you will see beautiful homes (and if you check out some side streets, even more beautiful homes), lovely gardens, and at the end, a view of Monument Mountain overlooking the Stockbridge Country Club.
My very favorite part of the walk (and I realize this is not everyone's cup of tea), is to walk through the cemetery, which features many 19th century graves (and maybe older ones I haven't found) with interesting inscriptions, statuary, etc. It's not a huge cemetery, but I feel as if every time I visit, I find a new path and something interesting to study. Make sure to walk across the street to the other section of the cemetery that gives you a great view of the golf course and the mountains beyond.
Most people walk the few blocks down the main drag of Stockbridge and end at the Red Lion. If you keep walking, you will see beautiful homes (and if you check out some side streets, even more beautiful homes), lovely gardens, and at the end, a view of Monument Mountain overlooking the Stockbridge Country Club.
My very favorite part of the walk (and I realize this is not everyone's cup of tea), is to walk through the cemetery, which features many 19th century graves (and maybe older ones I haven't found) with interesting inscriptions, statuary, etc. It's not a huge cemetery, but I feel as if every time I visit, I find a new path and something interesting to study. Make sure to walk across the street to the other section of the cemetery that gives you a great view of the golf course and the mountains beyond.
New Stuff in Downtown Lee!
Just a short post - Alpamayo Restaurant, a new Peruvian place, has a sign up in the storefront next to the Cakewalk and they seem to be working hard to open soon.
Across the street, the Berkshire Spiritual Center left last May; however, I saw a big sign this morning in the window of the empty space - "Main Street Books coming soon." Squee!!! A bookstore - very exciting. Let's hope it's a good one.
Across the street, the Berkshire Spiritual Center left last May; however, I saw a big sign this morning in the window of the empty space - "Main Street Books coming soon." Squee!!! A bookstore - very exciting. Let's hope it's a good one.
Dreamaway Lodge
1342 Country Road
Becket, MA 01223-8725
(413)623-8725
The Dreamaway is a Berkshire legend, known for its former existence as a speakeasy and possible brothel, and then for a night in 1975 when Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, and the Rolling Thunder Review spend a night jamming in the parlor. It is also now known for good food and being notoriously hard to find.
However, I took two visiting friends there last weekend and I was pleased to find that if you follow the directions on the website, it's not hard to find at all. We had left early, basically prepared with snacks, blankets and a compass in case we were never seen again. But we found it right away and it was perhaps a 15 minute drive at the most from my house in Lee. One tip that is one the website I can vouch for, though - don't assume your GPS is smarter than the directions the restaurant gives you. After dinner, we got in the car and tried to GPS just to see what it would do - it directed us the wrong way, and then showed the road ending on the screen - and then shut off. You would not think that in a location just a few miles from the Mass Pike you would be so far off the beaten path, but at least to the satellite, you are.
The Dreamaway is in a beautiful location on a rural road, and old farmhouse surrounded by gardens, a wildflower maze, and in the front, a fire pit and area to sit down. At 6:30 on a warm Saturday night, people were wandering around the grounds with drinks and the dining rooms were packed. We were seated in the back near the bathroom (the Loo Gallery where exhibits change regularly) and the kitchen, so I would suggest asking for a table near the front of the house. Reservations are a must.
The interior is shabby chic/antique store/yard sale, with an array of old kitchen implements, toys, religious icons and the like in every nook and cranny. The walls are hung with a combination of kitsch and contemporary art. Very charming and very unique. The menu is relatively small but covers it all: fish, steak, lamb, chicken and spareribs, and a vegetarian option (which actually appeared to be vegan). There are also small plates - mac and cheese, pizzas, and a hamburger.
It was hard to decide - it's a nice menu and there are many appealing options. We ended up going for three salads - the mixed greens with green goddess dressing, a frisee salad with bacon and cheese, and a roasted baby beet salad. Everything was extremely fresh and delicious, as the restaurant is committed to using local ingredients. The baby beet salad was five beets around Greek scordalia mi kapari - basically, a cold roughly-mashed potato with garlic, capers, and almond. Definitely unusual, tasty, and worth trying. The frisee salad was also rather revelatory in the simple way a vey good salad sometimes can be - I am not a big fan of bitter, spindly frisee that usually comes in a mixed green salad. This frisee was still a little bitter, but it was not like eating twist-ties - it was substantial and more the texture of "normal" green. I would order any of those salads again.
For entrees, we ordered pizzas - two shrimp pizzas and one feta, beet greens and garlic. A side of lemon should come with the feta pizza and if you order it, make sure you let the waitress know right away if it isn't there - the spray of lemon really brings the flavors alive. The feta pizza had a little too much raw, crunch garlic for my taste - it imparted a bit too much onion-y flavor, as raw garlic can, and that's not my scene with a pizza. Neither had sauce on it. The shrimp pizza was just fabulous - the shrimp were beautifully cooked.
We were all worried that the pizzas would not be substantial as they were under the "small plates" - but they are solid individual sized pizzas that were quite filling, and the crust was thin, crunchy and flavorful - very authentically Italian.
For dessert, I had the vanilla bundt cake - a choice that seemed to go with the nostalgic funky decor of the place. It was quite good, although I was full so I could not enjoy it as much as I would have - I think a lighter fruit dessert might have been a better choice, or the buttermilk panna cotta. The chef formerly owned a bakery, so she is an excellent pastry chef. My friends had a raspberry sorbet from SoHo Creamery which was bursting with flavor - it really tasted as if it had been just made from fresh raspberries.
I would highly recommend the Dreamaway - it is definitely a unique Berkshire experience. There were diners of all ages when we were there, from small kids in booster seats to a group of older couples. Before I had visited, I was wondering if the place would be too "hipster" to bring older folks or young kids - not the case. There is music after 10, and my sense is this place changes flavor then completely, and the hipsters descend. The band for the evening was happily sitting outside at a picnic table enjoying some ribs as we left around 8pm.
Becket, MA 01223-8725
(413)623-8725
The Dreamaway is a Berkshire legend, known for its former existence as a speakeasy and possible brothel, and then for a night in 1975 when Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, and the Rolling Thunder Review spend a night jamming in the parlor. It is also now known for good food and being notoriously hard to find.
However, I took two visiting friends there last weekend and I was pleased to find that if you follow the directions on the website, it's not hard to find at all. We had left early, basically prepared with snacks, blankets and a compass in case we were never seen again. But we found it right away and it was perhaps a 15 minute drive at the most from my house in Lee. One tip that is one the website I can vouch for, though - don't assume your GPS is smarter than the directions the restaurant gives you. After dinner, we got in the car and tried to GPS just to see what it would do - it directed us the wrong way, and then showed the road ending on the screen - and then shut off. You would not think that in a location just a few miles from the Mass Pike you would be so far off the beaten path, but at least to the satellite, you are.
The Dreamaway is in a beautiful location on a rural road, and old farmhouse surrounded by gardens, a wildflower maze, and in the front, a fire pit and area to sit down. At 6:30 on a warm Saturday night, people were wandering around the grounds with drinks and the dining rooms were packed. We were seated in the back near the bathroom (the Loo Gallery where exhibits change regularly) and the kitchen, so I would suggest asking for a table near the front of the house. Reservations are a must.
The interior is shabby chic/antique store/yard sale, with an array of old kitchen implements, toys, religious icons and the like in every nook and cranny. The walls are hung with a combination of kitsch and contemporary art. Very charming and very unique. The menu is relatively small but covers it all: fish, steak, lamb, chicken and spareribs, and a vegetarian option (which actually appeared to be vegan). There are also small plates - mac and cheese, pizzas, and a hamburger.
It was hard to decide - it's a nice menu and there are many appealing options. We ended up going for three salads - the mixed greens with green goddess dressing, a frisee salad with bacon and cheese, and a roasted baby beet salad. Everything was extremely fresh and delicious, as the restaurant is committed to using local ingredients. The baby beet salad was five beets around Greek scordalia mi kapari - basically, a cold roughly-mashed potato with garlic, capers, and almond. Definitely unusual, tasty, and worth trying. The frisee salad was also rather revelatory in the simple way a vey good salad sometimes can be - I am not a big fan of bitter, spindly frisee that usually comes in a mixed green salad. This frisee was still a little bitter, but it was not like eating twist-ties - it was substantial and more the texture of "normal" green. I would order any of those salads again.
For entrees, we ordered pizzas - two shrimp pizzas and one feta, beet greens and garlic. A side of lemon should come with the feta pizza and if you order it, make sure you let the waitress know right away if it isn't there - the spray of lemon really brings the flavors alive. The feta pizza had a little too much raw, crunch garlic for my taste - it imparted a bit too much onion-y flavor, as raw garlic can, and that's not my scene with a pizza. Neither had sauce on it. The shrimp pizza was just fabulous - the shrimp were beautifully cooked.
We were all worried that the pizzas would not be substantial as they were under the "small plates" - but they are solid individual sized pizzas that were quite filling, and the crust was thin, crunchy and flavorful - very authentically Italian.
For dessert, I had the vanilla bundt cake - a choice that seemed to go with the nostalgic funky decor of the place. It was quite good, although I was full so I could not enjoy it as much as I would have - I think a lighter fruit dessert might have been a better choice, or the buttermilk panna cotta. The chef formerly owned a bakery, so she is an excellent pastry chef. My friends had a raspberry sorbet from SoHo Creamery which was bursting with flavor - it really tasted as if it had been just made from fresh raspberries.
I would highly recommend the Dreamaway - it is definitely a unique Berkshire experience. There were diners of all ages when we were there, from small kids in booster seats to a group of older couples. Before I had visited, I was wondering if the place would be too "hipster" to bring older folks or young kids - not the case. There is music after 10, and my sense is this place changes flavor then completely, and the hipsters descend. The band for the evening was happily sitting outside at a picnic table enjoying some ribs as we left around 8pm.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Bistro Zinc
56 Church Street
Lenox, MA 01240-2554
(413) 637-8800
On my last day of my five day retreat, I planned to treat myself to lunch at Nudel, a new restaurant in Lenox where the shtick is that the menu is planned regularly around available local ingredients. People seem to love this place, and it's tiny, so I figured a lunch before the season started would be perfect. Alas, due to construction around the corner, they closed for lunch today! Alta across the street was bustling and although I am very fond of it, I decided to try something different and headed down Church Street.
Bistro Zinc is just a minute away and although I had a disappointingly mediocre experience there several years ago, I figured it was time to try it again. If there is one thing I have learned on this trip is that if I have a mediocre memory of a restaurant, listen to my gut and leave it a memory!
As I remembered, it is a pleasant, bright space, with white butcher paper tablecloths, lots of lights, a polished tin ceiling - very bistro-esque. There were a few parties although it was not crowded, and there were two women seated in the window who appeared to be on the board of some cultural institution as several other diners came over to say hello (yes, I do eavesdrop when I dine alone). So it's that kind of "ladies who lunch" kind of vibe.
The server was a super nice young woman, but although she took my order promptly, it took about 15 minutes for my glass of rose to appear, right before my moules frites. The frites were excellent and the mussels were fine - although if you take the trouble to prepare them properly, I don't think it's magic to produce mussels in a nice broth. The broth was acceptable but nothing to write home about - in fact, as I am sitting here writing this five hours later, I really can't speculate on what was in the broth except perhaps for some coconut milk. After a few minutes, the server came back and asked if I would like some bread for the broth and after hesitating figured why not - as this is a French bistro, why not see what the baguette is like?
And this is where the food took a headlong dive down. In an area featuring Richard Bourdain's Berkshire Mountain Bakery, which produces truly fine breads, including wonderful baguettes, there is no excuse for the sad, stale role I was presented. It was cut in four pieces, and was so stale as to be nearly a crouton. Even if it was not stale, it seemed to have a consistency closer to a farmer's white than a French baguette. I don't know if this was their special "stale bread for dipping in moules broth" but I doubt it. You call yourselves a French restaurant?
And then there was the final insult - the pot de creme. I ordered a cappuccino (excellent, by the way) and the espresso chocolate pot de creme. I always order it when I see it on a menu, as I see it so rarely. It arrived, more of a pot de fudge than a pot de creme. When your spoon hits resistance on a little terrine of pot de creme, you know you are in for trouble. Rather than the delicate, barely-set chocolate custard it should have been, it was dense as a piece of Fluff quick fudge. So disappointing. Again - anyone check the recipe from a real French bistro?
I am happy to pay for a good meal. I felt very disappointed in Bistro Zinc and that $33.50 plus tip - just not worth it. I should have walked a few blocks down to Haven Bakery and had one of their transformative grilled cheese sandwiches instead.
Lenox, MA 01240-2554
(413) 637-8800
On my last day of my five day retreat, I planned to treat myself to lunch at Nudel, a new restaurant in Lenox where the shtick is that the menu is planned regularly around available local ingredients. People seem to love this place, and it's tiny, so I figured a lunch before the season started would be perfect. Alas, due to construction around the corner, they closed for lunch today! Alta across the street was bustling and although I am very fond of it, I decided to try something different and headed down Church Street.
Bistro Zinc is just a minute away and although I had a disappointingly mediocre experience there several years ago, I figured it was time to try it again. If there is one thing I have learned on this trip is that if I have a mediocre memory of a restaurant, listen to my gut and leave it a memory!
As I remembered, it is a pleasant, bright space, with white butcher paper tablecloths, lots of lights, a polished tin ceiling - very bistro-esque. There were a few parties although it was not crowded, and there were two women seated in the window who appeared to be on the board of some cultural institution as several other diners came over to say hello (yes, I do eavesdrop when I dine alone). So it's that kind of "ladies who lunch" kind of vibe.
The server was a super nice young woman, but although she took my order promptly, it took about 15 minutes for my glass of rose to appear, right before my moules frites. The frites were excellent and the mussels were fine - although if you take the trouble to prepare them properly, I don't think it's magic to produce mussels in a nice broth. The broth was acceptable but nothing to write home about - in fact, as I am sitting here writing this five hours later, I really can't speculate on what was in the broth except perhaps for some coconut milk. After a few minutes, the server came back and asked if I would like some bread for the broth and after hesitating figured why not - as this is a French bistro, why not see what the baguette is like?
And this is where the food took a headlong dive down. In an area featuring Richard Bourdain's Berkshire Mountain Bakery, which produces truly fine breads, including wonderful baguettes, there is no excuse for the sad, stale role I was presented. It was cut in four pieces, and was so stale as to be nearly a crouton. Even if it was not stale, it seemed to have a consistency closer to a farmer's white than a French baguette. I don't know if this was their special "stale bread for dipping in moules broth" but I doubt it. You call yourselves a French restaurant?
And then there was the final insult - the pot de creme. I ordered a cappuccino (excellent, by the way) and the espresso chocolate pot de creme. I always order it when I see it on a menu, as I see it so rarely. It arrived, more of a pot de fudge than a pot de creme. When your spoon hits resistance on a little terrine of pot de creme, you know you are in for trouble. Rather than the delicate, barely-set chocolate custard it should have been, it was dense as a piece of Fluff quick fudge. So disappointing. Again - anyone check the recipe from a real French bistro?
I am happy to pay for a good meal. I felt very disappointed in Bistro Zinc and that $33.50 plus tip - just not worth it. I should have walked a few blocks down to Haven Bakery and had one of their transformative grilled cheese sandwiches instead.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Napa
Napa Wine Bar and Restaurant
293 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230
413-528-4311
I had lunch at Napa today (and why is a restaurant in the Berkshires called Napa, you ask? good question). Napa replaced a restaurant called Union a few years ago, but I had never tried it since it changed owners. I remember Union as being mediocre and trying too hard, plus having bad service. But why not give Napa a try?
Well, it was mediocre and had bad service. I arrived a little before 1pm and received my meal at 1:30. It took about 15 minutes for some bread to be delivered (I wasn't expecting it, but I was glad as it took so long to get my sandwich). It took about 30 minutes to get a chicken salad BLT. It was in the "OK" category of chicken salad. I prefer chicken salad with big chunks of chicken, some interesting additions such as walnuts or almonds, grapes or cranberries, and a very light dressing, rather than the deli variety with shredded chicken, heavy on the mayo. This was somewhere in between. The dressing was a little too heavy but the chicken tasted fresh. It had celery, purple onion, and tiny carrot bits which added nothing to the flavor. Since it was pretty dead, I wondered if perhaps the chicken salad had been prepared to order, but I think that is being rather charitable. It came with some passable fries that were "handcut" but I suspect they were "handcut" by someone else other than in the kitchen at Napa.
For a $12 sandwich and a 30 minute wait, it was not awesome.
Given the number of excellent restaurant choices in downtown Great Barrington, and at either end of Route 7 going in and out of town, I see little reason for visiting Napa again - unless it means northern California.
293 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230
413-528-4311
I had lunch at Napa today (and why is a restaurant in the Berkshires called Napa, you ask? good question). Napa replaced a restaurant called Union a few years ago, but I had never tried it since it changed owners. I remember Union as being mediocre and trying too hard, plus having bad service. But why not give Napa a try?
Well, it was mediocre and had bad service. I arrived a little before 1pm and received my meal at 1:30. It took about 15 minutes for some bread to be delivered (I wasn't expecting it, but I was glad as it took so long to get my sandwich). It took about 30 minutes to get a chicken salad BLT. It was in the "OK" category of chicken salad. I prefer chicken salad with big chunks of chicken, some interesting additions such as walnuts or almonds, grapes or cranberries, and a very light dressing, rather than the deli variety with shredded chicken, heavy on the mayo. This was somewhere in between. The dressing was a little too heavy but the chicken tasted fresh. It had celery, purple onion, and tiny carrot bits which added nothing to the flavor. Since it was pretty dead, I wondered if perhaps the chicken salad had been prepared to order, but I think that is being rather charitable. It came with some passable fries that were "handcut" but I suspect they were "handcut" by someone else other than in the kitchen at Napa.
For a $12 sandwich and a 30 minute wait, it was not awesome.
Given the number of excellent restaurant choices in downtown Great Barrington, and at either end of Route 7 going in and out of town, I see little reason for visiting Napa again - unless it means northern California.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Wards Nursery
600 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230-2010
(413) 528-2884
www.wardsnursery.com
Memorial Day weekend was the start for me of serious gardening. Last summer, I was more intent on the inside of the house than the outside - and let me tell you, my backyard was a small, neglected, hillside mess. But perhaps more on that process later.
Since I had to get plants and supplies, I figured from some cursory research that Ward's Nursery in Great Barrington would be the most full-service garden center. And I think I was right - I went there last weekend, and then checked out Dr Lahey's in Lenox today - Ward's definitely has a far greater, and more organized, selection, that Dr L's.
The place was crawling with help and we got some very needed assistance about which hydrangeas to choose, as well as tips to keep bears away (no birdseed/feeders - they love it) and which grass seed to choose for a bald patch in the back. We were asked several more times if we needed help. When I was at Dr Lahey's today, I didn't see a single attendant.
The plants were very well organized into annuals and perennials, and then alphabetically. They had helpful sheets available that gave the some cross-references - "catmint" could be found under "nepeta", for ex. - as plants often have colloquial names and then their "real" names.
Inside, they have every kind of garden supply you might want, and plenty of gifts as well.
Thus far the hydrangeas and other plants we bought to get started have hung on this week and seem to be doing well (fingers crossed). I will definitely be heading back to Ward's as I keep uncovering the tangle that used to be the terraced garden in the backyard and replant it with some colorful (and hardy - hardy is very important!) perennials.
Great Barrington, MA 01230-2010
(413) 528-2884
www.wardsnursery.com
Memorial Day weekend was the start for me of serious gardening. Last summer, I was more intent on the inside of the house than the outside - and let me tell you, my backyard was a small, neglected, hillside mess. But perhaps more on that process later.
Since I had to get plants and supplies, I figured from some cursory research that Ward's Nursery in Great Barrington would be the most full-service garden center. And I think I was right - I went there last weekend, and then checked out Dr Lahey's in Lenox today - Ward's definitely has a far greater, and more organized, selection, that Dr L's.
The place was crawling with help and we got some very needed assistance about which hydrangeas to choose, as well as tips to keep bears away (no birdseed/feeders - they love it) and which grass seed to choose for a bald patch in the back. We were asked several more times if we needed help. When I was at Dr Lahey's today, I didn't see a single attendant.
The plants were very well organized into annuals and perennials, and then alphabetically. They had helpful sheets available that gave the some cross-references - "catmint" could be found under "nepeta", for ex. - as plants often have colloquial names and then their "real" names.
Inside, they have every kind of garden supply you might want, and plenty of gifts as well.
Thus far the hydrangeas and other plants we bought to get started have hung on this week and seem to be doing well (fingers crossed). I will definitely be heading back to Ward's as I keep uncovering the tangle that used to be the terraced garden in the backyard and replant it with some colorful (and hardy - hardy is very important!) perennials.
Pho Sai Gon
5 Railroad Street
Lee, MA 01238-1637
(413) 243-6288
Pho Sai Gon has become a good option for me when I've been up here for dinner on my own. They are quick and cheap (for the Berkshires), and the food is reasonably tasty. The restaurant space is small and simple, with a giant, ancient television taking up one corner of the wall space. I have only done take out, so I haven't had a chance to study the decor for long, but it ain't fancy - definitely the place for a quick meal before a movie or play, not a place for three courses of entertainment.
I have eaten some truly superb Vietnamese food in Boston and New York - and this is not it. But the crispy spring rolls are true to their name, and have a pork filling with a bit of a spicy kick. I have had pork with rice, and the pork with vermicelli thus far as entrees. The rice was satisfyingly sticky but not mushy. The pork in both cases was not melt in your mouth but flavorful and tender enough. All in all, I think I preferred the vermicelli as the vegetables that came with the rice dish were undercooked and hard to eat.
Thus far, the best option in the Lee area for anything in the Vietnamese/Thai/Chinese family.
Lee, MA 01238-1637
(413) 243-6288
Pho Sai Gon has become a good option for me when I've been up here for dinner on my own. They are quick and cheap (for the Berkshires), and the food is reasonably tasty. The restaurant space is small and simple, with a giant, ancient television taking up one corner of the wall space. I have only done take out, so I haven't had a chance to study the decor for long, but it ain't fancy - definitely the place for a quick meal before a movie or play, not a place for three courses of entertainment.
I have eaten some truly superb Vietnamese food in Boston and New York - and this is not it. But the crispy spring rolls are true to their name, and have a pork filling with a bit of a spicy kick. I have had pork with rice, and the pork with vermicelli thus far as entrees. The rice was satisfyingly sticky but not mushy. The pork in both cases was not melt in your mouth but flavorful and tender enough. All in all, I think I preferred the vermicelli as the vegetables that came with the rice dish were undercooked and hard to eat.
Thus far, the best option in the Lee area for anything in the Vietnamese/Thai/Chinese family.
Locker Room Sports Pub
232 Main Street
Lee, MA 01238
http://www.townoflee.com/business_pages/lockerroom/index.asp
The Locker Room is about a block from my house. I've been walking by it for a year, and my former neighbors, who were the type to grill handcrafted boar sausage in the summer time, told me not to count it out even if it doesn't look like a promising culinary experience.
I finally got there Memorial Day weekend for lunch. It is definitely not a "gastro-pub" - it's straight up burgers, dogs, wings, etc. However, they also offer a few upgrades - grilled kielbasa, real turkey breast on their club, not deli meat. The burger I had was hand-packed and well-cooked and the pickles on the burger were dills cut into small pieces rather than soggy "chips." I had a side of half fries, half onion rings. The fries had a spicy coating and the onion rings were of the puffy, beer-battered variety. Both were crisp and hot. My mom, who has a thing about portions being so large as to be unappetizing, ordered two "mini dogs" ($1 each) rather than the foot long option. As a hot dog connoisseur, she approved. My dad had the head-turning grilled chicken sandwich with... mustard and sauerkraut (his add-ons). He gave it a thumbs up.
I am very curious about their pizza. I asked the server his opinion and he raved unequivocally. We shall see. I have yet to find a fabulous pizza away from Baba Louie's in Great Barrington - I will update once I sample what the Locker Room has on offer in this arena!
Lee, MA 01238
http://www.townoflee.com/business_pages/lockerroom/index.asp
The Locker Room is about a block from my house. I've been walking by it for a year, and my former neighbors, who were the type to grill handcrafted boar sausage in the summer time, told me not to count it out even if it doesn't look like a promising culinary experience.
I finally got there Memorial Day weekend for lunch. It is definitely not a "gastro-pub" - it's straight up burgers, dogs, wings, etc. However, they also offer a few upgrades - grilled kielbasa, real turkey breast on their club, not deli meat. The burger I had was hand-packed and well-cooked and the pickles on the burger were dills cut into small pieces rather than soggy "chips." I had a side of half fries, half onion rings. The fries had a spicy coating and the onion rings were of the puffy, beer-battered variety. Both were crisp and hot. My mom, who has a thing about portions being so large as to be unappetizing, ordered two "mini dogs" ($1 each) rather than the foot long option. As a hot dog connoisseur, she approved. My dad had the head-turning grilled chicken sandwich with... mustard and sauerkraut (his add-ons). He gave it a thumbs up.
I am very curious about their pizza. I asked the server his opinion and he raved unequivocally. We shall see. I have yet to find a fabulous pizza away from Baba Louie's in Great Barrington - I will update once I sample what the Locker Room has on offer in this arena!
Sullivan Station
Railroad Street
Lee, MA 01238
413-243-2082
www.sullivanstationrestaurant.com
There are several reasons to have lunch or dinner at Sullivan Station. The first is if you are interested in trains. The restaurant is a beautifully preserved 19th century train station, from back in the days when Edith Wharton alighted one stop down in Lenox. The second is if your kid(s) loves trains. It's a very family friendly atmosphere, with a children's menu. Now, my nieces both began to turn their noses up at children's menu options about the age of six, but perhaps your little ones are less snobby.
Unfortunately, the main draw is not the food. While it is cheaper than many Berkshire options, the entrees are still in the upper teens - mid twenties range - and for the quality of the cooking, it belongs in a solidly mid-teens category. An example of the type of cuisine offered is their Sullivan Station special chicken - chicken on a bed of spinach with swiss cheese and... raspberry sauce. Doesn't this sound like it belongs in a cookbook next to a recipe for a Jell-O mold?
Fortunately, the food is middling, not inedible. Entrees come with a dinner salad or soup and the night we had dinner, the soup was a very tasty vegetable bisque. The dinner salad was of spring greens, not iceberg. The bread was hot, with a nutty, multigrain flavor. I got a strip steak and asked for it medium rare - it came on the rare side and it was chewy, towards downright tough in parts. What I really wanted was the baked potato, which was satisfying, with a side of sour cream brought with it. Sauteed spring vegetables - mostly carrots and zucchini - were oppressively garlicy. My mom got the Amber Chicken, which she needed a steak knife to cut - enough said. My dad had a sauteed scallop special and he ate everything, saying the scallops were done perfectly.
For dessert, I had the bread pudding, which had too many raisins for my taste (raisins should be an accent, not the main event, in a bread pudding). My parents both had frozen yogurt.
We arrived very early, right when they opened at 5, and by the time we left to catch a movie, the place was packed. It's not very big and I would suggest reservations in the evening. I would also suggest perhaps going the sandwich route if you dine here - I suspect a hamburger would be a good choice.
Lee, MA 01238
413-243-2082
www.sullivanstationrestaurant.com
There are several reasons to have lunch or dinner at Sullivan Station. The first is if you are interested in trains. The restaurant is a beautifully preserved 19th century train station, from back in the days when Edith Wharton alighted one stop down in Lenox. The second is if your kid(s) loves trains. It's a very family friendly atmosphere, with a children's menu. Now, my nieces both began to turn their noses up at children's menu options about the age of six, but perhaps your little ones are less snobby.
Unfortunately, the main draw is not the food. While it is cheaper than many Berkshire options, the entrees are still in the upper teens - mid twenties range - and for the quality of the cooking, it belongs in a solidly mid-teens category. An example of the type of cuisine offered is their Sullivan Station special chicken - chicken on a bed of spinach with swiss cheese and... raspberry sauce. Doesn't this sound like it belongs in a cookbook next to a recipe for a Jell-O mold?
Fortunately, the food is middling, not inedible. Entrees come with a dinner salad or soup and the night we had dinner, the soup was a very tasty vegetable bisque. The dinner salad was of spring greens, not iceberg. The bread was hot, with a nutty, multigrain flavor. I got a strip steak and asked for it medium rare - it came on the rare side and it was chewy, towards downright tough in parts. What I really wanted was the baked potato, which was satisfying, with a side of sour cream brought with it. Sauteed spring vegetables - mostly carrots and zucchini - were oppressively garlicy. My mom got the Amber Chicken, which she needed a steak knife to cut - enough said. My dad had a sauteed scallop special and he ate everything, saying the scallops were done perfectly.
For dessert, I had the bread pudding, which had too many raisins for my taste (raisins should be an accent, not the main event, in a bread pudding). My parents both had frozen yogurt.
We arrived very early, right when they opened at 5, and by the time we left to catch a movie, the place was packed. It's not very big and I would suggest reservations in the evening. I would also suggest perhaps going the sandwich route if you dine here - I suspect a hamburger would be a good choice.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Allium
44 Railroad Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230
413-528-2118
This was probably the single best three course meal I have had thus far since writing this blog. I have been here once before and had a very nice meal, but this time all three courses hit it out of the park.
First off, if you make a reservation, and you are a party of three or four, ask to sit in the window. There are two tables for four in window nooks - great for people watching if you are so inclined. We were seated in the window by chance and it was fun to see the goings on in the center of Great Barrington on beautiful late spring evening.
Allium is one of the many Berkshire restaurants that tries to build its menu around seasonally available local produce. So two of us tried the spring vegetables with goat cheese as an appetizer - turnips, beets, broccoli were blanched and cooled, and then radishes were on a generous bed of fresh local goat cheese - incredibly flavoful. My dad had the spring lettuces, which he said were uncommonly crisp.
For an entree, I had a soft shell crab po boy on toasted ciabatta with greens and lightly fried onion rings on the side. The crab was delectable, with a slightly spicy remoullade on the bread. I disassembled the po boy and the reassembled the components in smaller bits - the salty, crispy, spicy, crunchy sandwich all surrounding the soft crab - excellent. I also ordered a side of hand-cut fries which were the kind of fries that make you realize you eat most fries mostly out of habit. These were generously sliced, cooked to a crisp golden brown with just the right amount of salt. The size of the entrees is not overwhelming, so splitting an additional side is a nice compliment to your meals.
My parents had grilled salmon and a slow-roasted chicken - they reported both were excellent.
For dessert, my mom and I both had maple pot de creme. This was the kind of dessert that I kept scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure I had retrieved every last bit. My dad got an almond and apricot bakewell tart, which was served with ice cream but the tart itself was also cold, which he found disappointing.
I would have those three courses again in heartbeat! And the decor is interesting as well - we sat in front of a large, weird painting that was a topic of conversation, and many of the light fixtures are artisan-made.
Great Barrington, MA 01230
413-528-2118
This was probably the single best three course meal I have had thus far since writing this blog. I have been here once before and had a very nice meal, but this time all three courses hit it out of the park.
First off, if you make a reservation, and you are a party of three or four, ask to sit in the window. There are two tables for four in window nooks - great for people watching if you are so inclined. We were seated in the window by chance and it was fun to see the goings on in the center of Great Barrington on beautiful late spring evening.
Allium is one of the many Berkshire restaurants that tries to build its menu around seasonally available local produce. So two of us tried the spring vegetables with goat cheese as an appetizer - turnips, beets, broccoli were blanched and cooled, and then radishes were on a generous bed of fresh local goat cheese - incredibly flavoful. My dad had the spring lettuces, which he said were uncommonly crisp.
For an entree, I had a soft shell crab po boy on toasted ciabatta with greens and lightly fried onion rings on the side. The crab was delectable, with a slightly spicy remoullade on the bread. I disassembled the po boy and the reassembled the components in smaller bits - the salty, crispy, spicy, crunchy sandwich all surrounding the soft crab - excellent. I also ordered a side of hand-cut fries which were the kind of fries that make you realize you eat most fries mostly out of habit. These were generously sliced, cooked to a crisp golden brown with just the right amount of salt. The size of the entrees is not overwhelming, so splitting an additional side is a nice compliment to your meals.
My parents had grilled salmon and a slow-roasted chicken - they reported both were excellent.
For dessert, my mom and I both had maple pot de creme. This was the kind of dessert that I kept scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure I had retrieved every last bit. My dad got an almond and apricot bakewell tart, which was served with ice cream but the tart itself was also cold, which he found disappointing.
I would have those three courses again in heartbeat! And the decor is interesting as well - we sat in front of a large, weird painting that was a topic of conversation, and many of the light fixtures are artisan-made.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Frankie's Ristorante
80 Main Street
Lenox, MA 01240
(413) 637-4455
www.frankiesitaliano.com
This was the first visit to Frankie's, a cozy-looking storefront in Lenox with an inviting porch. It's a block away from Church Street a.k.a Overpriced Restaurant Row. A friend of mine calls the Church Street Cafe "Home of the $16 side salad." So, it had several things to recommend it, but I had not heard a word about the food.
Google searches revealed a number of customer reviews, with three ecstatic ones for every two mediocre, and a really terrible one thrown in once in a while. No consistency, but the extremely positive were in the majority. Did this place look like it would have "the best Italian food I've had outside of Italy"? Did it look like a dive? No to both. So - worth trying to see what we thought.
We arrived at 6 and were seated on the porch - very pleasant. Overall, a low-key vibe, playing up the "traditional red sauce joint" sensibility with red and white checked tablecloths. I would feel very comfortable showing up here in shorts.
The menu is also super-traditional with pastas, piccata, marinara, parmiagiana, etc. The cocktail list was truly putrid - a martini with gin and prosecco, a margarita with amaretto. One cocktail featured half and half. Luckily, they have a downright cheap wine by the glass list with a very fine chianti for only $5/glass. They also have a full bar and will be happy to make you a plain old boring martini. I had a vodka gimlet that was perfectly respectable.
The bread was fresh from the oven and service friendly and generally responsive. We ordered salads to start which were fresh and reasonably sized for starters. The balsamic vinagrette was serviceable but undistinguished.
The mains were solidly in the category of "fine." I had a pasta carbonara that was closer in consistency to an alfredo, and if a forkful did not have a generous helping of pancetta, it tastefd underseasoned. But overall, satisfying if not transformative. My mother had a gnocci in tomato sauce with kalamata olives. The gnocchi had a nice consistency but the sauce was a bit too intense - it almost tasted as if it were made with sundried tomatoes. My dad had one of the house specialties - lobster and shrimp ravioli in a cream sauce - and he reported it was good, but average.
Probably the best bite of the night was a cannoli we split for dessert. The shell was crispy and not too sweet, the filling light and mixed with tiny chocolate chips. Very delightful.
There are two other Italian restaurants on Church St - Cafe Lucia and Prime Italian Steakhouse. Both are more upscale, with pretentions of fine dining. Frankie's is less expensive, although still more expensive than it should be for what it is. It is certainly a "restaurant" rather than a "ristorante." In the BG's humble opinion, they would be better off embracing this price point and the casual ambiance even more so - put your gnocchi in a simple fresh tomato sauce, for example. And whoever is in charge of the cannoli - bravo!
Lenox, MA 01240
(413) 637-4455
www.frankiesitaliano.com
This was the first visit to Frankie's, a cozy-looking storefront in Lenox with an inviting porch. It's a block away from Church Street a.k.a Overpriced Restaurant Row. A friend of mine calls the Church Street Cafe "Home of the $16 side salad." So, it had several things to recommend it, but I had not heard a word about the food.
Google searches revealed a number of customer reviews, with three ecstatic ones for every two mediocre, and a really terrible one thrown in once in a while. No consistency, but the extremely positive were in the majority. Did this place look like it would have "the best Italian food I've had outside of Italy"? Did it look like a dive? No to both. So - worth trying to see what we thought.
We arrived at 6 and were seated on the porch - very pleasant. Overall, a low-key vibe, playing up the "traditional red sauce joint" sensibility with red and white checked tablecloths. I would feel very comfortable showing up here in shorts.
The menu is also super-traditional with pastas, piccata, marinara, parmiagiana, etc. The cocktail list was truly putrid - a martini with gin and prosecco, a margarita with amaretto. One cocktail featured half and half. Luckily, they have a downright cheap wine by the glass list with a very fine chianti for only $5/glass. They also have a full bar and will be happy to make you a plain old boring martini. I had a vodka gimlet that was perfectly respectable.
The bread was fresh from the oven and service friendly and generally responsive. We ordered salads to start which were fresh and reasonably sized for starters. The balsamic vinagrette was serviceable but undistinguished.
The mains were solidly in the category of "fine." I had a pasta carbonara that was closer in consistency to an alfredo, and if a forkful did not have a generous helping of pancetta, it tastefd underseasoned. But overall, satisfying if not transformative. My mother had a gnocci in tomato sauce with kalamata olives. The gnocchi had a nice consistency but the sauce was a bit too intense - it almost tasted as if it were made with sundried tomatoes. My dad had one of the house specialties - lobster and shrimp ravioli in a cream sauce - and he reported it was good, but average.
Probably the best bite of the night was a cannoli we split for dessert. The shell was crispy and not too sweet, the filling light and mixed with tiny chocolate chips. Very delightful.
There are two other Italian restaurants on Church St - Cafe Lucia and Prime Italian Steakhouse. Both are more upscale, with pretentions of fine dining. Frankie's is less expensive, although still more expensive than it should be for what it is. It is certainly a "restaurant" rather than a "ristorante." In the BG's humble opinion, they would be better off embracing this price point and the casual ambiance even more so - put your gnocchi in a simple fresh tomato sauce, for example. And whoever is in charge of the cannoli - bravo!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Perigee Restaurant
South Lee, MA
http://perigee-restaurant.com/
Two friends came with me to try Perigee, which replaced Sweet Basil about six months ago in a tavern-like building near two inns on the South Lee/Stockbridge line. The first floor is particularly cozy with beamed ceilings, a six-seater bar, and a handful of tables. Unfortunately, the upstairs is in need of a re-do, with carpeting that looks to be of 70's "colonial dining" era and tables and chairs to match.
Much to my surprise, the weekend before memorial day, we arrived a little before six to find there were no tables and the bar was our only option. Given that we were enticed by the menu, particularly with a $34 prix fixe "farmed and foraged" menu, we opted to stay at the bar. This decision was also influenced by the persuasive skills of the owner and bartender - encouragement that flirted with the obnoxious but just about steered clear.
Two of us had the prix fixe and it can be summaried as follows: Course one: small asparagus salad with buttermilk dressing and orange garnish - lovely. Nice balance of flavors and a dressing so tasty I asked for more bread to sop it up. Course two: "foraged" soup - the description was lovely - potatoes, mushrooms, etc with a flavoring of chorizo. It was bland, under-seasoned and over-processed so the consistency was baby-food like. I counted three tiny tidbits of chorizo. Course three: Strip steak with a brandy peppercorn sauce, mashed potatoes, ramps. The strip steak was enormous, particularly for one included in a four-course prix fixe. Impossible to eat the whole thing. The steak was done adequately although the color varied throughout - I ordered medium rare and parts were definitely on the medium to medium-well spectrum. However, the meat itself was so tender it could be cut without a steak knife. The pepper was much to much, however, and both of us are lovers of peppered steak. It overwhelmed the meat. The potatoes were fine and the ramps freaked me out in their little crunchy pinwheels - not the fault of the chef, however. Just not my thing. Course four: OK - this was the real Waterloo of the prix fixe. It sounded quite delightful - a mixture of fig and date in a dessert wine sauce with a touch of chocolate. I imagined a small, finely diced fig and date tart-like dessert. Instead it was a large dessert plate filled with barely sliced large pieces of fig and tart, with a sickly sweet sauce. I could barely eat two bites. The bar tender told us she had complaints about it earlier in the evening - just completely misguided.
The third in our party had a caesar salad that she reported was excellent, and a vegetarian tortellini in a cream sauce that she said was very tasty but too heavy.
We drank a bottle of local Cabernet from Furnace Brook Orchards after the bartended kindly let us sample (generously) from that and another wine. Service was friendly and efficient and the house made breads were terrific. However, even though we were at the bar, it still took a little over two hours to get in and out - the kitchen is not so swift.
All in all, we deemed Perigee to be ambitious but not quite able to live up to their menu just yet. However, they are adding outside tables and that just might make it tempting enough for us to return.
http://perigee-restaurant.com/
Two friends came with me to try Perigee, which replaced Sweet Basil about six months ago in a tavern-like building near two inns on the South Lee/Stockbridge line. The first floor is particularly cozy with beamed ceilings, a six-seater bar, and a handful of tables. Unfortunately, the upstairs is in need of a re-do, with carpeting that looks to be of 70's "colonial dining" era and tables and chairs to match.
Much to my surprise, the weekend before memorial day, we arrived a little before six to find there were no tables and the bar was our only option. Given that we were enticed by the menu, particularly with a $34 prix fixe "farmed and foraged" menu, we opted to stay at the bar. This decision was also influenced by the persuasive skills of the owner and bartender - encouragement that flirted with the obnoxious but just about steered clear.
Two of us had the prix fixe and it can be summaried as follows: Course one: small asparagus salad with buttermilk dressing and orange garnish - lovely. Nice balance of flavors and a dressing so tasty I asked for more bread to sop it up. Course two: "foraged" soup - the description was lovely - potatoes, mushrooms, etc with a flavoring of chorizo. It was bland, under-seasoned and over-processed so the consistency was baby-food like. I counted three tiny tidbits of chorizo. Course three: Strip steak with a brandy peppercorn sauce, mashed potatoes, ramps. The strip steak was enormous, particularly for one included in a four-course prix fixe. Impossible to eat the whole thing. The steak was done adequately although the color varied throughout - I ordered medium rare and parts were definitely on the medium to medium-well spectrum. However, the meat itself was so tender it could be cut without a steak knife. The pepper was much to much, however, and both of us are lovers of peppered steak. It overwhelmed the meat. The potatoes were fine and the ramps freaked me out in their little crunchy pinwheels - not the fault of the chef, however. Just not my thing. Course four: OK - this was the real Waterloo of the prix fixe. It sounded quite delightful - a mixture of fig and date in a dessert wine sauce with a touch of chocolate. I imagined a small, finely diced fig and date tart-like dessert. Instead it was a large dessert plate filled with barely sliced large pieces of fig and tart, with a sickly sweet sauce. I could barely eat two bites. The bar tender told us she had complaints about it earlier in the evening - just completely misguided.
The third in our party had a caesar salad that she reported was excellent, and a vegetarian tortellini in a cream sauce that she said was very tasty but too heavy.
We drank a bottle of local Cabernet from Furnace Brook Orchards after the bartended kindly let us sample (generously) from that and another wine. Service was friendly and efficient and the house made breads were terrific. However, even though we were at the bar, it still took a little over two hours to get in and out - the kitchen is not so swift.
All in all, we deemed Perigee to be ambitious but not quite able to live up to their menu just yet. However, they are adding outside tables and that just might make it tempting enough for us to return.
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