Welcome to the World of the Berkshire Gourmet

In April of 2009, I bought my own little piece of earth in Lee, MA. Although I have been vacationing with my family in the Berkshires for many years, you don't realize how superficial your relationship is with a place until you move in. Taking visitors to favorite restaurants and trying new places together is a particular pleasure. I also discovered that it was not particularly easy to find restaurant reviews and get a real sense of the experiences you and your guests would have and I mean that not just in terms of fine dining but also in terms of diners and shopping for food. Food for me means a total social experience and the the decor, ambiance, staff and fellow diners/shoppers are nearly as important as the food.

My highest praise will be for places that embrace what they are and do it to the best of its ability. A diner should make a good pancake, the farmer's market should have the freshest produce, a fine French restaurant should offer a fine steak frites. And everywhere should have friendly, courteous service.

I will warn you I am picky and I am not worried about being too nice. However, I will also admit when I think I ordered badly - sometimes a disappointing meal is nothing more than a misconception of what a dish will be when you order it, no fault of the chef.

Most of the time, I will be dining with friends and family and I will share their comments as appropriate. I also have a young and adorable wheaten terrier named Nessa, who is not allowed to join us. She would likely be a less descriminating food consumer than me or my companions.