The B High Summer FOOD issue 2025

LOCAL FLAVOR

Lake Break

food to views,

The Cliff House at Prospect in Egremont has it all

from the publisher & editor

WHEN YOU’VE ARRIVED AT THE CLIFF HOUSE AT PROSPECT, YOU’VE ARRIVED .

A golf cart whisks you through woods dotted with cabins, the view opening up to the lake as you approach the restaurant. It’s a spectacular way to start a very special meal (and the dark chocolate pudding is a spectacular way to end, by the way).

That’s where we photographed the cover of this issue and had an illuminating discussion about the restaurant scene in Berkshires for The B’s List, our story on page 72.

The Cliff House is just one new restaurant making a splash (so to speak). We love sharing those with you–this issue also features two restaurants so new they haven’t even opened yet! The wait for Rafi Bildner’s Hilltown Hot Pies (page 48) is almost over, and anticipation is building for David Israelow’s Four Corners in Chatham (page 32). Get exclusive sneak peeks here.

The Berkshires has many longtime favorites, the restaurants we return to again and again. We celebrate the full spectrum of culinary creativity, from cherished institutions to fearless newcomers. We take you behind the scenes with chefs and culinary minds who revere their ingredients and the farmers who grow them.

Here in the Berkshires, there’s a story, a season, and a sense of place in every bite. We hope you savor every page—and every plate to come.

MICHELLE THORPE PETRICCA

AMY CONWAY Publisher Editor mpetricca@berkshireeagle.com aconway@berkshireeagle.com

P.S. Speaking of food, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace sold out of the last issue of The B three times! We loved writing about Henry and Rufus Taylor—and were happy that their father, James Taylor, shared the article with his massive fan base!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE B! berkshireeagle.com/theb or scan the QR code.

Remembering Jane

Jane Larkworthy was a renowned beauty editor in New York City for decades—and, more recently, a renowned resident of the Berkshires, a friend, wife, stepmother, giver, and writer. She passed away from breast cancer on June 4. The B was fortunate to have Jane’s witty and engaging voice in her column, “On a Lark,” in most of our issues—she wrote about her love of hiking, gardening, Birkenstocks, and her dog, Remy, among other topics. We miss her.

Jane and Remy, original work for The B, Spring 2024

The wait is (almost!) over for Rafi Bildner’s ode to pizza in South Egremont.

Summery recipes to savor, from Kevin West’s new book.

Step up your picnic game with these stylish ideas.

Whatever you’re craving, these picks have you covered.

Design icon Annie Selke gives us a tour of her gorgeous garden.

contributors:

The B's Saints & Eccentrics

ANN VOLKWEIN (“Welcome to Hilltown”)

is a bestselling cookbook author and recipe developer based in Stockbridge. She is the author of the “Arthur Avenue Cookbook” and “Chinatown New York.” Her most recent collaborations include “Tasting History” with Max Miller, “My Mexican Mesa” with Jenny Martinez, and “Salt Hank” with Henry LaPorte.

ABIGAIL FENTON (“Welcome to Hilltown,”

“The B’s List”) is an international photographer rooted in the Berkshires. Specializing in lifestyle and wedding photography, she expertly captures the essence of human experience. In her personal work, Abigail primarily works with film photography. abigailfenton.com

NEIL TURITZ (“The View from Here”) moved to the Berkshires from New York City, along with his wife. They have since welcomed a son. Turitz is a screenwriter, author, filmmaker, journalist, and creator of “6 Word Reviews.” @6wordreviews

SEAN MCLAUGHLIN (“The View from Here”) runs Studio Matsuki with his wife Melissa Lillie in the heart of the Berkshires (Richmond). Drawing on their combined decades of experience and deep connections within the industry, they’ve built a photo studio and creative space in their 1850s barn. studiomatsuki.com

ELLEN MORRISSEY (“The B’s List”) is an editor and writer specializing in a range of lifestyle topics—cooking and entertaining, interior design, gardening, health and wellness, holidays, and more. In her time at Martha Stewart Living and Gourmet, and on her own, she has collaborated on more than 60 books and dozens of magazine pieces. She lives in Queens, New York.

ERIC KORENMAN (“Cooking from All Four Corners”) balances two professional lives in imaging. After completing his training in radiology in Philadelphia, he and his wife decided to move to the Berkshires, her hometown. When not in front of a radiology workstation, Eric is a professional portrait photographer and has a studio in Pittsfield. korenman.com

LAUREN FRITSCHER (“Picnic Perfect”) worked in the fashion industry in New York City before moving to the Berkshires in 2021. Inspired by the beauty of the region and her love of bringing people together, she created Berkshire Muse, an event- and experience-planning company. She is also a co-founder of Social Circle, which builds community through networking and social events. berkshiremuse.com

TRICIA MCCORMACK (“Picnic Perfect”) is the owner/lead photographer of Berkshire’s premier photography team. An 8-time consecutive winner of Best of the Berkshires, Tricia’s work has recently been featured in Forbes, Conde Nast, The Boston Globe and the New York Times. She is also a co-founder of Social Circle with Lauren, above. She resides in Lenox with her husband and two sons. triciamccormack.com

GREGORY CHERIN (“Harvesting a Dream”) is a well-traveled freelance commercial photographer. He lived and worked in New York City for about ten years before becoming a year-round Berkshires resident. Gregory’s award-winning work has appeared in many national magazines, newspapers, advertisements, billboards, websites, annual reports, brochures, books, catalogs and national network television. gregorycherin.com

ALLISON CRANE (“Take it Outside”) is a native of the Berkshires and the owner of a design and home staging company. Allison’s hallmark is a gifted ability to transform spaces for living, integrating form and function with budget and value, custom tailoring each design to fit the needs of her clients. allisoncraneinteriors.com

ROBBI HARTT (“A Perfect Fit”) taught English and directed the writing center at Greens Farms Academy (Westport, Connecticut) for 20 years, and now lives in Mill River, where she and her husband created a respite for families dealing with pediatric cancer. She writes regularly for local publications.

Special thanks to our intern ANNA COSTA from Williams College who contributed to this issue.

Farm-Fresh Food & Spirits for Every Occasion

Experience the flavors of Woodlife Kitchen, where Chef Peter’s farm-fresh creations pair perfectly with our curated local spirits. From signature sandwiches to timeless comfort food, every bite is chef-crafted to capture the taste of each season. Explore our fresh produce, vibrant flowers like our world-famous gladiolus, and a market stocked with premium meats, fish, baked goods, soups, deli sandwiches, and local provisions, all bringing the farm-to-table experience home.

Planning a gathering? Our one-of-a-kind farm setting offers catering and event options to make your celebration unforgettable. Visit our website for more details!

VOL. 3, ISSUE 3 High Summer 2025

FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER

Michelle Thorpe Petricca mpetricca@berkshireeagle.com

DESIGN DIRECTOR

Julie Hammill julie@hammilldesign.com

COPY EDITOR

Amy Krzanik

EDITORIAL INTERN

Anna Costa

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Amy Conway aconway@berkshireeagle.com

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

William Li

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Gillian Jones-Heck

Stephanie Zollshan

The B is a publication of New England Newspapers Inc.

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Fredric D. Rutberg | frutberg@berkshireeagle.com

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Kevin Moran | kmoran@berkshireeagle.com

CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Gary Lavariere | glavariere@berkshireeagle.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

John Supple | jsupple@berkshireeagle.com

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Chuck Danforth | cdanforth@berkshireeagle.com

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES, BERKSHIRE EAGLE, THE B, SHOPPER’S GUIDE

Cheryl Gajewski | cmcclusky@berkshireeagle.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Amy Filiault | afiliault@berkshireeagle.com

ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR

Sue Raimer | sraimer@berkshireeagle.com

SALES COORDINATOR

Aly Dvorak| advorak@berkshireeagle.com

CONTENT MARKETING SPECIALIST

Anthony Duval | aduval@talonmediaagency.com

MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS

Jessica Lorono | jlorono@berkshireeagle.com

Eileen Marran | emarran@berkshireeagle.com

Tristany Saldo | tsaldo@berkshireeagle.com

For subscription issues, call 800-245-0254

Through October 12, 2026

Through October 5

Through September

Olde Forge Restaurant Lanesborough

This classic tavern has a serious beer obsession, with hundreds of brews on offer (and wings that locals swear by). Grab a spot on the back porch or cozy up inside—either way, you’re in for good vibes and great pours. For more spots to savor a beer this summer, see page 26.

The Local Life

Exploring Our Towns for the Best in the Berkshires

A Perfect Fit

Eileen Fisher brings her brand to Great Barrington. It’s timeless and authentic—a natural match for the Berkshires.

Written by Robbi Hartt

Photographs by Stephanie Zollshan

The iconic designer and sustainability pioneer often lets her clothes, and her company’s values, do the talking. But we got the chance to speak with her—as well as the VP of Design Innovation (and local!) Julie Rubiner and Retail Marketing Manager Jaimie Lafrano—about putting down roots in the Berkshires.

Why the Berkshires, and why now?

Fisher: I love Great Barrington. I’ve been coming to the Berkshires for years, for Kripalu and yoga, and our lead designer [Rubiner] lives here. Our brand is designed for a sophisticated consumer who appreciates natural fibers and cares about the land, which suits this region. Our teams are always looking for new locations, and Great Barrington seemed like the right community to share the holistic story of our brand. This is only our second lab store that will carry the breadth of the line (main line, sample line, and Renew, our vintage/recycled clothing).

Rubiner: I do my best thinking at my home here in the Berkshires because it’s quiet and I have time to process. I’ve always been hyper aware of the beauty, both personally and professionally. I also get to look at how people are dressing for everything from grocery shopping to art gallery openings and galas. There’s a Berkshire sensibility, versatility, and practicality.

Lafrano: When I visited Great Barrington, I immediately felt its unique vibe. The brand is about luxury and comfort, but there’s a lot more behind that. We’ve always been about sustainability, education, and giving back. Laura Berg [store leader from Northampton with 30 years of experience] will be moving closer to head up the 2,800-square-foot store on Main Street with local associates.

How do you define the brand, and keep it fresh?

Fisher: From the very beginning [1984], I’ve had a goal of simplifying getting dressed, helping women focus on fewer things and use them interchangeably to make their lives easier. I describe our clothes as having an earthy elegance. I was always interested in design. I majored in home economics at the University of Illinois but moved to architecture soon after, which informed my way of thinking. I didn’t study fashion, so I wasn’t trend focused, but I was very taken with Issey Miyake’s simple shapes and brilliant silhouettes and with Zoran’s work. I was fascinated by the idea that one design or shape could transcend time, so I started with four pieces—a box-top, cropped pant, shell, and vest. We want to encourage slow fashion—shopping slowly, buying better quality, investing in things that last. *

Julie Rubiner is the lead designer at the Eileen Fisher brand—and a longtime Berkshires local. She and her husband, Matt, own Rubiner’s Cheesemongers down the block.

Rubiner: It’s a constant dance trying to navigate the neverending pursuit of newness and specialness without departing from our values. If it’s something we’ve perfected, we might shift the properties—a new fabric here, different color there, change in neckline or sleeve length—we work to keep the line timely and timeless.

What do you look forward to doing with this store?

Fisher: It’s important to talk to customers to understand them better. In Irvington [the New York river town where the company is based] I walk along the waterfront. With Julie living nearby here, this store will be a place where she can talk with customers, hear their ideas, and use them to inform her designs.

Rubiner: I love the culture, values, quality, and sustainability of our brand and look forward to sharing that here. Opening a Great Barrington store knits my work life and personal life together—like an expanded design studio. I have continuous contact with our other stores, but having

one in my daily life will be a unique opportunity to see and experience people wearing our brand in real time. The office will be right on the store floor, so we can hear what’s on people’s minds.

Lafrano: Our clothes are meant to make women of all ages, shapes, and sizes feel good in their bodies. This store will give a feel for Eileen Fisher at many different price points through our different lines, which opens the door for attracting and educating more people.

Why is sustainability so important?

Fisher: We’ve always prioritized environmental and social responsibility— sustainability is at the core of all of our design, sourcing, and production practices.

Your financial plan is one that’s created with your best interests in mind. Make this your year to update or create your financial plan. We understand. It’s why we’re here. We’re here for you.

All companies should offer sustainable materials and use best practices so that that’s what the industry stands for.

Rubiner: My background is in textiles, so my first focus is always about the feel of the fabrics/materials. We verify and trace every fiber we use. I’ve recently visited three countries to research regenerative wool-farming practices. We are always looking for ways to do less harm, more good. Since it’s a circular industry, we also take fiber and materials and make them new again. There are a lot of next-generation fibers now coming from textile waste (nylon, spandex, polyester)—we cap synthetic fiber at 5%, but the stretch is there for a reason.

How do education and outreach play a role?

Fisher: We decided to address the waste crisis by sharing our values, educating the public, and submitting reports. We hope to do more education at this location, host community events and collaborations (like knitting, mending, sewing), connect with other community leaders, partner with local yoga studios and spas. The Eileen Fisher Foundation, which empowers women and girls, is holding a summit this fall to help create awareness. We’re also getting involved with legislation to change the industry and broadening our focus to create more conscious consumers. Little things like washing in cold water and not buying synthetics can have a real impact.

Rubiner: It’s a natural extension of the Eileen Fisher values to reach out to the community—people involved with dance/the arts, beauty, self-care, being grounded, and maintaining balance. We’re all focused on easing women’s hectic lives.

How does offering an Employee Stock Ownership Plan tie into your ethos?

Fisher: We had a unique opportunity in 2006 when we had extra profits. My first thought was to share them, not sell the company, so we put 31% of the company into the plan [today, the number is closer to 40%]. All employees are eligible as long as they work a minimum of 1,000 hours in the plan year, which means people stay longer and feel more connected and dedicated to the company. It’s also great not to be pushed and pulled by the stock market—our responsibility is to our employees and customers, not our investor’s choices.

What’s next for Eileen (the person, not the brand)?

Fisher: I step in and out of the daily operations now [Lisa Williams became CEO in 2022], which gives me time for myself and for visiting family, my daughter in Brooklyn and son in Woodstock. I have a great life, and it just keeps getting better. B

SUMMER

Eileen Fisher

316 Main Street, Great Barrington

Get Outside

Rolling Through the Region

Whether you’re in it for the views, the exercise, or the camaraderie, biking in the Berkshires offers something for every kind of rider.

By Sarah Rutledge

If you’re looking to…

Explore on your own

Winding roads, mountain trails, and railtrail (car-free) trips—the Berkshires has it all. Berkshire Bike & Board, with locations in Great Barrington, Pittsfield, and Hudson, New York, is a great resource. They rent bikes and the expert staff offers advice and full-service maintenance. Can’t stop into a shop? You’ll find a wide range of routes on their website. berkshirebikeandboard.com

Take a curated tour

Run by outdoors enthusiast Jenna Giardina, the brand-new Pittsfield-based Berkshire Adventure Tours offers e-bike rides curated around gorgeous terrain and fun stops, with offerings like Pedal to the Pub, an out-andback ride on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail with a stop at AJ’s Pub; Bikes and Boats, a hilly ride in Narragansett Park followed by a pontoon cruise; and Hill Top Wine Loop, a relaxing route around Richmond Pond with a stop at Hilltop Orchards. berkshireadventuretours.com

Have an overnight adventure

If you’re up for something more rugged, book Tyler Burton of Hudson-based Lichen Bike Tours for a bikepacking trip, which combines cycling and camping. He’s done rides in Hillsdale and has tours coming up in the Catskills. Trips range from one to four days and cover up to 220 miles. Riders must carry their own shelter, sleep, and cook systems. For first-timers, Burton has a screening process to ensure they’re ready for the adventure. lichenbiketours.com

Foodies, take note!

Timed for the fall foliage, Berkshires Fondo & Weekend Getaway from Farm to Fork Fitness takes place October 10-12. These rides of different lengths include local farm stops and a postride barbecue. You can add on a farm dinner or make it a weekend-long cycling adventure. farmtoforkfitness. com/berkshires-2025

Cycling for a Cause

Sue Merritt is busy gearing up to ride the PanMass Challenge in August—for the 13th year in a row. The PMC offers routes from 25-186 miles and welcomes riders of all abilities. All participants raise money for cancer research, with 100% of funds going to the Dana Farber Institute for research and patient care. Merritt, who is celebrating 13 years of remission from triple-negative breast cancer and was treated at Dana Farber, will be pedaling 77 miles from Bourne to Provincetown. To date, she has raised more than $300,000.

In addition to being an avid cyclist, Merritt is the owner of Lenox Fit in Pittsfield and a personal trainer. “Biking is beautiful and it gets you moving” she says. She notes that the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, which runs more than 14 miles from Pittsfield to Adams, is a great place to start. Merritt savors the quiet time she finds on solo rides, but points out that biking is also a great social activity, and riding groups are available for all levels. Indeed, we can all pedal at our own speed. “Biking is one of the most joyous activities,” she says. “And it gives me a sense of perspective. If I’m facing a steep incline, I remember I did chemotherapy. No hill is as hard.”

lenoxfit.com pmc.org (Pan-Mass Challenge)

Vincent Valdez

with Contemporar

Arts Museum Houston. Vincent Valdez, So Long, Mar y Ann, 2019. Oil on canvas. Collection of Mike Healy and Tim Walsh

Exploring GET ’APPY

Summer in the Berkshires is the perfect time to take a break from technology. But before you power down, check out these apps— they can enrich your experience, whether you’re strolling a gallery or climbing a mountain.

In the wild

AllTrails can recommend a new bike route or hiking trail. You can search by distance, difficulty, and terrain, and customize if you’re looking for gorgeous views or a woodsy walk. Once you’re out and about, iNaturalist will help you identify the surrounding flora and fauna with a simple interface that lets you share with a community of observers and identifiers. (If you have young ones in tow, Seek is the kid-friendly companion app.)

If the avian world is your passion, Merlin can identify birds by song, photo, or a five-question survey about its size, its color, and where you saw it.

In the gallery

Check out Bloomberg Connects, a curated arts and culture platform used by more than 1,000 museums, galleries, sculpture parks, and culture spaces around the globe. Links to local offerings include MASS MoCA, Art Omi, PS21, The Clark, Williams College Museum of Art, and Community Access to the Arts (CATA)—all in one place. Use the app to research your next excursion and pick up viewing tips and behind-the-scenes content. Once you’ve arrived, tune into an audio guide or click on an interesting art piece to get additional information.

Out on the Town

Dinner and a Show

These pairings are just the ticket!

Berkshire Theatre Group

+ The Red Lion Stockbridge

Legends all around! Before seeing Renée Taylor in the world premiere of her “Dying is No Excuse”—directed by none other than Broadway great Elaine May— have dinner at the iconic Red Lion Inn. berkshiretheatregroup.org redlioninn.com

Williamstown Theatre Festival

+ Mezze Williamstown

The Festival brings major stars to its Berkshires stages every year, and it seems they all dine at Mezze Bistro & Bar—can you blame them? Stop in yourself for an excellent Mediterranean meal. wtfestival.org | mezzerestaurant.com

Shakespeare & Company + Church Street Favorites Lenox

You’re spoiled for choices—we love Alta Restaurant & Wine Bar and Zinc Bistro. Both are perfect spots to raise a glass to the Bard! shakespeare.org altawinebar.com | bistrozinc.com

Chester Theatre Company + Carm’s Chester

Make that brunch and a show—get classic diner fare in a retro setting (with prices so reasonable, they seem retro, too) at Carm’s, which is housed in a former Esso station. The CTC is off the beaten track, but worth the trip. chestertheatre.org | carmsinchester.com

The courtyard at The Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge

Adams Theater + STATE Adams and North Adams

The Adams’ lineup is delightfully eclectic— music, burlesque, dance, comedy, puppetry, and a story slam. Up the road in North Adams, the offerings at STATE Food + Drink are eclectic, as well, featuring West Coast and Vietnamese cuisine reflecting the upbringings of its owner and chef. adamstheater.org | statefoodndrink.com

Great Barrington Public Theater + The Well Great Barrington

GBPT is committed to the development and production of new plays—so why not have dinner before at a restaurant with new owners? The Well, a longtime fixture on Main Street, has reopened and is being run by a new crew. It’s a short drive from GBPT’s venue.

greatbarringtonpublictheater.org @thewell_gb

Barrington Stage Company + District Pittsfield

District’s modern takes on American classics are fitting for BSC’s new shows about these American classics: Joan Rivers (“Joan,” July 31-August 17) and LeBron James (“King James,” August 12-31). District’s menu even denotes which items are pre-theater-friendly (i.e., quick to come out of the kitchen). barringtonstageco.org | district.kitchen

District, Pittsfield

Outdoor Essentials

Take it Outside!

These stylish finds will set the scene for fresh air feasts, whether picnic, patio, or poolside.

By Allison Crane

The Rainbow Connection

This acrylic stemware has vibrant hues and a fun hobnail design. 12 oz. $10

The Shop Around the Corner, Stockbridge @theshop.aroundthecorner

Table for Four

Throw in the Towel

Wonderfully striped hammam hand towels can double as colorful placemats or napkins. $28 each Scout House, Great Barrington scout-house.com

Al fresco elegance in a wicker picnic basket with plates, silverware, wine glasses, and a corkscrew. $162 hillsdalegeneralstore.com

Shoo, Fly

This abaca food cover keeps away pests away while adding flair to your table. 9-inch: $39, 14-inch: $69 Honeychurch Home, Lenox honeychurchhome.com

Twinkle, Twinkle

This solar lantern turns itself on at dusk and creates a little magic. $65

Dory and Ginger, Pittsfield doryandginger.com

Quite the Spread

This cotton picnic blanket, rolled and wrapped with a leather strap, comes in two pretty plaids. $130 Hammertown, Great Barrington, Pine Plains and Rhinebeck shop.hammertown.com

Bugs Be Gone

A sculptural coil that releases a subtle grassy-floral scent and banishes bugs. $18 One Mercantile, Great Barrington sett.onemercantile.com

No-Break Plates

Organic wheat straw dinnerware pieces are shatterproof, eco-friendly, and BPA-free. Bowl: $8, Side Plate: $9, Dinner Plate: $13 Sett, Great Barrington sett.onemercantile.com

Off the Ground

This bamboo folding table is perfect for an impromptu visit to Tanglewood. $39.99 Nejaime’s Wine Cellars, Lenox and Stockbridge nejaimeswine.com

Stay in the know! Scan code to sign up.

HOT DAYS, COOL BEERS

Here are 10 top spots to quench your thirst.

1

Olde Forge Restaurant, Lanesborough

Enjoy the views from the porch while savoring their famous wings and sampling beers from around the world. yeoldeforge.com

2

Brava, Lenox

Brava is known for its ninepage wine list, but the beer selection is eclectic and thoughtful, including everything from craft to international. Don’t forget to order tapas, too. bravalenox.com

3

Moe’s Tavern, Lee

An old-school bar full of fun and flavor, not to mention a lengthy beer menu with notable exceptions—their URL says it all. nocoorslight.com

4

Antimony Brewing, Lenox

Look no further for classic brewpub fare, including burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, and hearty big plates, plus flights of award-winning beers. antimonybrewing.com

5 Barrington Brewery, Great Barrington

Go carbon-neutral with an excellent selection of beer made from 100% solar energy at this sustainably built brewery. (Try the Chocolate Stout Cake.) barringtonbrewery.net

6

Hot Plate Brewing Company, Pittsfield

This taproom-café also offers trivia nights and great music. Find them in Lenox on summer weekends during their collaboration with Bagel & Brew, and at The Pitt, an outdoor beer garden in Dunham Mall. hotplatebeer.com

7 Bright Ideas Brewery, North Adams

After viewing the latest at MASS MoCA, relax with a Bright Ideas brew in the familyand dog-friendly space. Grab a bite from Bigg Daddy’s Philly Steak House next door. brightideasbrewing.com

8 Big Elm Brewery, Sheffield and Great Barrington

Both taprooms encourage you to hang out and bring in your own food. (By the way, cutting back on gluten doesn’t mean you have to miss out: Big Elm has stout, IPAs, ale, and lager brewed with an enzyme that breaks down gluten protein.) bigelmbeer.com

9

Roe Jan Brewing Co., Hillsdale, New York

Enjoy craft beer, pub fare, live music on weekends, and a seasonal beer garden. Dogs are welcome in outdoor areas—treat them to a “dog beer” (beef or chicken broth). roejanbrewing.com

10

Norbrook Farm, Colebrook, CT

Come for the beer, stay for the food, disc golf, and hiking and biking trails. norbrookfarm.com

—Anna Costa

Trunk Show

Rare Beauty

Ancient treasures meet modern artistry for a few days in Great Barrington.

Some of Tim McClelland’s exquisite handcrafted jewelry has an old-world feel—and for a few days this summer, his atelier in Great Barrington will be home to some truly ancient pieces. They are hosting friend and Nepalese-born, Tokyo-based curator/dealer Indra Man Sunuwar for a trunk show called “Ancient Bead.” It features rare, museumquality pieces from all over the world, some of which are thousands of years old. Experience the unique cultural show (and maybe even acquire pieces of your own) from July 31 to August 2 at TW McClelland & Daughters. —Anna Costa twmmclelland.com

Etched carnelian beads, Indus Valley, 3500 BC, and Ancient Tibetan agate beads

Making Music Fresh News for FreshGrass

Beyond the beloved music festival, a center for workshops and residencies lets you learn from the best.

Chris Wadsworth thinks big: “We launched the FreshGrass Institute because we fundamentally believe that creative expression is critical to a healthy society and has the power to change the course of humanity,” says the founder, president, and executive director of the FreshGrass Foundation. You might know the organization from the roots musical festival it puts on at MASS MoCA (happening September 19-21). With the FreshGrass Institute, based at Porches Inn and state-of-the-art Studio 9 in North Adams, the team aims to create a new home for creativity.

“We hope to attract thousands of artists per year to participate in workshops, residencies, performances, summits, and more,” says Sue Killam, executive director of the Institute. “We believe this will amplify the beautiful creative energy that already exists here and introduce the region to a whole new set of folks.”

To that end, the Institute is launching a series of upcoming programs, including an electronic music showcase with the Tanglewood Music Center on August 16; “How to Music” with Grammy-nominated guitarist Charlie Hunter and master drummer Carter McLean August 25-29; and a four-day banjo workshop October 6-9 with an all-female faculty led by Alison Brown. Residencies are in the works, as well—whether for experimentation, rehearsal, or recording—to help artists “get to the next phase,” Killam says. “We want to provide time and space, where you don’t have to pay to play, and you’re in beautiful surroundings.” An upcoming expansion at Porches Inn will allow for an immersive musical experience.—Sarah Rutledge

freshgrassinstitute.org | studio9porches.com

Voices & Views

These Stories Can Only Come from the Berkshires

Come on in!

up her famous pancakes and much more at this homey spot. Read more on page 39.

Neon Newt Becket

Owner Olivia Pattison is cooking

Cooking from All Four Corners

Celebrated chef David Israelow brings a reverence for food and finely tuned technique to his highly anticipated new restaurant in Chatham, New York.

Here’s a sneak preview.

By Ann Volkwein • Photograph by Eric Korenman

David Israelow pivoted from banking to the culinary world 12 years ago, pursuing his experiences with great intention. His curiosity took him from Japan to Hawthorne Valley, from baking at Bartlett House to butchering at New York’s Breslin and Osakana. His accolades include winning the Washoku World Challenge in Tokyo and helping to guide One White Street in New

York to its Michelin star as Head Chef and Culinary Director. It’s an eclectic resume, but it’s packed with a passion for the craft, from farm to fork. He’s busy this summer with planning and renovations—in spring 2026, he’ll open Four Corners in the former Blue Plate in Chatham—but took the time to give us a taste of what’s to come, as he settles into life here.

What brought you into food, in the first place, from a career in banking?

I’ve always been interested in the idea of “where does it come from and how did it happen?” And that’s been my endeavor, in food, to learn to answer that question. And the first step of that was asking, “what does it mean to cook at the highest level?” So, I went to some of the best

The historic property is full of memories. The cozy bar will remain downstairs, with music some nights, and dining—inside and out—on the first floor. The second floor will host a wine bar and lighter fare, with seating on the wraparound porch. It’ll be open 5 days a week— and will serve lunch, too! Israelow’s partner, architect Liz Burroughs, is heading up the design and renovation.

kitchens that I could find at the time, in New York City, to learn from amazing chefs. After The French Culinary Institute, my first externships were at ABC Kitchen and EN Japanese Brasserie, and then as a line cook at Betony.

Were you curious both about technique and what it took physically or mentally? I meant more from a technical perspective. What does it really mean to cook at that level? I knew that it was physically demanding, that it was emotionally demanding. So, what I really meant was, what are the technical skills, approaches, systems, things that people do within this rigor. How do you actually train for this thing? How do you execute on a daily basis? What are the approaches, what are the tools? What are the systems, what’s the language?

And you can’t really read about that. No, you can’t. It’s not a book thing. It’s a life. It’s a lifestyle.

So how did you address your other question—where does it come from and how does it happen? That was what drew me to be a farm apprentice at Hawthorne Valley. How do I create an experience to learn more about the food system? I was there just for one season as a whole farm apprentice, but it opened my eyes, and that becomes the concept of farm-to-table cooking. It’s how you engage with the ingredient beyond just cooking it—understanding it, showcasing the virtue of the ingredient. And how do I, as a chef, show that and offer that. I think in its essence, whether it’s Mediterranean or Japanese cooking, the respect for the ingredients is there.

What brought you to this region? My cousins moved up to Chatham from the city around 10 years ago, and they’re the ones that drew me into the area.

I know you’ve run pop-ups in the past out of your cousin’s barn and sometimes brought in guest chefs, as well. Can you describe one of these events?

I brought in this awesome chef, Kan Morieda from Tokyo, to collaborate on a dinner there. We spent the whole week getting ready. We went fishing, and those were the fish that we served at that event. We went to Hawthorne Valley to milk the cows at the dairy and we used their cheese. We went foraging…

Hyper local, threading the connection from place to plate. What is your vision for the style of food at Four Corners?

I haven’t fully landed on exactly the right answer, besides saying “New American,” but I think “new American” is right on the cusp of getting the reputation that “fusion,” as a vocabulary, had in the ’90s. But it is American food and what that means to me is that I take everything that I know, from a culinary perspective, and focus it on the ingredients that exist in this place that I am. My technical background is French and Japanese with additional experience at bakeries, pasta making. So, I’ll be utilizing all of the techniques that I’ve learned from restaurants, events, traveling, training, et cetera, all of those skills and then applying them to the things that are here in a context that makes

“At the end of the day, cook delicious food that people love to eat. Approachable food and cocktails that you want to come back for, with a touch of refinement.”

sense. At the end of the day, cook delicious food that people love to eat. Approachable food and cocktails that you want to come back for, with a touch of refinement. It will constantly evolve, and that’s the fun part.

You mentioned bringing in the community for some of the design elements. We want to respect the history of the space and work as much as we can with local people. For example, a young guy named Jack Dolan, who grew up eating at Blue Plate, is making our steak knives. They’re influenced by a Japanese aesthetic and made from spalted birch from his family’s backyard in Chatham. It’s beautiful. B

Can’t wait till next spring to try Israelow’s food?

He will be at the Tanglewood Wine and Food Festival on August 16, serving up ricotta tortellini with smoked butter, corn pudding, and chili crisp. And follow @fourcornerschatham for pop-ups around the region through the fall and winter.

Nourishing a Community

In a time of rising hunger, dedicated people across the county are proving that food security is not just about meals—it’s about dignity, community, and heart.

By Robbi Hartt

It’s a hard truth: 45% of Berkshire County households experienced food insecurity in 2024, according to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts (FBWMA). Given the growing cost of food and drastic cuts in federal programs like SNAP and WIC slated to take effect this fall, the demand for food assistance is expected to soar even higher.

Despite the overwhelming pressures, those who feed our Berkshire communities keep rolling up their sleeves and reaching out their hands to help. Meet three of those people. Their passion, compassion, and determination make a difference—but they need help now more than ever.

Morgan Ovitsky, Berkshire Bounty

Rescuing and purchasing food, and getting it to those in need Berkshire Bounty’s mission is to creatively advance food security through food rescue and delivery. The numbers that Executive Director Morgan Ovitsky shares help tell the story: There are 130 volunteers who help collect food from supermarkets, local farms and individuals, and other food partners. There are 31 food access sites, such as food pantries, public school districts, and senior centers. And, most importantly, there are 16,000 individuals who are served by the organization.

Ovitsky, who held previous roles with Be Well Berkshires and Berkshire County Food Access Collaborative, makes time to serve on numerous community boards to

build ties. “Cultivating new relationships is critical,” she says. Discounted food partners like Walmart, Big Y, and Stop & Shop are the most recent connections for purchasing meat, eggs, dairy, and produce, which are harder to source since BB’s collaborative, state-funded grant abruptly ended in May.

“Beyond the partnerships, many local gardeners and homeowners grow an extra row,” she says, highlighting Steve Cunningham of Berkshire Bounty Farm in New Marlborough and Three Sisters Farm in Sheffield. Additionally, the summer season brings additional supplies from cultural institutions like Tanglewood, which donates leftover food at the end of the week, and

summer camps, which drop off excess nonperishables at the end of the season. “Even so, Berkshire Bounty will need to keep finding more resources to continue,” Ovitsky says. berkshirebounty.org

Mary Wheat, South Community Food Pantry

The largest food pantry in Berkshire County

“I’ve always tried to have a purpose, to get out and make a little difference,” Mary Wheat says. Not everyone requests boxes of breakfast cereal for their birthday, but that was her wish when she turned 90—she asked for 900 and got 5,900! (The number was even higher for her 91st.)

“Sister Katherine started the South

Mary Wheat, South Community Food Pantry

The

Community Food Pantry in the 1990s with 12 bags of groceries left over after a meal,” explains Wheat. “I started volunteering 35 years ago as a way to help my Girl Scout troop earn their silver and gold awards. After my husband died, I devoted even more time.”

Wheat oversees the Monday-Friday food pantry and the Wednesday night meal at the United Church of Christ in Pittsfield. She also spearheads the annual Thanksgiving Angels, a collaboration of local organizations that distributes 1,800 holiday meals to area households. FBWMA Executive Director Andrew Morehouse refers to Wheat as “a legend in Berkshire County, a representative of so many local heroes in the food access network. We couldn’t do this work without them.”

At nearly 92, Wheat works 25-30 hours a week alongside the volunteers (140 in all) who deliver and pack up food every weekday and cook 200 meals every Wednesday night. “The needs keep growing, so we keep feeding more families,” she says. “We currently feed over 1,000 households for $5,000 a week. Their thankfulness—and the friendships—make it all worthwhile.” southcommunityfoodpantry.org

Lesa Bennett, Berkshire Food Project

Hot meals five days a week— no cost and no questions asked “I’ve had my heart in the Berkshire Food Project since I moved to this area 10 years ago,” says Kitchen Manager Lesa Bennett. Her involvement with the organization, started by Williams College students 40 years ago at First Congregational Church in North Adams, evolved from volunteer to board member to staff. “We lost two chefs two years ago and had just hired a new executive director. I had a food license and had sold my bed and breakfast, so I offered to help and have been directing the kitchen volunteers ever since,” she says. “And we couldn’t possibly do what we do without them.”

The sustenance provided by freshly cooked meals is important, but Berkshire Food Project’s work is also about alleviating social isolation through acceptance, camaraderie, and respect. “Our guests vary in age—from families with young children to elderly guests—many of whom are lonely,” volunteer Liz Mach notes. At BFP they can get a hot noon meal cooked from scratch every weekday, along with a helping of camaraderie, and take home two more meals. In addition, BFP prepares frozen meals for area pantries and social service agencies (roughly 1,000 meals per week in all).

“Being able to greet and serve the 50-100 people who come through our doors every day and work with the volunteers” keeps Bennett coming back every day. But what keeps her awake at night? “I’m always worried about what food will come in each week,” she says. “When I first came we had a constant supply coming from the supermarkets. Now some days we get under 100 pounds. BFP’s work is more vital than ever—not just to fill stomachs, but to restore a sense of dignity and belonging.”

berkshirefoodproject.org

Get Involved!

Here are a few more resources for fighting food insecurity in the Berkshires and beyond. For an up-to-date list of food pantries across the county and other ways to help, visit berkshireunitedway.org.

Berkshire Grown

This organization works to support and promote local farms, create community partnerships, and build an equitable and resilient food system that strengthens local food security. They run several programs supporting their belief that fresh local food is for everyone. berkshiregrown.org

Heart & Soil Collective

The focus of this nonprofit is feeding people, supporting farmers, and connecting the community to agriculture and each other. The Community Soup Program uses local farm ingredients to make and deliver hearty soups to local seniors and families. heartandsoil.org

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

The BTCF’s place-based philanthropy approach had led to partnerships with donors, Massachusetts state agencies, and local organizations to develop food security initiatives throughout the region. berkshiretaconic.org

Food4Health

At Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Connecticut, Food4Health strives to provide equitable access to healthy foods, as well as information on nutrition and meal prep. giving.charlottehungerford.org

Comida Para la Gente

Food Security Program

Part of Columbia County Sanctuary Movement, Comida Para la Gente (Food for the People) disrupts the food waste system, providing nutritious, culturally appropriate meals and groceries to immigrants across the region and low-income communities within the Hudson, New York, area. sanctuarycolumbiacounty.org

—Anna Costa

John MacDonald, Woodland Refuge, oil on linen, 24” x 30”

DESIGN THE A R T OF

Harvesting a Dream

At the Neon Newt, chef/owner Olivia Pattison is living her best locavore life— and has created a welcoming community hub.

By Ann Volkwein • Photographs by Gregory Cherin

Olivia Pattison runs a strictly from-scratch, farm-to-table establishment. Pop in under the rainbow flag for breakfast or lunch, burger night on Fridays, or a “fancier” Monday night dinner, hop on a counter stool, and you’ll be served what’s in season, full stop. One bite of bread says it all, as the local grains don’t lie.

The tin ceilings, neon signs, and chalk-drawn menu are core to the vibe and faithful to the authentic, unassuming bones of the building. It’s a key point, as it was this room that sold the area to Pattison, chef-owner of the Neon Newt, and her partner, Molly Stevens, a nurse. “I literally walked through the front door and was like, ‘this must be mine,’” says Pattison. Becket is also comfortably situated between Pattison’s family in Troy, New

Community Access to the Arts presents

“I

A m a Pa r t of A r t”

C ATA A N N U A L A R T S H O W

Celebrating the work of ar tis t s with disabilities

Cl ark Ar t Ins titut e

July 4 –Sept ember 1 4

Licht ens t ein Cent er for the Ar t s

July 9 –Augus t 22

PRESENTED BY

York, and Stevens’ in Connecticut. They moved from Martha’s Vineyard in 2022.

And that fresh, local ethos is core to the chef herself. Unable to find a summer job beyond camp counselor in Troy, Pattison went to Martha’s Vineyard, where her aunt lives. “I lived in a pop-up camper in the back of some family friends’ yard and worked doing a bunch of different things, but I ended up farming. I also always cooked, there was cooking throughout my life. With farming, you’d leave work with bags and bags of stuff and then say, ‘what are we going to do with it?’ It’s nearly perfect, you just want to cook it lightly. I basically never really cooked not farm to table.”

Pattison landed her first gig in a restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard off a banana cream pie that she brought to a dinner party. Her friend’s then-boyfriend offered her the job. “I learned fast and loose because I had to. It was very much a restaurant with all the problems that restaurants are famous for. I got yelled at; I got called stupid.” But as pastry chef, she was generally able to carve out her space and, as it was seasonal, she

“Try the pancakes—Pattison is confident they’re the best in the area. Salads are not an afterthought here, and her unusual wine offerings pair beautifully.”

worked internships in San Francisco in the wintertime to further her baking craft.

From there she began to sell her bread at the farmers market, and honed her restaurant skills at the Dock Street Coffee Shop. “It was a super-fast pace. You had to focus. A tiny place that cranked out food. I fell in love with the griddle, and breakfast, for that matter.”

Eventually, she started doing once-a-week pop-up dinners, serving locally sourced Americana-style foods. “It was basically the start of what became the Neon Newt.” This experience and a year co-owning her own place on the island, Seaweeds, convinced her to follow the restaurant thread and import it to the Berkshires. “That’s how I learned that I love having a restaurant.”

But not dinner every night. “We own the building, so our overhead is low, which is how we’re able to do what we’re doing and have a life.”

Pattison feels embraced by the wider community here, and people stop in from far and wide on their way to Jacob’s Pillow or MASS MoCA. To the side of the dining room, she has set up a small grocery, selling local milk, bread, eggs, meat, sandwiches, candy, and her creamy soft serve.

Friday burger nights please everyone, while Monday night dinners are special and

can range from Italian to French bistro, Mexican to “Silk Road,” with the added inspiration of her treasured team of people. Breakfast and lunch are her main events, and that griddle is bangin’. Try the pancakes—Pattison is confident they’re the best in the area. Salads are not an afterthought here, and her unusual wine offerings pair beautifully.

Pattinson buys whole pigs from Kinderhook and uses every bit of them; one recent Monday night menu included pork rillettes, lardons, and “GIANT” pork chops. She cures her own bacon and makes her own jam. “I’ve got tons of jams in the freezer. And I’ll roast fruit and have that in quart containers so that we have exciting things to pull out for desserts on Mondays in the winter. Blueberries, strawberries, just bag them up and then you feel rich.”

She reflects, “It’s exciting and new because every season is different.” Future plans include improvements on the space. Pointing to a side building, she adds, “I’m still going bit by bit. Do you see that ugly building there? I’m going to tear that down, that’s our future patio. One day we’ll have nice silverware, too.” B

Why the Neon Newt?

“Because newts are awesome! Such magical little creatures. How could you not be filled with joy by a little orange friend?” exclaims Pattison, who has drawn an animal a day for over 12 years (she has a BFA in printmaking), without missing a day—@animaleveryday. “Which is maybe more interesting than my restaurant, but who can say. It’s a part of my story.”

Digging Deep

How a horticulture course helped me reconnect with nature and find joy and meaning in learning again.

Written by James Oates • Photographs by William Li

After more than 40 years in advertising and publishing, I thought my retirement would feel like a reward. Yet I felt something unexpected: restlessness. Those first months without meetings, deadlines, or the familiar rhythm of work left me with something I hadn’t experienced in decades: too much free time and not enough purpose. Sure, I could putter around our house in Austerlitz, New York, but my mind was practically shouting for something more meaningful.

Gardening has always been one of my favorite pastimes. Every spring, I could barely contain my excitement as I made my pilgrimage to Ward’s Nursery in Great Barrington, loading up the car with every imaginable specimen. My vegetable beds, the perennial gardens around the pool, and even the containers on the deck were a joy to work on as I filled them with colorful annuals.

Yet, as I reflected on all those years, I realized something profound: I’d been gardening without any deep understanding or knowledge of exactly what I was doing. I was like someone who’d been humming along to a favorite song without ever learning the lyrics.

That’s what led me to the Berkshire Botanical Garden and their year-long Horticulture Certificate Program. I’ll admit, walking into that first class made me nervous. Was I too old to be a student again? Would I be able to keep up? But the chance to finally understand the science behind what I’d been doing by guesswork and luck for so long was too tempting to pass up.

The program was a master class introduction to the plant world. What began as a post-retirement curiosity quickly blossomed into a profound connection with nature. This immersive program doesn’t *

“What

began as a post-retirement curiosity quickly blossomed into a profound connection with

nature.”

just teach you plant names and techniques, it transforms how you see the natural world. The garden became my classroom, where scientific knowledge and artistic appreciation grew side by side.

I quickly realized this wasn’t going to be some casual weekend workshop about which flowers look pretty together. This was serious—a comprehensive deep dive into the world of plants that would challenge everything I thought I knew about gardening.

Take soil science, where I was immediately humbled. All those years, I’d thought of dirt as simply the medium where plants lived, but discovered it was an entire universe teeming with life. Learning about pH levels, nutrient cycles, and soil structure was like being handed a decoder ring for my garden’s mysteries.

Plant healthcare was another revelation. The program taught me to think like

a plant detective, looking for clues in leaf discoloration, growth patterns, and environmental factors. I learned to identify fungal diseases, understand pest life cycles, and recognize nutrient deficiencies. I began to see my garden not as a collection of individual plants, but rather as an interconnected ecosystem.

Propagation became my new obsession. There’s something almost magical about coaxing new life from cuttings, seeds, and divisions. The instructors taught us the science behind rooting hormones, the optimal conditions for germination, and the techniques for successful grafting. I set up a

“I learned there’s actually science behind creating beautiful, functional, outdoor spaces.”

small propagation station in my basement over the winter and began creating new plants from my existing collection.

The sustainability and native plant sections completely upended my approach to gardening. I realized I’d been gardening like some clueless colonizer—imposing my vision on the land instead of working with what naturally wanted to grow there.

Learning about native plants opened my eyes to the beauty and functionality of species that had evolved specifically for our local conditions, such as milkweed, monarda, alliums, and asters. I became mindful of replacing some of my high-maintenance perennials with native alternatives that required less water, no fertilizers, and actually supported local wildlife.

Garden design was perhaps the most transformative part of the whole program. I’d always planted things based on “this looks nice next to that,” but I learned there’s actually science behind creating beautiful, functional, outdoor spaces. Color theory, seasonal interest, focal points, sight lines— it was like learning the basic grammar of garden design.

By the end of that year, I wasn’t the same gardener who started the program. What’s more, I realize that retirement doesn’t mean stepping away from growth and learning—it gave me the freedom to pursue knowledge. The horticulture program didn’t just teach me about plants; it reminded me that curiosity and the desire to learn don’t have an expiration date. B

WelcomeHILLTOWN to

Rafi Bildner creates an homage to southern Italy, the Berkshires, and the joyful chaos of family, all expressed through the art of pizza.

Written by Ann Volkwein

Photographs by Abigail Fenton

If you haven’t already devoured his sourdough crusted, wood-fired pizza, you may have encountered Rafi Bildner through his big pizza pie moments on Instagram. He’s posted through years of Hilltown Hot Pie pizza truck pop-ups, as he cycled through southern Italy in 2022, and, most recently, at every stage of the down-to-the-studs renovation of the former John Andrews restaurant for Hilltown, the restaurant, soon to be open in Egremont. You can’t fake his enthusiasm. Bildner carries his heart on his sleeve while spreading “pizza joy,” and embracing a wide community of pizzaiolos. As the name implies, the restaurant is an homage to our region, and puts a pizzaframed spotlight on our producers and seasonal foods. Bildner grew up spending summers in Becket, sold his own vegetables at farmers markets, helped promote Berkshire Grown, and generally embraced the farming community. He attended culinary school in Ottawa before moving on to study politics and policy of U.S. food and agriculture at Yale, acting as farm manager for the Yale campus farm and grabbing some experience working on the line at a local fine dining restaurant his senior year. Post college, after spending some time with political campaigns and as a travel guide in Europe and the Middle East, Bildner finally allowed himself to fully lean into his calling. His first professional pizza job was in 2019 at San Francisco’s PizzaHacker, one of the city’s pioneers in sourdough crust. “I learned so much from the owner, Jeff Krupman. I washed dishes for the first two months there, and one of the first things I noticed, before I even got on the pizza line, was—classic San Francisco—a lot of stressed-out tech workers coming in. I watched them sit down, have a pizza, and a smile would immediately come across their face. I had already been thinking about a restaurant on my own, for many years, but that was the first time where I was like, ‘I’m digging into this craft fully. This food makes people happy.’” *

“I’m digging into this craft fully. The food makes people happy.”

Hearing about Bildner’s training, Daniel Osman, the former owner of The Dream Away Lodge in Becket, offered him the opportunity to do a late-night pop-up. Suddenly he found himself in the middle of the woods cranking out his own pizzas, one by one. More pop-ups followed at farms through the pandemic and, in 2021, he launched the Hilltown Hot Pies pizza truck, all the while refining his signature sourdough crust. Tracing the origins of Bildner’s pizza obsession takes us back to his New Jersey childhood. “Italian Americans and Jews were the world of northern New Jersey that I grew up in, and we share a lot: from food to joy to very loud families and neurotic, crazy conversations, et cetera—and a lot of chaos. Every Sunday my parents would order pizza from Nauna’s Bella Casa, your classic Jersey slice joint. We didn’t eat a lot around the table together growing up because my parents both had very intense jobs running their own food distribution companies and my older siblings were off doing their own things. It was this happy moment.”

The family’s food lineage reaches back to Bildner’s great-grandfather, Joe Bildner, who opened some of the first full-service supermarkets in the country with his brother. “It was the quintessential Jewish immigrant story—again, very similar to many Italians—peddling fruits and vegetables and meats and dairy on the streets of Brooklyn and then Long Island. Eventually, my side of the family started the first King’s supermarket in Summit, New Jersey, in 1936. They were really the first supermarket to

have a one-stop shop, with everything from a butcher counter to fresh orange juice to dry goods to high-quality fruits and vegetables. All of our family conversations at the dinner table were basically my parents talking about the price of pears coming in from Chile, and what Earthbound Farms in California is doing in the organic greens world.”

A secondary mission for Bildner is to create a cultural bridge to southern Italy, filtering its food traditions and essence through the lens of the Berkshires, and eventually hosting some of his Italian mentors at Hilltown. During his cycling tour through Irpino, a sub region of Campania, Bildner met Crescenzo and Teresa Di Pietro, and their daughter Anita and son Pasquale, at the celebrated Antica Trattoria Di Pietro in the village of Melito Irpino. Crescenzo’s parents opened the trattoria in 1934. This is slow food, traditional dishes to be lingered over for multiple courses, rooted in the land, and simply prepared.

“It was an instant connection,” says Bildner, “I walked in and saw Teresa and Anita, who run the kitchen. Crescenzo, the host and proprietor, was, as always, in a red tie, sweater, and black apron. Teresa was taking out a bag of locally stone-milled senatore cappelli, heritage durum wheat flour, pouring it into her dough mix, and making pizzas in these pans that the family’s been using for probably 60 years. Anita was at the stove making this beautiful frittata and dumping hand-rolled cicatielli—their village-specific shape of cavatelli—into a pot of tomato sauce with wild mint. And, at the same time, they’re yelling at each other. They’re stressed out. And I’m like, this is heaven. This is the epitome of joy and love and family. I was so emotional seeing this. It reminded me so much of my own family’s history and food.”

Bildner’s maternal grandmother, Norma Spungen, was the consummate host and a revered home cook. “She was such an instrumental force in my family’s life, showing how food is the ultimate connector. Every person had a place *

at her seder table. She would invite everyone in the community to come eat. A lot of my earliest bread memories come from learning to bake challah with Granny Norma. I would run through the woods to my grandmother’s house in Becket. I never really dabbled in my own sourdough or intense, super crafty bread baking until college and really beyond college. But I always had these deeply fond memories of flour and dough and watching.”

Bildner is the first in his family to foray into the brick-and-mortar restaurant side of the business. Connections between food, place, memory, and community are represented in Hilltown’s design. The center room has a big communal table

made from a sugar maple tree taken down on the property, and there’s a row of seats right in front of the wood-fired pizza oven. “You can interact with the people making your food. All of that goes to the memories of Granny.” The space opens to a dining patio and the goal is to move the leaning 1700’s ice shed to a stable foundation and offer soft serve, pizza, and negronis out of it in the “pizza garden” by summer 2026.

Lonny Geller, Bildner’s great friend and (if this is even possible) equal in the love of pizza, is the opening sous chef. Geller has cooked with Bildner for many iterations of Hilltown Hot Pies over the years, while also running

his own pizza pop-up business, doing his own reconnaissance tours of Italy, and learning on the line at other pizza establishments. They’re planning on eight core pizzas, a few pizza specials that highlight what’s coming up in the fields around them, and two or three traditional and seasonal pastas, antipasti, and Puglia-style focaccia—plus Geller’s woodfired meatballs and maximum-stretch mozzarella sticks (more akin to logs).

Bildner wooed talented pastry chef Erica Allen to make her magic with fresh pasta, tiramisu, seasonal fruit pies, crumbles and cobblers, and gelato in the “laboratoria” upstairs, where she and Bildner will eventually hold pizza and pasta classes. Allen grew up in Alabama and has a rich southern cooking history, but her family is also from Calabria, so she has deep southern Italian roots, as well. (Her husband, Will, is the owner of Darke Pines, a sustainable butcher and sandwich shop in Jersey City, where she has most recently been flexing her skills.)

Bildner’s brother Ari Bildner is the Hilltown wine consultant and has sourced from the Finger Lakes region as well as the many small southern Italian producers they have developed relationships with, including a few of the first bottles from Pasquale Di Pietro’s winery.

“We will use artisanal flour, local regional grains, stretch our own mozzarella, and serve beautiful veggies from down the road and meat from here and Columbia County. But in the end, it’s just pizza, and I want people to remember that pizza is a joyful food, and pizza is very casual.” It comes down to building community for Bildner, as his granny did, and a love for the land. “Pizza is a natural canvas for a food system and the food system that we have here in the Berkshires and the Hudson Valley, in New England, is so rich,” says Bildner. “What better way to paint a picture of the world around you than on a pizza?” B

Hilltown Hot Pies, opening soon 224 Hillsdale Rd., Egremont hilltownhotpies.com

A moment in time: Geller and Bildner enjoy the first bites of pizza to be taken on Hilltown’s brand-new patio.

THE COOK’S GARDEN

Kevin West’s new book is an artful and practical guide to growing what you wish and savoring what you grow—rooted in wisdom, soil, and the simple pleasures of a well-tended life.

Get a first look here.

The ideal garden—whether it’s your first or your twentieth—spreads light effort over narrow ground, leaving you the energy and spirit to enjoy being among your plants. The fragrance of tomato leaves, the bouquet beauty of Swiss chard, the reach of a pea tendril as it stretches toward the trellis with a toddler’s confidence. Those are the pleasures of a garden. Allow yourself the serenity to enjoy them. Grant yourself permission to plant less than you could.

The impulse to create a first garden might be satisfied by a few terra-cotta pots or a single four-by-eight-foot raised bed. At most, stake out a modest piece of yard. A ten-foot-square garden won’t let you grow everything, but it will let you grow a lot, certainly enough to improve many meals.

Elizabeth Keen of Indian Line Farm crystallized a new and useful perspective for me. Do not plant a garden based on space, she advised. The limiting factor in every gardener’s life is time, so create a garden that respects your most precious commodity. “How many hours do you have to *

SMOKY EGGPLANT DIP

Grant yourself permission to plant less than you could.”

dedicate to your garden?” she said as we sat on upturned buckets beneath a shade tree. “Putting a few plants in the ground is the easy part.”

For a sense of scale: A container garden of four or five pots will take an hour or two to put together and maybe ten minutes a day to keep going. A raised bed of 4 feet by 8 feet or a 10 × 10-foot garden plot can be installed in a day and tended in 20 to 40 minutes daily. A larger in-ground garden of 400 square feet will produce a substantial and varied harvest for a family throughout the growing season, with surplus for the freezer or root cellar, but it will soak up entire weekends and require an hour or more of daily tending and watering. Beyond 1,000 square feet lies the demands of self-sufficiency, a topic for another book.

I grow vegetables on land owned by my neighbors Del and Christine Martin. The plot had been their garden. After I moved to town in 2016, Del invited me to help harvest potatoes in return for all I could eat. Over several seasons, as we became friends, I weaseled my way into his garden and progressively took it over. Now, in return for a share of the crops, the garden is “mine.” Del teases me that I’m a gardener who doesn’t have a garden. *

SMOKY EGGPLANT DIP

Makes 21/2 cups

Smoke is an adaptable ingredient. It can boldly frame the fatty grandeur of whole-hog BBQ or subtly waft through other flavors and disappear. I once had a dish of raw fish at Jua, a wood-fired Korean restaurant in New York, so delicately smoked that it seemed the chef had merely thought of fire. Wherever there is smoke, the elemental cooking technique always flickers in the background, a culinary echo of the fatted calf and the hecatombs of the Greeks, who sent up meaty incense to their hungry gods.

In the vegetable kingdom, eggplant is exalted through fire. Cook one whole until the thing looks ruined, burnt beyond eating, and the pulp will absorb fire’s essence. Olive oil and tahini, the soul of baba ghanoush, establish a direction. The hidden charm is a grated clove of new garlic—especially the Rocambole varieties, such as exquisite Spanish Roja, or the purple-stripe types, including Persian Star and Chesnok Red.

Serve eggplant dip with grilled bread or an array of sliced raw vegetables, as in the photograph opposite, along with marinated sumac onions and whole-leaf herbs. Fold the same ingredients into a hot pita with sliced pickled beets and salty feta for a superb garden sandwich.

2 cups roasted eggplant pulp (see below), from 2 (1-pound) eggplants

1 clove garlic, grated on a Microplane

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tahini

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Grilled bread rubbed with garlic or sliced raw vegetables, for serving

1. Mash the eggplant pulp with a fork. Add the garlic, parsley, Aleppo, tahini, salt, and lemon juice and beat vigorously, as if beating eggs, until smooth. (Alternatively, pulse the ingredients in a blender.) Whisk in the olive oil in a stream until the mixture is fluffy. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

2. Transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Aleppo. Serve with grilled bread or raw vegetables. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

To Roast Eggplant: Prick an unblemished whole Italian eggplant with a fork in several places. Place directly over a gas burner, on a hot grill, or under a broiler. Turn occasionally until charred all over and collapsing, 20 to 40 minutes total cooking time, depending on size. Transfer to a covered bowl or wrap with aluminum foil. (Alternatively, wrap whole eggplants in aluminum foil and bake on the top rack of a 400°F oven until very soft, 30 to 45 minutes.)

When the cooked eggplant is cool enough to handle, rub off the charred skin. Scrape stuck bits with the dull edge of a knife, or wipe with paper towels, but don’t rinse. Drain pulp in a colander for 30 minutes. It doesn’t look very promising at this stage, but the pulp is ready to use.

We are an odd duo out there. Del loves hijinks, machinery, efficiencies of scale, and high-speed work. I am earnest and enjoy hand tools, fussy small projects, and interrupting my work to admire the day. I’ve shifted our/my garden away from diesel-driven horsepower to beer-fueled manpower and have diversified the crops we grow. For his part, Del handles vital infrastructure. He put up an 8-foot deer fence to protect our main growing plot, 60 feet by 78 feet, and devised an elaborate irrigation system. Across the driveway from the main plot, an unfenced parcel provides space for the few crops deer like less than we do—the witchy nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers), stinking alliums (onions, garlic, shallots), and prickly cucurbits (summer and winter squash). You’ll find recipes incorporating those ingredients here—and many more in The Cook’s Garden, which comes out in August. *

Adapted from The Cook’s Garden © 2025 by Kevin West. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

CURRIED TOMATOES, PEACHES, AND CUCUMBERS

Serves 6 to 8

Some summer dishes are not so much cooked as cut up. This salad, for one. It’s made from heirloom tomatoes, which ripen with Del’s peaches, during the same peak season when green Genovese basil and dream-dark opal basil signal to each other from across the garden and trellised cucumbers drape like baroque festoons. Combine everything on a serving platter, and the result is a flashy first course for nearly any summer meal. I’d put it on the table alongside thin-crust onion pizza and juicy grilled skewers. Or I’d not cook at all and instead crowd the buffet with sliced prosciutto, a country terrine, olives, bread, whole-stem parsley, salad, a few naked lettuce greens, shaved summer squash, and bottles of rosé.

1½ teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds medium cucumbers, cut into ¼-inch rounds

1 pound yellow peaches, peeled and cut into chunky wedges

½ cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, mixed green and purple

1 pound Brandywine or other heirloom tomatoes, in large chunks

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the curry powder, salt, and lemon juice. Stream in the olive oil, whisking constantly.

2. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, peaches, and basil. Pour in the dressing and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving platter.

3. Place the tomatoes in the same bowl and swirl them around until they are coated with the residual juices. Lightly season with more salt to taste. Tuck the tomatoes around the edge of the serving platter.

CURRIED TOMATOES, PEACHES, AND CUCUMBERS

ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

My father, who is a lazy cook, achieves superb results with this easy mixedsquash casserole when he has an abundance of summer vegetables. It is full of flavor and an eyeful at the table.

Slice 2 pounds of zucchini or mixed summer squash into ¼-inch-thick rounds or lengthwise into planks. Combine in a large bowl with ¾ pound sliced Roma tomatoes, ½ pound cubed fresh mozzarella cheese, and ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Add several chopped cloves of garlic, several tablespoons of chopped parsley and chopped chives, a dozen large basil leaves, ½ teaspoon dried savory or thyme, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Toss everything to combine. Spread the mixture into a lightly oiled 13-inch casserole or other baking dish. Cover with foil and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and use a spatula to press the top layers into the juices. Continue baking uncovered until the juices are reduced and the squash very tender, about 30 minutes longer. If you like, throw a handful of grated hard cheese over the top to brown when you remove the foil. B

Special Event!

Join The B and author Kevin West on September 13 for a farm-to-table dinner at Hancock Shaker Village in the heirloom gardens in front of the Round Stone Barn. The dinner experience features fresh meat and produce from the farm prepared by Chef Kevin Kelly, Founder of After Hours GB. hancockshakervillage.org

PICNIC PERFECT

While you don’t need more than a simple sandwich and a Berkshires view to have a glorious picnic, a few extras make it even more magical. We asked Lauren Fritscher, founder of Berkshire Muse, a company that curates events and experiences, to set up some special spreads for us. They’re all different, but all “designed to encourage presence and ease,” she says. Borrow her ideas for settings that will make you want to relax and linger—and may even make you the envy of everyone at Tanglewood.

created by lauren fritscher

PHOTOS: RACHAEL GORRIE

“This one is classic Berkshires, casual and effortless. You could be driving down the street and you see a beautiful place and just pull over and have a picnic. Or maybe it’s the field by your house or at Tanglewood. I love mixing pieces that I already own. I’ll think, ‘I have this quilt, and these pillows, and some vases from my grandmother that I can use.’ Look within your home.”

“I like to drink out of a real wineglass, and I want to use real silverware,” says Fritscher. “The plates can always be melamine.” She wraps the glasses in linen napkins before packing them, then uses the napkins at the picnic. The tops of vintage picnic baskets double as serving surfaces. Comfortable folding chairs are a must.

PHOTOS: RACHAEL GORRIE

“H

ere’s an intimate entertaining moment. You can do this in a clearing in your backyard or anywhere, really. The low table is set and the food is styled with pops of color and ready for sharing.”

Mixed checks and stripes make a cheery setting. A rug brought out from indoors and a tent-style cover define the space and create the feeling of an outdoor room. Pillows are comfy seating.

Fresh fruit and baked goods taste great after a morning swim. Throw a breezy cloth over a table for the buffet, and set up a small folding table beside rattan chairs (from Berkshire Greenscapes, see page 23) to keep things within easy reach.

PHOTOS: TRICIA MCCORMACK

“B

reakfast on a dock, with bare feet, mimosas, and baskets filled with simple things, just says summer to me. Bring your book and plan to stay for the day,”

“Iwas inspired by the idea of the African sundowner, the longtime tradition of having cocktails after a day on safari. A hike in the Berkshires is another adventure you can celebrate with drinks and snacks, in an elevated tailgate.”

Before heading out on a hike, pack a picnic and the makings for cocktails and mocktails, then set up a bar, snacks, and sandwiches as soon as you’re done.

Special thanks to Spirited, Lenox, for the beverages (spirited-wines.com) and Danny Bell of 7&23 Motor Sales, Great Barrington for use of the vintage Range Rover.

Canvas sling chairs and stools give a camping vibe. Lauren likes to tuck a game, like dominos or a deck of cards, into a picnic basket.

THE B’s LIST Food Pros

WRITTEN BY ELLEN MORRISSEY • PHOTOGRAPHS BY ABIGAIL FENTON

In the second installment of our series showcasing folks who make their mark in the Berkshires, we sat down with some noteworthy talents—both established and emerging—in our vibrant local food and beverage scene. Each of the attendees has a distinct perspective on the state of dining out in the Berkshires. The entrepreneurs elaborated on their challenges, while also identifying the opportunities distinct to the region, including the cultural and arts organizations that help support the eating and drinking scene (and vice versa). Topics ranged from the price of doing business to a curious generational divide to the abiding sense of community here. For the most part, none of these spirited individuals would have it any other way—or in any other place.

On one of the hottest afternoons in decades, our group gathered around a long table at the newly opened—and very buzzy—Cliff House restaurant at Prospect, a mountain lake resort in Egremont. Outside, the sun-dappled lake sparkled; inside, the conversation did, too.

ROBBIE ROBLES, Roberto’s Pizza, The Pub, and Robbie’s Community Market Robles may be the youngest of this group, but his age belies his experience, as well as his ambition and determination. Born in California, he came to the Berkshires as a child with his mother, and never left. He got years of hands-on training at The Marketplace Café before opening his own pizza place in Sheffield. He recently added a bar next door and just reinvented a longstanding local market in Great Barrington. “A lot of my success comes from being hands-on and building good culture,” he says.

MATT STRAUS, Heirloom Lodge

Straus spent nearly 20 years in fine dining on the West Coast before relocating to the Berkshires, opening Heirloom Lodge in West Stockbridge in 2024. As for the decision to relocate: The Massachusettsborn chef (and editor of the culinary journal Kitchen Work) says, “I had an opportunity to build a beautiful restaurant from scratch on a beautiful piece of land. I wanted to be in a progressively minded place with a lot of arts infrastructure. I don’t know if there’s another place in the country that has that same combination.”

NANCY THOMAS, Mezze Group

It’s not an exaggeration to call Thomas a living legend in the Berkshires. Since opening Mezze, in 1996, she’s embarked on multiple other culinary ventures. Her latest: a collaboration with the owners of Prospect, where she oversees the culinary program. “I feel fortunate to have a restaurant career that constantly offers me new opportunities,” she says. In the Berkshires, the business is “informed by eating within the seasons. And that makes a delicious recipe for great food.”

HANNAH WONG, Haema

After cutting her culinary teeth at wellestablished NYC restaurants, Wong left the city when the pandemic paused the dining scene. She earned high acclaim for her food, inspired by extensive travel through Asia, at the Aviary in Kinderhook. “I think there’s a desire in this area for Asian food and for different flavors, to use a broad label,” she says. The Williams grad is currently hosting a popular series of pop-ups—and did a residence at Straus’ Heirloom Lodge.

ADI TALBY AND HAGAI AVRAHAMI, Báladi

After training as a chef, Avrahami worked for many years in his native Israel before settling in the Berkshires and creating Báladi with his wife, Talby. The name comes from the Arabic balad, which loosely translates to native, or of the land. It’s an apt description for their Mediterranean food, which is grounded in fresh, local, sustainable ingredients. You can find them at a food truck at the iconic Egremont Barn and the new restaurant at the adjacent Buttonball Inn.

CHRIS WELD, Berkshire Mountain Distillers

Recognized as a pioneer among craft spirits makers in the U.S., Weld founded his business after bringing hundreds of heirloom fruit trees back to fruition on his property in Sheffield. From his early forays into apple brandy, he branched out into award-winning varieties of gin, vodka, rum, and whiskeys. “When I started, there were maybe 50 of us in the country. Now there are around 3,000,” he says.

MARK FIRTH, Prairie Whale

Firth was regarded as one of the godfathers of the nascent Brooklyn dining scene of the early aughts, thanks to the allure of Diner and Marlow & Sons. In 2010, he and his wife, Bettina Schwartz, uprooted their family, trading city life for a farm in the wilds of Monterey. Since opening Prairie Whale in Great Barrington, in 2012, it’s become an institution among tourists and locals alike, inspiring a new breed of dining spots throughout the region.

When you think about food in the Berkshires, what are some words that come to mind?

Matt: Growing.

Robbie: Local luxury.

Hannah: Scrappy. Community-oriented. Evolving.

Nancy: I think about the narrative of the landscape. What has historically grown here and what continues to be farmed here by our community informs us of what we might offer to our guests and our restaurants.

Mark and Nancy, you were trailblazers here and your establishments are still going strong. How have things changed since you opened?

Mark: Nancy was the first, so thank you to her. Culturally, the way people treat restaurants has changed, and that’s an issue we’re all dealing with. It’s way less casual than it used to be. If they don’t have a reservation, they don’t want to wait and have a drink and meet friends. I don’t know if I found that out the hard way or the easy way, but we never did reservations until this past April and, in May, we were up 20% from the previous year. So the experience loses a bit of that organized chaos that I like, but it’s busy. People don’t just say “Let’s go out for dinner” now.

Nancy: It’s changed a lot since 1996, but the great thing about restaurants is the constant feedback. With social media, you’re being informed by the public at all times. You do have to have a bit of a thick skin to listen, respond to that feedback, and stay the course of your business model.

The way we live by our phones now is quite different. Yet the operations inside the restaurant still feel very 19th century. We’re doing old-fashioned labor, taking orders, making food from

scratch, walking it to the table—that feels historical.

Matt: I think it’s safe to say that none of us sitting at this table feels hugely threatened by AI.

Robbie: You want to stay up to date by integrating technology. You want to move things as quickly as possible and double down on what’s working. It can be painful. There’s a lot of change within this industry, but I see us moving in the right direction. And I’m still learning by being around so much talent.

What about other business models—pop-ups and the like?

Robbie: To give quality food at a good price is always such a battle. I learned a lot—hands-on learning—with Marketplace when I helped them with their three locations. That was 18-plus years ago now, and the fast-casual model just made 100% sense. At the time it was so new for the customers— we had to train the customers, too. When I opened my first restaurant, it was kind of a hybrid of that—a fastcasual restaurant. You’ve got to really listen to what’s working.

Hannah: To respond to what Mark was saying about people wanting to make reservations and plan their experience, I would push back a bit, because the pop-up business model is so reliant on people who don’t do that. The whole idea is that we say, “Hey, we’re going to be at this farm on this day.” And we’ve been busy.

What attracted you to the Berkshires—do you consider it a food destination?

Matt: The obvious reasons for me were topographical beauty and the arts that were preexisting here. I was itching to be in the food business outside of a city, in an agricultural area. There aren’t a lot of choices in the country when it *

“The first people that I met were the farmers I would be working with. That is probably the biggest reason I stayed.”

HANNAH WONG

comes to places that are pretty progressive and have a great art scene.

Hannah: I had worked in cities my entire adult life, so this was new to me. As soon as I moved up, I knew that I made the right decision, because the first people that I met were the farmers I would be working with. That is probably the biggest reason I stayed.

Hagai: We came here because we have friends in the area, but we stayed because of the people we met.

Adi: We’ve learned a lot since we opened. We had a vision of what we wanted to

build, something very simple. We got pretty incredible recognition from the community.

Chris: I don’t think you can extricate food from culture and everything else. You’re going to be hard pressed to find areas in the country where there’s great culture where there isn’t access to good food. Which came first? They are linked together, and so, inherently, we are a food destination. Whether you come here for Jacob’s Pillow and then go to eat, or you come here to eat and then go to Jacob’s Pillow, it’s a package deal.

Let’s talk about the social scene for young people. There’s a lot of talk about Gen Z not drinking as much. How does that affect things?

Mark: There’s no late night anymore. There’s so much more food, and we’re busy, but there’s no longer a 9-11 crowd.

Chris: A lot of things are changing in the bar business. Consumption of cannabis, in particular, is cutting back on consumption of booze. Not in a huge way, but it’s affecting it. There’s a component of health consciousness and what people are viewing as healthy. There’s a component that’s starting to affect the alcohol industry and probably restaurants, as well, with Ozempic and the likes coming in.

Matt: I think you put those multiple elements together—Mark’s talking about the demographic shift and you’re talking

about cannabis and Ozempic and all these things—and it sounds like a perfect storm.

Chris: There’s a much bigger problem in the Berkshires for young people though: housing. It’s super hard to find and it’s expensive. At the crux of the issue is how tough it is to draw people in because they try to find a one-bedroom apartment and it costs a fortune.

That takes us to the issue of staffing.

Matt: That’s the gift that keeps on giving. You bring people in, you’re looking for people who are smart and have integrity and character. In a lot of situations, you should expect to show them everything. They may come in with virtually no food service background whatsoever. That’s an interesting challenge.

Nancy: You hire for character and train for the rest. There is an enormous amount of training in the Berkshires. It’s akin to an apprenticeship culture in restaurants, front and back of the house, that you’re constantly bringing people up and through, and then you pray that they might stick with you for a while.

Mark: It’s also a generational thing. This is such a blanket statement— sorry—but with younger people, nobody asks questions anymore. I worked as

a bartender at Balthazar, probably one of the busiest restaurants in New York, but when I bring people on, nobody says to me, “How did you make a martini?” With the cell phone, there’s a perception that we have so much knowledge at our fingertips that we no longer need to ask basic questions.

Matt: One of the things that I find myself trying to train for is an openness to not always being sure about what the best answer is. We’re going to try and find what the best answer is. There are going to be things that are beyond your control, there are going to be surprises. This is inevitable.

Hagai: It’s worldwide. One thing that’s changed the restaurant scene [in Israel] has been all the cooking reality shows. People don’t get that it takes peeling 1, 2, 5,000 potatoes before you come to the stove.

Hannah: When I moved up here, I learned that the demographic was very different from the city pipeline of industry people who work their way up. Here, it was a lot of local farm kids. Even though they may not have the tangible skill set, they have this work ethic that’s ingrained in their way of living, and the attention span and the ability to do different tasks.

Chris: Anyone who grows up on a farm is a problem solver.

Speaking of farms, what flavor, so to speak, do our local growers give your businesses?

Nancy: I love farmers. Starting with great ingredients, we can all attest, makes our jobs easier and more beautiful. It’s extremely difficult to work in the fields, with everything that it takes from the time commitment to how physical the labor is, so supporting the stewardship of the land and the quality of the food is correct on all levels. Now that the food in the supermarkets has gotten more expensive, it makes it easier to buy from the farmers. The quality of all of it is really special, and it attracts talented cooks to come here.

Mark: I just love seeing them pull up in their vans every Thursday.

How is business this season?

Mark: I don’t know if it’s completely due to the fact that we’re taking reservations, or that last year was an election year and people hoarded their pennies, and maybe people went abroad more because we were still in that post-COVID period, and they’re thinking, “We saved up, let’s go to Greece,” but to be already 20% up in May is kind of insane.

Hannah: The response to our pop-ups has been very receptive, very warm, very open to a different kind of dining experience. I’ve been very encouraged

by that. I don’t know if that’s partly why we may be so busy, because we have a different flavor profile.

Matt: It might also have something to do with how good your food is. I manage a nonprofit called the Kitchen Work Foundation [which provides financial support and mentorship to food entrepreneurs, and recently awarded its first residency]. Hannah won that award; I was lucky enough to have a week’s worth of Hannah’s cooking at Heirloom Lodge in April. From the staff collaborating with her, the clientele experiencing her food, and me working hand in hand with somebody so talented, it was just incredibly gratifying. One of the most thrilling professional experiences of my life. *

“Starting with great ingredients makes our jobs easier and more beautiful.”

NANCY THOMAS

These days, everybody’s buzzing about the place where we’re sitting— The Cliff House at Prospect. Nancy, how does it feel to be so in demand?

Nancy: In the beginning we had a limited amount of staff in the kitchen and on the floor, so we said we’re only going to do X amount of covers and test the system. I want this operation to be well run. We’re all tired of hearing about businesses where people say, “If they can only get it together.” That’s not a good look for the Berkshires and not for this beautiful property. With the food, I always say “go slow to go fast,” which feels very Berkshires to me. Meaning be very intentional as you approach everything. Try to get the details right and then be ready with a strong foundation to accept more business.

What do you love about being in hospitality?

Hagai: It’s all about the people. Here, they are not shy about giving you reviews immediately. I worked at very highvolume restaurants and it’s just less stressful here. Even on a busy day, it’s more chill.

Hannah: Moving from a larger city, [I appreciate] the ability to have real relationships with farmers and professionals. Coming up here meant more attention around the conversations, more space, more time to really problem solve together and support each other. To me, that’s the reason to be in business here.

Chris: The food is great but so is everything else. There are so many different components that come together and make the Berkshires the Berkshires. When you get older and you travel around, most of us can choose where we want to live. We’re all super fortunate to be here.

Nancy: I love that you just said that where we live has a high quality of life. It aligns with my values, which is a choice. In my career, I get to have a lot of creativity— to problem solve, to work

“The thing that thrills me more than anything is when guests walk in with very open minds and then we do something a little bit different.”

MARK FIRTH

with farmers, to be a part of the narrative and the storytelling of the Berkshires, to join organizations and work with young people, and to move 100 miles an hour, which suits my personality. This community has supported that as a business and allowed me to be operational, to be the female leader that I want to be. That feels like a gift, and I’m grateful to share that.

Matt: I have been living here now for about four years, so I’m more junior than some people. But I can’t help but feel that this is a growth moment and I have the sense that just about anything is possible here. I sometimes make a joke that the restaurant business would be a breeze if it weren’t for the people—the staff and the clientele and the whole thing. Of course, the reason that joke gets a little laugh is the flip side, which is that the restaurant business has the capacity to be magical because of the people.

What are some things that customers can do to support you?

Mark: Be patient. Be nice. The thing that thrills me more than anything, and I can imagine that I’m not the only one at the table that feels this way, is when guests walk in with very open minds and then we do something a little bit different.

Adi: I hear it when I talk to every table. My favorite example is this: I brought shakshuka to two 90-year-old friends. As I was leaving their table, one of them said to the other, “I’m feeling so exotic.” I loved hearing that. B

Conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

WHERE TO EAT NOW

We asked three of our favorite foodies for their go-to restaurants. The result: this highly opinionated guide to the latest and greatest in the Berkshires and beyond.

PHOTO: LINDA CAMPOS

No Comply, Great Barrington

Ann Volkwein

We at The B met Ann when she pitched a story about a new restaurant that was yet to open— it would break rules and set a new standard, she said. We took her word for it. It was No Comply, Chef Stephen Browning’s brilliant showcase for his cooking, and from then on, we’ve counted on Ann for her food acumen and dazzling way with words. A longtime cookbook writer/editor, she is deeply committed to the food scene in the Berkshires, championing our region’s inventive chefs and sustainable food producers.

NO COMPLY, GREAT BARRINGTON

If you can’t find me, check here first, increased odds at brunch (arugula or sautéed cabbage with poached eggs) or Greek night (grilled fish—head on, please). Chef Stephen Browning’s menu changes daily, although I think the chili-crisp, labneh-dolloped Japanese sweet potato has grown roots and many would protest if they stopped making those pancakes. Their vegan options could turn me, try them. Whatever you guys want to make, we’re eating, no complaints. nocomplyfoods.com

LIL’ DEB’S OASIS, HUDSON, NY

Stop in for bold tropical style, comfort food, and party on the plate and palate. The care that goes into each of their flavor-packed sauces alone is noteworthy—and the cocktails are buzz-worthy. I can’t leave here without ordering the plantains, beans, sauteed greens, and whole fish. lildebsoasis.com

BÁLADI, EGREMONT

Formerly in residence at the Apple Tree Inn, Báladi is now serving their Mediterranean, scratch-made breads, dips, fresh salads, burgers, schnitzels, and shakshukas at The Egremont Barn and Buttonball Inn next door. The food truck is open outside The Barn in the evening, while the restaurant serves breakfast and lunch. Don’t miss the boureka breads, flaky on the outside, cheese-filled, and sesame topped. @baladiberkshires

A FEW WORTH-THE-DRIVE SELECTIONS

FORTUNES ICE CREAM AND CLUB

SANDWICH, TIVOLI, NY

Head to Tivoli for the region’s BEST seasonally flavored ice cream at Fortunes (ride or die: cherry labneh and halva honeycomb). For something savory, grab exceptional sandwiches (griddled halloumi, tuna Reubens…) at their new Club Sandwich across the street. fortunesicecream.com clubsandwichtivoli.com

RUBINER’S CHEESEMONGERS AND JUJU’S, GREAT BARRINGTON HY’S FRIED, SOUTH EGREMONT

Get your Berkshire picnic supplies. Drop into Rubiner’s for outstanding regional and world cheeses, natural wines, and accoutrements, then over to Juju’s for addictive popcorn chicken and cauliflower (get ALL the dips), or if you prefer, head south for a crunchy bucket on the bone and biscuits from Hy’s Fried. rubiners.com, keepitjujus.com, hysfried.com

NEON NEWT, BECKET

For Ann’s write up of this special spot, see page 39.. theneonnewt.com

TOMMY B’S, CRARYVILLE, NY

NY-style pizza cravings—the classic thin crust, Grandma, Sicilian, or a personal pan—are robustly satisfied at this roadside establishment. And the Roni is a pepperoni-mozzarella pinwheel—a crunchy, stretchy, melty bite that must not be passed up. Ask for a drizzle of roasted garlic oil and order ahead for take-out. tommybspizza.com

ISABELA, AMENIA, NY

In Amenia, Chef Jose Ramirez Ruiz—who owned the Michelin-starred, veggieforward Semilla in Brooklyn—

now celebrates local producers in the Hudson Valley at Isabela. With unique beef tartare, fresh trout, clouds of gnudi, gorgeous veggies, and on-tap negronis, what’s not to like? isabelaamenia.com

WILLA, MILLERTON, NY

At Willa in Millerton, they take their sourcing seriously, and Chef Daniel Meissner makes beautiful food. Take note of his gentle alchemy with notes and layers of fresh herbs and spices. When you can have a peekytoe crab app nestled under delicate, herby shingles of cucumber and a Kinderhook smashburger in the same meal and both make the cut, enough said. willahvny.com

Isabela, Amenia, NY

JuJu’s, Great Barrington

William Li

William is a true tastemaker, with deep roots in New York City and a home base in Columbia County. He was the co-host of Lucky Chow, an Emmy-nominated series about Asian food and culture, is the special projects editor for both Town & Country and Elle Decor (and a contributing editor to The B), and also founded and runs the art consultancy Armature Projects. In fact, he has so much going on, we’re not sure how he finds the time to scout out so many fabulous restaurants. But we’re glad he does.

THE MAKER, HUDSON,

NY

The Maker Hotel has the prettiest restaurant in the area. Whether you’re there for one of their excellent pastas or a burger in the lounge, a night at The Maker is always perfect. themaker.com

RUBI’S, GREAT BARRINGTON

Rubi’s is all about the grilled cheese—it’s the cafe in the back of Rubiner’s Cheesemongers, after all. It’s the most refined version you’ll ever have. They make it with comté—you get the comfort of a grilled cheese but with superb ingredients. rubiners.com

MORNINGBIRD, KINDERHOOK, NY

You’ll find the best breakfast sandwich at Morningbird, flavored with a few Asian twists: “Lemongrass Lovers” sausage, scallion chimichurri, and sambal aioli. theaviarykinderhook.com/ morningbird

LAGONIA’S, CHATHAM, NY

This longtime Italian bistro serves the closest thing to a New York City slice I have found up here. lagonias.com

FERN, LAKEVILLE, CT

Stop in for excellent Italian food in Litchfield County. The room is charming. It’s just a cozy, homey place. fernlakeville.com

THE WHITE HART INN, SALISBURY, CT

Grab a sandwich or a salad and an Arnold Palmer and sit out on the porch, or enjoy lunch al fresco on the lawn. It’s an iconic Litchfield County experience. whitehartinn.com

PRAIRIE WHALE, GREAT BARRINGTON

When I’m craving a New York City vibe, I head to the Whale. The menu is super seasonal, and their fried chicken is always excellent. Their vegan options are delicious, too. prairiewhale.com

STISSING HOUSE, PINE PLAINS, NY

Dining at Stissing House is a dream. It’s like walking into an 18th century tavern. The building is very old, and it’s candlelit at night. The effect is so romantic, and the food is simple in the best way. I could eat there every day. stissinghouse.com

THE LOST LAMB, STOCKBRIDGE

The place to go before a picnic, for their sweet and savory pastries and great sandwiches. lostlambpatisserie.com

ALA

SHANGHAI, LATHAM, NY

I am in constant search of good Asian food up here, and Ala Shanghai is worth the schlep. It’s top notch Shanghainese food—excellent soup dumplings, delicious noodles. Their entrees taste like the home cooking I remember. alashanghai.net

VAN’S VIETNAMESE, ALBANY, NY

This Vietnamese place is beloved by the local community, particularly the SUNY students. The pho is outrageously delicious.

The Maker, Hudson, NY

Fern, Lakeville, CT

The Lost Lamb, Stockbridge

JP Barbeau

You may know him as the Director of Tennis at Bousquet Sport, but JP Barbeau is also a champion of the Berkshires food scene, a go-to source for anyone wondering where (and what) to eat and drink. The Paris-born coach’s culinary bonafides go way back, and he credits his time spent eating and cooking with star chef David Bouley for fueling his lifelong pursuit of flavor. “Tennis gave me the opportunity to sample foods from around the world,” he says. “After settling in the Berkshires, I’ve found that our fantastic, farmfresh, and eclectic offerings hold up to anywhere.”

CANTINA (FORMERLY CANTINA 229), NEW MARLBOROUGH

Go for the authentic farm-to-table menu, stay for the super cool vibe, all within a space that manages to feel cozy and modern all at once. The bar includes awesome outdoor seating on the deck. cantina229.com

THE CLIFF HOUSE, EGREMONT

This brand-new venue with lakeside dining is worth the trip from anywhere at all. Start with the steak tartare, followed by the outstanding Tivoli Farms mushroom stroganoff. With the dining room overlooking the water, the setting is magical. cliffhouseberkshires.com

BISTRO BOX, GREAT BARRINGTON

The constant line outside lets you know just how good this roadside stand is. Hang out at a picnic table and chill with a great burger and fries, or grab a picnic blanket, sit on the lawn, and make yourself at home. thebistrobox.rocks

THE SOUTHFIELD STORE, SOUTHFIELD

This has quickly become a favorite for the new, year-round dinner service—don’t miss Oaxacan chef Gustavo Perez’s carne asada—and the best Sunday brunch in the Berkshires—duck confit eggs benedict, anyone? thesouthfieldstore.com

ROBERTO’S PIZZA, SHEFFIELD

By far the best pizza in the whole county, thanks to an impressive brick oven and the freshest ingredients. I like the new funky pub attached to the place, along with the great beer list and shaded outdoor seating right in the middle of town. robertospizza413.com

GEDNEY KITCHEN, NEW MARLBOROUGH

Chef Michele Ragussis’ cooking is truly off the charts, and the outdoor setting at Gedney Farm is amazing. The menu changes daily, but try the mushroom toast appetizer and the truly to-diefor fried chicken when you can. gedneyfarm.com

The Cliff House, Egremont

Bistro Box, Great Barrington

Gedney Kitchen, New Marlborough

The View from Here

With the help of local artisans and a lifetime of design instinct, Annie Selke transformed her Lenox property into a sanctuary that’s made for gathering.

Written by Neil Turitz • Photographs by Sean McLaughlin

Annie Selke built a career on making beautiful things that give people joy. She launched her design company, Pine Cone Hill, from her dining room table in the Berkshires in 1994 and grew it into a multi-brand lifestyle powerhouse known for its elevated everyday essentials. After helping so many others live colorfully and comfortably, it makes sense that after selling the company in 2023, she would focus her time and energy on creating a

space that would do the same for her.

In 2012, Selke moved into a house in Lenox that had been her mother’s (her mother passed away in 2011). To be fair, the property was already pretty fantastic—an 8-acre lot that slopes downhill and overlooks Lily Pond, the Stockbridge Bowl, and Kripalu. You can hear the music from Tanglewood. It’s a spot that any reasonable person would describe as breathtaking. Selke herself teases a visitor by accurately noting the guest is “gobsmacked” by it.

But she wanted to make some changes to the house she shares with her husband, Jim Cooper, and where, as she puts it, “I will spend my dotage.” Those changes altered the shape of the grounds, and even the layout of the home itself, making it more hospitable to guests and residents alike.

“I love to cook, I love to entertain, I’m that kind of person,” Selke says. “The house was beautiful, but you couldn’t accommodate that many people. So now we have a graciously sized living room and exterior, the pool has plenty of *

room without it looking like an event space. And at the same time, it’s our home, and my two very young grandchildren live a few yards away.”

Selke wanted to have everything she needed at her fingertips: a pool, a gym, a larger outdoor space for entertaining guests, with her considerable gardening skills showcased and trees strategically planted to highlight that stunning view. She worked with local stonemason Aaron Girgenti, landscape contractor Donnie Carlow, and horticulturist Simon Chennells (see sidebars) to conceive the new space. She also purchased the plot of land directly south of the property, redesigned that,

and it’s where her daughter, son-in-law, and two young grandchildren reside, in a brand-new house just across the shared driveway from her own.

She has everything she wants, and it’s spectacular. It all feels natural and organic, an outgrowth of the land on which it sits. It’s exactly the thing on which Selke built her work, and now she exists inside of it.

“My whole career is about aesthetic,” she says. “Making your eye move with ease throughout a space, going from indoors to outdoors, from room to room, where nothing is jarring. You want there to be connection. That’s what I wanted here.” *

The Talented Team

Selke counted on several local pros to execute her vision. Architect Tyler Weld (tylerwelddesign.com) planned the home renovation and pool house. (Interiors designed by Marie Flanigan will appear in a future issue.) Billy Drakely of Drakely Pool Company (drakelypools.com) created the pool. And Cindy Parsons, who was Selke’s mother’s gardener, “guided me through all the planning and plantings.” Here are three more experts whose work transformed the property.

Donnie Carlow Landscape Contractor

Carlow Contracting

Lots of guys liked to play with trucks and bulldozers when they were kids, but not too many of them turned it into a career. Donnie Carlow’s dad had one of those machines, and it made such a mark on his son that he turned into a landscaper.

“I always had a passion for the outdoors, for excavation, for construction in general,” says the Berkshire native. As he got older, that passion turned into something else. “I loved creating spaces. Seeing something and having a vision and then being able to bring that to life.”

There was almost no part of Selke’s property that wasn’t touched in some way by Carlow and his team. Not just moving earth, but also moving trees and planting sod. That’s the obvious part of the job, but there’s also the other part. The fun of it for Carlow is working with his clients to take an idea and bring it to fruition. Someone like Selke, who had specific notions about what she wanted, is ideal. “It’s rewarding to be able to help her facilitate her vision. You can make something look great, but it also has to function, and that’s a key part of what we do.”

413-281-4869

dcarlow@carlowcontracting.com

Simon Chennells Horticulturist

March Hare Farm

Simon Chennells understands that a lot of his work is going to have a delayed reaction. That’s the thing about working with trees: they grow, slowly. So, when a client has a certain idea in mind for their property, and he puts a young tree into a specific place, he knows that it might take some time for the client to really see the fruits of his labor. Maybe even a lot of time.

The South African native first moved to the Berkshires to manage the Blantyre resort in Lenox. He met his wife, Kate, there, and the two eventually moved back to his homeland, where he fell into his family’s botany business. When the couple returned to the Berkshires, Chennells had a new career that he loved.

“A lot of my clientele will find me sitting on their sofas, just staring at something, because I’m trying to envision what will work,” he says. “I’ve got a good ability to put myself in their place. Here, so much of it is about the view, and highlighting its beauty. Making it more impactful.”

info@marchharefarm.com

Aaron Girgenti

Stonemason

Some people talk about how their trade is in their blood. For Aaron Girgenti, that’s pretty close to literal. Girgenti is a thirdgeneration stonemason, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. For the Girgentis, bricklaying and masonry is just part of life in the Berkshires.

“My uncles were all bricklayers and masons, too,” Girgenti says. “I started in about the seventh grade. I loved working with my grandfather. He really nurtured it in me.”

Nurturing is an odd word to use when it comes to working with stone, but feels apt for what Girgenti has done on Selke’s property. The garden planters are built from bluestone, which also makes up the patio around the pool and the 36-inch Rumford fireplace on the deck. Some would look at the work Girgenti does, crafting brick and stone and giving it a life of its own, and see it as an artistic endeavor. Don’t count him as one of them.

“I see it as more math than art,” he says with a laugh. “There’s an equation to making it all fit, and if you follow certain formulas, you can’t go wrong. But if people want to call it art, I’m just happy I get to make a living at it.”

413-652-1470

happenings: Summer Fun

This Way to Peak Summer

Music, festivals, theatre, and more—there’s so much to explore this season.

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Berkshire Busk!

Downtown Great Barrington Friday and Saturday nights through August

Downtown Great Barrington comes alive with free sidewalk performances by singers, dancers, magicians, acrobats, fire dancers, balloon artists, face painters, and more. berkshirebusk.com

Music at Bousquet Mountain

Various dates | Bousquet Mountain, Pittsfield

Bousquet offers concerts all season long, including Summit Sounds, with a scenic chairlift ride and intimate mountaintop concert (Thursdays, July 31 through August 21); Summer Stomp Country Festival (August 2); Fire on the Mountain Jam II (August 9); and Jazz Festival (August 16). bousquetmountain.com

Ice Cream Train Rides

Through August 31 | Adams Station, Adams

Hop aboard the Hoosac Valley Train and take a delightful journey from Adams to North Adams and back while learning about local history and enjoying a sweet treat. berkshiretrains.org

Bang on a Can LOUD Weekend

MASS MoCA, North Adams | July 31-August 2

Innovative composers and performers take over the MASS MoCA campus for three days of collaborative experimentations in jazz, classical, rock, and more. massmoca.org

All Styles Dance Battle

August 1 | Jacob’s Pillow, Becket

Dancerswill go head to head in a battle for first place. DJ Buddha Stretch spins while tap dancers face off with hip-hop artists, and flamenco takes the floor against contemporary. jacobspillow.org

West Stockbridge Zucchini Festival

August 9 | West Stockbridge

Admission is free to this celebration of everyone’s favorite summer squash. Festivities include Berkshire County vendors, artists, food, handcrafted zucchini games, contests, live music, and more. wszucchinifest.org

Community Day at The Mount

August 10 | The Mount, Lenox

At this inaugural Community Day, enjoy free live music, readings and performances, a resource fair, and book exchanges, as well as food trucks. edithwharton.org

Jacob’s Pillow Community Day

August 15 | Jacob’s Pillow, Becket

This free, kid-friendly event features movement classes, dance-themed children’s activities, tours, and performances by selected Berkshire-region artists. jacobspillow.org

7th Annual Art of Brewing Festival

August 16 | Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge

Returning for its 7th year, this fest offers a chance to sample the best craft brews in the region, along with wine, cider, distilled drinks, and coffee. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy food from local eateries, lawn games, and the incredible art found on some of your favorite beverages. nrm.org

Skate Jam

August 17 | MASS MOCA, North Adams

MASS MoCA’s Courtyard D transforms into a pop-up skate park featuring skateboard clinics, a best trick contest, and product giveaways. Beginners welcome. massmoca.org

Berkshire Busk!, Great Barrington

Native Habitat

happenings: Summer Fun

5th Annual Cidermakers’ Dinner

August 21 | Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield

Berkshire Cider Project celebrates the release of its Hancock Shaker Village cider, crafted from local and foraged apples. Stroll the gardens before enjoying a multi-course dinner prepared by Leah Guadagnoli, farmer and chef behind upstate New York’s Fancy Feast Supper Club. hancockshakervillage.org

Berkshire Opera Festival

August 23, 26, and 29 | The Mahaiwe, Great Barrington

BOF celebrates its 10th season with “La Traviata,” Giuseppe Verdi’s timeless tale of love and sacrifice set amid the splendor of Parisian nightlife. berkshireoperafestival.org

Spencertown Academy Festival of Books

August 29-September 1 | Spencertown, NY

The Festival celebrates 20 years with thousands of affordably priced books and media, rare finds, a children’s collection, and talks by authors Peter Canelos, Bonnie Yochelson, Lisa Lerer, Elizabeth Dias, Chloe Caldwell, Mayukh Sen, and David Hajdu. spencertownacademy.org

FreshGrass

September 19-21 | MASS MoCA, North Adams

The beloved annual bluegrass festival returns with headliners Old Crow Medicine Show, Greensky Bluegrass, Valerie June, Sam Grisman, Cimafunk, and many more musicmakers, vendors, food trucks, and familyfriendly fun. massmoca.org

WIT Literary Festival

September 25-28

With the theme The Power of Words: Authors & Activism, this year’s Festival welcomes M. Gessen, Marilynne Robinson, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, Michael S. Roth, Anna Deavere Smith, Torrey Peters, Chase Strangio, and many others. authorsguild.org

Festival Latino

September 27 | Town Hall at Green Park & Saint James Place, Great Barrington

Held during National Hispanic Heritage Month, this free, family-friendly event celebrates Latin art, crafts, music, and food, with a special emphasis on traditional Latin folk dancing. festivallatino.org

Lenox Apple Squeeze

Housatonic Heritage Walks

September 27 | Downtown Lenox

September 6-October 5

Free, guided walks occur throughout Berkshire and Litchfield counties on Saturday and Sundays this fall. Tours mix history with natural beauty and sites include waterfalls, historic bridges, railroads, preserves, and even a behind-the-scenes tour of Tanglewood. housatonicheritage.org

Berkshire Botanical Garden Grow Show

Celebrate fall with free admission to this popular festival featuring more than 70 vendors offering food and artisan crafts, plus musical performances throughout downtown, and a carnival for kids. lenox.org

August 9-10 | Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge

Floral designers and backyard gardeners compete in this upbeat, judged event featuring five design and nearly 80 horticulture classes on display in the BBG’s Exhibition Hall. berkshirebotanical.org

Farm-to-Table Dinner

September 13 | Hancock Shaker Village

Join The B and author Kevin West (see page 54) for a magical evening in the heirloom gardens in front of the Round Stone Barn. The dinner experience features fresh meat and produce from the farm prepared by Chef Kevin Kelly, founder of After Hours GB. hancockshakervillage.org

happenings: Summer Fun

IN THE GALLERIES

Art Omi, Ghent, NY | This 120-acre sculpture and architecture park, open year round, features more than 60 large-scale outdoor installations. In its indoor Newmark Gallery, paintings by Harold Stevenson are on display in: “Less Real Than My Routine Fantasy” through October 26. artomi.org

Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge One of the oldest botanical gardens in New England, the BBG encompasses 24 acres and more than 3,000 species, and will feature the exhibit “Works by Frances Palmer: Terracotta and Floral Photography,” at its indoor Leonhardt Galleries, from August 15-October 5. berkshirebotanical.org

Chesterwood, Stockbridge | The home, studio, and gardens of famed sculptor Daniel Chester French will offer tours, two exhibits— “Modeling Women: Female Artists and Models at Chesterwood” and “The 47th Annual Contemporary Outdoor Sculpture Show: Global Warming/Global Warning!” through October 31—and additional events throughout the season. chesterwood.org

Clark Art, Williamstown | In addition to The Clark’s permanent collection, this summer the museum will feature “A Room of Her Own: Women Artist-Activists in Britain, 1875–1945” through September 14; “Berenice Abbott’s Modern Lens” from July 12-October 5; “Isamu Noguchi: Landscapes of Time” from July 19-October 13; and the outdoor sculpture exhibit “Ground/work 2025” through October 12, 2026. clarkart.edu

Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield

Celebrate the history and legacy of the Shakers on this working farm, garden, and historic site, which will also host seven seasonal exhibits through November 30: Deborah Carter and Joanie Ciolfi’s “Couture from the World,” Maria Molteni’s “All Around the Room,” Kathy Greenwood’s “Elements of Harmony,” Laura Christensen’s “Imagining Shaker Sisters,” Steve Careau’s “Chaste,” Shany Porras’ “Simple Gifts,” and “The City of Peace,” photographs by Dylan Kubis. hancockshakervillage.org

MASS MoCA, North Adams | Two recent debut exhibitions—Jeffrey Gibson’s “POWER FULL BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT,” through August 2026, and Vincent Valdez’s “Just a Dream…,” through March 2026—join shows by Steve Locke, Amy Podmore, Amy Yoes, Alison Pebworth, and long-term works by James Turrell, Laurie Anderson, Sol LeWitt, Louise Bourgeois, and others. massmoca.org

The Mount, Lenox | “Sculpture at The Mount,” through October 19, features 25 large-scale works of contemporary outdoor sculpture against the backdrop of the woods, gardens, and grounds of author Edith Wharton’s historic home. edithwharton.org

Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge Beloved Rockwell illustrations share space this summer with “I Spy! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders” and its companion, “Hidden Worlds and Wonders Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition,” through October 26. nrm.org

“A Room of Her Own: Women Artist-Activists in Britain, 1875-1945,” The Clark, Williamstown; “Sculpture at The Mount,” Lenox

happenings: Summer Fun

ON THE STAGE

Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield

Legendary comedian Joan Rivers is the subject of the regional premiere of “Joan” by Daniel Goldstein, from July 31-August 17, while legendary basketballer LeBron James features prominently in “King James,” a comedy from Pulitzer finalist Rajiv Joseph, from August 12-31. “The Weekend,” a world premiere by Ben Diskant, closes out the season from September 16-October 12. In addition, Mr. Finn’s Cabaret returns with performances from Joe Iconis, Matt Friend, Alysha Umphress, and more, plus two special events: a BSC benefit with Sara Bareilles and Emily King on August 11, and Something Beautiful: The Songs of Ahrens and Flaherty from August 28-31. barringtonstageco.org

Berkshire Theatre Group, Pittsfield & Stockbridge | At the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, “The Mousetrap” plays July 24-August 17, followed by a string of concerts. At the Unicorn in Stockbridge, “Dying Is No Excuse,”

a world premiere starring Renée Taylor as Elaine May, plays August 7-30 and Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses,” winner of the Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nominee, runs from September 25-October 26. berkshiretheatregroup.org

Chester Theatre Company, Chester | “A Case for the Existence of God,” winner of the 2022 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play, runs from July 24-August 3, and “Mr. Joy” finishes the season on a high note as one actor plays every one of a missing businessman’s customers, from a bubbly 11-year-old to the sincere and savvy leader of the “Gansta Grannies,” from August 7-17. chestertheatre.org

Great Barrington Public Theater, Great Barrington | Matthew Penn directs Robin Gerber’s “The Best Medicine,” a hilarious and poignant one-woman play, from August 1-17. In addition, “Reunion”—a staged reading presented as part of Stepping Up: Plays in Development, a New Berkshire

Voices Program—will be held on August 6. greatbarringtonpublictheater.org

Jacob’s Pillow, Becket | The dance festival continues through August 24 with ticketed indoor performances by Sekou McMiller & Friends, Eun-Me Ahn, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Shamel Pitts | TRIBE, Ballet BC, Faye Driscoll, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Huang Yi, plus choose-what-you-pay performances on the outdoor Leir Stage. jacobspillow.org

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox | Through August 10, catch “Romeo and Juliet” under the stars, August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” in the Bernstein Theatre through August 24, “The Taming of the Shrew” in the Packer Playhouse from August 14-24, and Plays in Process in the tented Rose Footprint Theatre from August 26-28. “Circus & The Bard,” for both kids and adults and presented in collaboration with Spirit of Circus, runs August 21-31. “Mother Play: a play in five evictions,” begins August 29 and runs into the fall. shakespeare.org

Directed by Nicole Ricciardi

AUGUST 14 – 24

by William Shakespeare

Tina Packer Playhouse

by Paula

Vogel

Directed by Ariel Bock

AUGUST 29 – OCTOBER 5

Elayne P Ber nstein Theatre

happenings: Summer Fun

Tanglewood, Lenox | The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home offers a stellar late-summer lineup that includes performances by Emmylou Harris and Graham Nash on July 29; “Return of the Jedi” in concert on August 1 and “The Goonies” on August 29; Keith Lockhart’s 30th Anniversary Celebration with Ben Folds, Bernadette Peters, John Pizzarelli, and more on August 22; Bonnie Raitt on August 31; and so much more. bso.org

Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown | Through August 3, catch seven plays in the theater, at the ice rink, and in the new Annex space—plus new play readings, late-night experiences, and a one-night-only cabaret—starring Pamela Anderson, Susan Sarandon, Kate Walsh, Tony Danza, Kaia Gerber, and Monica Bill Barnes. wtfestival.org

ALSO CHECK OUT...

Adams Theater, Adams | Live music, dance, comedy, and even a puppetry series! adamstheater.org

Ancram Center for the Arts, Ancram, NY | Live theater, the popular Plein Air Plays, and a 10th anniversary bash. ancramcenter.org

The Dream Away Lodge, Becket | Dinner and live music most Thursday-Sunday nights. thedreamawaylodge.com

The Egremont Barn, South Egremont | Cool barn, hot music. theegremontbarn.com

The Foundry, West Stockbridge | An eclectic mix of live music, theater, comedy, and drag. thefoundryws.com

The Guthrie Center, Great Barrington | The folk-focused Troubadour Series runs through Labor Day weekend. guthriecenter.org

Hudson Hall, Hudson, NY | Music workshops, an interdisciplinary exhibition and sitespecific performance, the Icelandic band múm, and more. hudsonhall.org

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington | Classic movies, music, and comedy in a historic theater. mahaiwe.org

PS21, Chatham, NY | Dance, theater, tightrope, workshops, and more, plus acres to explore. ps21chatham.org

Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield | Reggae Wednesday pool parties, live music, plus you can sleep over. rblodge.com

The Stationery Factory, Dalton | Top-notch acoustics plus monthly dance parties. stationery-factory.com

TurnPark Art Space, West Stockbridge | Indoor exhibits and outdoor film screenings at this sculpture park. turnpark.com

O A T Y O G A

happenings: The Scene

TO SUMME R ’ 25 TO SUMME R ’ 25

Presented by The B Magazine

Cocktails and Culture with The B

May 22 | Belvedere Lenox

We started the season with a celebration! Our festive gathering at Lenox’s chic new event space, The Belvedere, was more than a party (though when Robert Hartwell is there, it’s always a party). It was a sneak preview of what several of the area’s top organizations had in store for the summer. Our special concierge ticketing service made it a cinch to make plans then and there.

Above: Guests were greeted with personal “passports” and gold pens for taking notes. Below, top row: Michelle Petricca, Pamela Tatge of Jacob’s Pillow, and entrepreneur Robert Hartwell; Noreen Major of Williamstown Theatre Festival; from Hancock Shaker Village: Elissa Haskins-Vaughn, Carrie Holland, Michael Crotty, and Kristie Jacobson Bottom row: From Shakespeare & Company: Haley Barbieri, Jaclyn C. Stevenson, and Allyn Burrows; From MiFA Victory Theatre: Susan Palmer and Donald Sanders; Alan Paul of Barrington Stage Company and Hartwell

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA LANE

Get tickets!

Special thanks to Berkshire Catering Co., Berkshire Mountain Distillers, Dare Bottleshop & Provisions, Township Four, and McGee Audi of Lenox.

Top row: Michael and Robin Tesoro with Tyler Weld; Emma and Sadie McClelland with Amy Conway; Hartwell with the “Berk Sirs,” Stephen Edlund and David McDaniel Left: Julie Hammill, Michelle Petricca, Hartwell, and Conway Below: clockwise from top left: Yulia and Jean Yves Bougouin; Zack Sosne and Gary Lavariere; Giovanna and Tyler Fairbank; Lavariere and Fred Rutberg

Above: Nathan Hanford and Jed Thompson with friends Right: Marita and David Glodt and Matt and Missy Scarafoni; Alex Regen, Lauren Fritscher, and Bryan and Kelly Binder

MASS MoCA Benefit Dinner and

Celebration

May 23 | North Adams

Guests experienced Just a Dream…, the powerful exhibition by Vincent Valdez, and witnessed a stunning selection of iconic choreographies performed by the Trisha Brown Dance Company in our galleries. The inaugural Art Futures Awardees, Vincent Valdez and Ruby Lerner, reminded all in attendance that building the future we want, and need, requires staying true to vision, to purpose, and to one another. Together, $100,000 was raised in the room in honor of the awardees and in support of the Art Futures Fund.

Above left: Michele Leal Farah, lenders John McLaughlin and Lisa Rich Above right: Kelly and Bill Kaiser Right: Harold Koda, Maureen Jerome, Liz Klein

Left: Denise Markonish (CoCurator), Kristy Edmunds (Director, MASS MoCA), Vincent Valdez (Artist), Ruby Lerner (Founding Executive Director, Creative Capital) and Patricia Restrepo (Co-Curator)

Above left: Ben Lamb (Director of Economic Development, 1Berkshire) and Emily Schiavoni Above right: Nicole G. Price, Crystal Williams, and Emmett G. Price III

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND CK AR

business assistance | flexible loans | resources

Who is Berkshire Agricultural Ventures?

We’re a community nonprofit helping farmers in the Berkshire-Taconic region grow and thrive.

Together, we’re supporting a stronger, more resilient food system.

Scan here to learn more, support us, and stay in touch!

happenings: The Scene

Berkshire Opera Festival Libiamo!

June 1 | Lenox

Libiamo!, Berkshire Opera Festival’s 2025 Gala, was truly a magical evening. So many BOF friends and supporters showed up for a lively event, highlighted by performances from special guest artist, soprano Christine Lyons and Maestro Brian Garman. It was a night filled with heart and harmony, and a perfect kick-off to BOF’s 10th Anniversary Season. It was also special because BOF celebrated longtime supporter William E. Briggs, whose dedication means so much.

Above left: Guest of honor William E. Briggs with Board member Noreen Doyle Above right: Maestro Brian Garman and soprano Christine Lyons Left: Jonathon Loy, Carol Parrish, Sari Scheer, and Paul Clark

PHOTOS:

Right: Claudia Perles and Gerry Fultz with President and CEO Natalie Johnsonius Neubert Below: Anthony Fogg and Lina Plantilla

Above: Howard Shawn and Mark Sena with Director of Production and Cofounder Jonathon Loy center

Norman Rockwell Museum I Spy! A Party

June

7 | Stockbridge

Norman Rockwell Museum celebrated the opening of its featured summer exhibition, I SPY! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders, on Saturday, June 7, with I Spy! A Party. Welcoming a multi-generation crowd with family-friendly tickets, the party opened doors to art, education, and celebration for community members and out-oftowners alike! More than 375 guests took part in the festivities— getting a first look at the new exhibition, enjoying treasure hunts, gallery tours, lawn games, and music. Festive picnic fare prepared by local chef Kate Baldwin, creative cocktails, mocktails, and ice cream tasting offered something for everyone. A true community celebration, I Spy! A Party brought together curious minds of all ages to experience the magical worlds of Walter Wick—and to spark joy, discovery, and connection through illustration art.

Father and daughter enjoy the new exhibition together. Below: Alexandra Barbera, Jessica Barbera, Abi Hoffman, Alexa Wichowsky (NRM Membership Manager), Cailin Sung

Left: Kathryn Potts (NRM Chief Learning & Engagement Officer), Nathaniel Zuckerberg (NRM Education Intern), Leah Menaul (NRM Next Gen Council), Allie Christopher, Peter Bruen

Right:

Above: A gathering takes in Wick’s artistic process through film. Left: Children gaze into the whimsical worlds of Walter Wick.

Animal Inn

Volunteers in Medicine

June 10 | Mahaiwe Theater, Great Barrington

Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires launched a speaker series that brings powerful voices to our region. For the first ViM Live event, Wendy Sherman, Vania Andre, Wendy Parmet, and Tom Gerety discussed Beyond the Headlines: Constitutional Rights, Public Health, and the Power of Narrative. ViM Live took the place of a traditional gala fundraiser: With the health and safety of our patients are increasingly at risk, we wanted to explore the ways we can build an informed, resilient, and compassionate community.

18 Degrees’ Kids 4 Harmony Gala

June 24 | Tanglewood, Lenox

The evening began in the Tent Club with recognition of Ed Bride, followed by a concert in Seiji Ozawa Hall conducted by Jorge Soto featuring an original composition by Davis Albayeros ’25 and piano accompaniment by Zoë-Ruth Brizan ’25. Boston-based cellist Francesca McNeeley performed Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Elayne P. Bernstein Ensemble.

Right: Kids 4 Harmony’s Elayne P. Bernstein Ensemble performs with guest artist, Francesca McNeeley.

Left: 18 Degrees Board Chair Sheila Heffernon, honoree Ed Bride, and 18 Degrees President and CEO Stephanie Steed

Above left: Ilana Steinhauer (ViM Executive Director)

Above right: Tom Gerety, Wendy Parmet, Vania Andre, and Wendy Sherman Left: Wendy Parmet and Vania Andre

L

happenings: The Scene

The Mount Gala: The Muse’s Table

June 12 | Lenox

The Mount’s Gala, The Muse’s Table, was a celebration of art, inspiration, and community. The evening began in the Italian Walled Garden, where guests sipped signature cocktails and mingled under the summer sky in an elegant setting. Afterwards, guests made their way to the forecourt of the historic Main House for a beautifully curated al fresco dinner. Each table featured a guest artist whose work has been touched by the spirit of The Mount and the enduring legacy of Edith Wharton. Throughout the night, artists shared moving reflections about how The Mount had sparked their creativity and shaped their artistic journeys.

Above left: Standing: Lawrence Birnbach, Barbara Cooperman, Judy Levenfeld, Veronica Bone, Robert Cohen, Seated: Mary Cohen, Julie Weiss, Tony Hollenberg, Bev Hyman

Above right: Natalie Johnsonius Neubert and David Neubert Right: Michelle and Perri Petricca

PHOTOS:

Above: Guest Artist Melenie Freedom Flynn Top left: Janet Egelhofer, Brendan Mathews, Margaret Keller, Susan Wissler Below left: Amy Conway, Michelle Petricca, André Bernard, Julie Hammill

Great Barrington Public Theater

Annual Benefit

June

14 | St.

James Place

The evening celebrated the uniqueness of Great Barrington Public Theater’s mission to produce new work and support new playwrights. Jim Frangione presented Tristan Wilson with the 2025 Black Bear award. Tristan’s speech highlighting his friendship with Jim and his work in the Berkshires brought the audience to its feet. Not to be outdone, the beloved auctioneer John Terrio took the stage and amidst laughter and jokes helped to raise over $74,000 to support the theater.

Co-chairs Sue Schwarz and Susan Simmons flank GBPT

Board Chair Susie Weekes

Roeder Left: Susie Weekes

Roeder, Serena Johnson, Jim Frangione, Judy Braha

Berkshire Immigrant Center

June 8 | Shakespeare & Company, Lenox

“This year’s Beacon of Hope benefit was more than a fundraiser,” noted BIC Executive Director Melissa Canavan. “It was a powerful reminder of what is possible when our community stands together.” And, Canavan added, “We were especially proud to create a more inclusive event by providing complimentary tickets to many local immigrants.

Shogry-Raimer

Left: BIC Board President

Josh Hochberg and Executive Director Melissa Canavan

Above left: John Terrio, auctioneer Above right: Benefit Committee

Above Left: Yanitza Santiago, Gloria Escobar, John Bissell, JamieEllen Monecchi, Cindy

and Roberta McCulloch-Dews Above right: Haitian band Lakou Mizik

As a human services agency, BFAIR provides 24/7 care to people with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injury.

Support of BFAIR promotes independence, creates accessibility, and enhances program resources for the over 400 program participants and residents throughout Berkshire, Hampshire, and Hampden counties.

Jacob’s Pillow Season Opening Gala

June 21 | Becket

Over 600 attendees, plus another 3,000+ livestream viewers, all shared in a showstopping performance in the Ted Shawn Theatre. Along with inspiring performances by the School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Ballet Performance Ensemble, BODYTRAFFIC, New York City Ballet, and Camille A. Brown & Dancers, this one-night-only program featured the presentation of the 2025 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award to Director of Preservation Norton Owen. Senator Elizabeth Warren personally recognized Norton with this honor alongside Executive & Artistic Director Pamela Tatge. Raising crucial funds in support of the preservation and future of dance, the Pillow community united for a celebratory evening of connection, inspiration, and lots of dancing!

Left: Norton Owen and Senator Elizabeth Warren at Jacob’s Pillow Season Opening Gala 2025 Below left: David Schecker and Vicki Bonnington Below right: New York Swings

Right: Dave Mixer and Executive and Artistic Director Pamela Tatge

Above left: Director of Preservation Norton Owen, Trustee Kyle Abraham, and Former Chair Chris Jones Above right: Co-Chairs Patrick Riordan and Joan Hunter with Trustee Kyle Abraham

Shakespeare & Company Gala

June 28 | Lenox

Shakespeare & Company welcomed more than 340 people to Gala 2025 at its Lenox campus on Saturday, June 28. Honoring actors Annette Miller and John Douglas Thompson, both alumni of Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training, the evening included performances at the Tina Packer Playhouse by Berkshire Bateria with Jim Weber; Company Founder and Choreographer Susan Dibble; actors Sheila Bandyopadhyay, Stephanie Clayman, Kelley Curran, Lydia Duff, Jonathan Epstein, Tamara Hickey, Yvette King, Naire Poole, and Timothy Oh, and musicians Jennifer Apple, Geoff Cunningham, Benny ‘Fingers’ Kohn, and Jaclyn C. Stevenson. Dinner was catered by The Old Inn on the Green in the Gala tent in the Rose Meadow. Gala 2025 was co-produced by Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Anthony Feola Designs, and Sunie Gorey.

Above left: Board Chair Beverly Hyman and Artistic Director Allyn Burrows

Above center: Director of the Center for Actor Training Sheila Bandyopadhyay

Below left: Austen Riggs Director of Finance Melissa Agosto and Shakespeare & Company Trustee and Pittsfield’s Commissioner of Public Utilities Ricardo Morales

Above: Season 2025 Company Artists Left: Tamara Hickey, honoree Annette Miller, and Artistic Director Allyn Burrows

Above center: Shakespeare & Company Founder Tina Packer and Allyn Burrows Above right: Gala guests Arthur Oliver, David Schecker, Conna Weiner, J. Peter Bergman, and Vicky Bonnington

Below right: Patron Services Manager Haley Barbieri and Gala Co-producer Anthony Feola

21, 2025

Athletics Center at Simon’s Rock

Sponsored by the Gilson Family Foundation, Hammertown, Berkshire Taconic CF, Lance Vermeulen RE, October Mountain, Osteo Strong, Berkshire Pilates, Lazan, Glover & Puciloski, Gateway PT, . Smith Watson, Wheeler . & Taylor, and B

Above: Honoree Annette Miller and Family Right: Honoree John Douglas Thompson and Gala Co-chair Karen Kowgios

An Old-Fashioned Good Time

In 1902, Pittsfield’s YMCA Ponterril Marina was established as a canoe club and it operated for about a century—as this undated archival photo shows, it was quite the place to be. After its popularity waned, it closed in 2002; the building, with frontage on Pontoosuc Lake, would be purchased by Scott Graves. In 2013, he told The Eagle there were once three ponds where the lake is now, with trails leading to each pond. Before construction of the dam, the building was a ways from the water, Graves said, so canoers would “just drag their canoes to the ponds to go fishing.” He also noted, “I just couldn’t see getting rid of these walls—there are so many memories there.” Graves is still the owner, and runs the property as Rusty Anchor Marina and Pub.

Kinderhook Creek Farm

Stephentown, NY

We work with our local partner, Larry Eckhardt, at Kinderhook Creek Farm, to bring you the freshest corn, zucchini and summer squash.

Never underestimate the power of a really good outfit.

316 Main Street

Great Barrington, MA

eileenfisher com