By Ann Volkwein
Photo above by Tricia McCormack Photography
A few months ago, The B Editor-in-Chief Larry Carlat and I were talking about the Food Issue, and I went off on a bit of a ramble, which he enthusiastically encouraged. So here it is: my compilation of some things I think you should know about, and a few things I’m craving.
Rachel Broder
Chef Rachel Broder and I first bonded over our shared anthropology backgrounds, and her approach to food holds a reverence for the past, pulling from generational roots. She’s taken her baking and cooking skills from the Queens International Night Market, where she first shared her family’s Ukrainian recipes, to dinner pop-ups in New York and Becket’s The Neon Newt. Her latest endeavor, BREADNIK, is a new stand at the Pittsfield Farmers Market.
She’s using a blend of excess flours collected from Ground Up stone mill in Holyoke, where she now works. The flour is what’s left over when the sustainably focused mill switches between grains. Broder says her “core values are embedded in resourcefulness and finding ways to see traditional Ukrainian Jewish cuisine through a lively and ever-changing lens.”
On offer at her stand: bread, baked goods, borscht, and an assortment of Eastern European treats you won’t find anywhere else. She chose the Pittsfield Farmers Market for the community, including farmer friends who live in Pittsfield and vend alongside her. “It’s run by a lot of very vibrant young people,” says Broder, “and definitely wants to be a place that’s accessible to everybody.” The market itself is run by Roots Rising, with a mission to empower youth, and it has grown into the first teen-run farmers markets in the region, staffed by graduates of Roots Rising’s Farm Crews.
@notbarefoot_contessa
@pittsfieldfarmersmarket
Hexagon Bagels
Speaking of farmers markets and Ground Up…Patrick Lang and Nick Rigger of HEXAGON BAGELS in North Adams made the move from market to brick-and-mortar in November—and they also use Ground Up’s exceptional flours for their sourdough bagels. If you haven’t had them, try one of their bagel sandwiches. They’re killing it and creating a really warm sense of community in their space.
Forager Distillery
Also on my list in North Adams: the award-winning FORAGER DISTILLERY at Greylock Works. I’m all for an intrinsically whimsical gin. This time of year, try the Summer Forager, a botanical gin they infuse with locally foraged elderflowers and violets among other petals, or the Ocean Forager, a London-style gin distilled with fresh, wild Massachusetts oysters, seaweed, and cucumber—a mineral-forward blend that quenches my Maine-soaked soul. Pure alchemy for cocktails.
Four Corners
Chef David Israelow is making us wait a little longer—mid-2027—for his FOUR CORNERS restaurant in Chatham, New York. Such is the work involved in the restoration of an older building. In the meantime, he’s popping up all over the region, including Dassai Brewery in Hyde Park (7/26), Kinderhook Farmers Market (8/1), and Hancock Shaker Village (9/12). Israelow’s food is art, and through his design dinners and new “market” events he’s extending that to everything you touch. You may be sitting next to the artist while using a steak knife from @jldknives, a vase by @ericarecto.art, a bowl by @davisstudio or @chadcates while sipping from @bowglassworks. He was inspired by restaurants in Japan where people would come for the artisanal ceramics as much as the food. Harbinger of things to come our way.
Hudson
Heading over to Hudson, New York, you’ve probably noticed there’s a lot going on there: YUMMY KITCHEN, with their insanely addicting bright, punchy, crunchy, umami-bomb banh mi, has set up shop at the Cannonball Factory—while also maintaining expanded summer hours at THE GREENHOUSE CIDERY in Chatham.
Hand-pulled delicacies showcasing seasonal fruit adorn the window at STRUDEL HOUSE—so pretty they actually stopped me in my tracks.
Efrén Hernández’s briny, bejeweled razor clams and seafood towers are positioned as poolside “coastal Mexican” at the newly opened PEZ at the Rivertown Lodge.
And if you’re one of the (many) fans of Café Mutton, you won’t hesitate when I direct you to the head-cheese baguette at their wine bar sidekick, MERKIN HUDSON. Mine had a heavenly layer of celeriac remoulade between the crackling, crusty bread, but the more recent pimentón aioli, piparras, and olives will most definitely do the job.
@yummykitchenny
@strudelhousehudsonny
@pezhudsonny
@merkinhudson
South County
A few notes from South County: The DREAM AWAY LODGE in Becket scored a serious coup luring Chef Caroline Fidanza to their woods. Fidanza’s career began at Savoy in SoHo, then on to opening chef at Diner in Williamsburg before launching her acclaimed sandwich shop, Saltie. Throughout, she’s honored regional agriculture on the plate, defining American cuisine with respect and honesty. From her new perch at the edge of October Mountain State Forest, she’s excited to “reconnect with seasonal cooking, to work with the rich agricultural heritage of the Berkshires.” Don’t miss out, and if you’re a longtime fan of the Lodge, you’ll appreciate the gentle refurbishment of this institution, as led by one of the new owners, Dan Giddings.
Inn-owner Claire Collery has returned the Apple Tree Inn in Lenox to its former, more lyrical name, AVALOCH. And while the Ostrich Room is dark and the main house is being renovated, she’s given us all access to her panoramic views with a summer pop-up. There’s a rotating selection of food trucks: The Notorious BITE, Just Kickin’ It Bar-B-Que, Chicken Man’s Chicken Shack, Cousins Maine Lobster. Cocktails are served at their pop-up, Five Reasons Bar, and the kids can run wild and free—there are lawn games, firepits, and music. Pool passes are for sale at the Lodge. Check Avaloch’s socials for hours. Also in Lenox, CELLO owners Ryan and Kim Boya completed a refresh of their space this spring. Grab a seat at the chef’s counter to fully experience Chef Ryan’s classically grounded, beautifully crafted food and Kim’s expert hospitality.
And speaking of food trucks: Great Barrington’s favorite crepe-slinging, open-earliest, hardest-working CAFÉ HOLLI has a brand-new catering truck for your parties. It’s a pretty pink confection you can spot parked behind their shop, next to the LOS LOPEZ TACO TRUCK. Those guys are serious about authentic Oaxacan street food, and it’s run family style by a group of cousins who wanted to bring good food at reasonable prices to their community.
On the other side of downtown, ILSE COFFEE of Canaan, Connecticut, opened a second café, taking over the former Marjoram + Roux space at the top of Railroad Street. The sunny, Scandi-style vibe and supreme coffees-of-the-world pour-over experience is best served alongside their perfect (I am not exaggerating) cheddar scallion biscuit, egg, and leek aioli breakfast sandwich.
@thedreamawaylodge
@avaloch.inn
@cellolenox
@cafeholli
@loslopeztacotruckllc2024
@ilsecoffee_cafes
As you approach the Berkshires, stop by CHRIS AND MJS in Sheffield for takeout or grab a picnic table. They’re still going strong, serving up Filipino-inspired homemade hot lunches, cafeteria style, with your choice of protein and a half dozen sides. Their gratitude to the loyal locals is palpable in the care they take with every plate.
Still Worth the Drive
Horticulturalist and scientific illustrator Viola White Delafield reimagined what a farmstand could be at the Dutchess County Fair in 1935, presenting her harvest with glorious care and style. Even Eleanor Roosevelt wrote about it. Ever since, MONTGOMERY PLACE ORCHARDS FARM MARKET in Red Hook, New York, has upheld their heritage with hand-painted signs, helpful descriptions of heirloom fruit and vegetable varieties, and a selection of product from the best makers in the area. This little farmstand still sets the bar. In the fall, which is PIE SEASON, their crop of 70 varieties of “antique,” traditional, and modern apples is an education unto itself.
And, when headed to points east this summer, stop in Easthampton and drop into a seat at LITTLE TRUC for a Southeast Asian spread. It meets the considerable hype and raises it. Their curry pastes are now sold in shops throughout the country.
That’s it for now—otherwise, I’ll be seeing you at No Comply.
