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Williamstown
Contemporary restaurants come and go in Williamstown, but this not only has endured but has thrived It opened in hip quarters in the former Potter’s Wheel craft gallery on Water Street but was destroyed by fire. Owner Nancy Thomas got sidetracked briefly with her Eleven restaurant at MASS MoCA in North Adams, but reopened in the commercial Water Street quarters occupied by the short-lived Main Street Café. In June 2010, Mezze relocated to the three-acre property south of town long occupied by Le Jardin and later Jae’s inn and restaurant. Months of renovations to the building and grounds helped them fulfill Mezze’s goal of showcasing food as culture. Or, as Nancy put it, “This move allows us to better put into practice our farm-to-table mission and our relationship to the environment. We get to expand outside more than we ever have. The way the building sits, the pond, the gazebo… guests are going to be very excited as we grow into the property.” Nancy initially gave the food a Mediterranean and Moroccan twist, thanks to her mother from Morocco. But it now features contemporary American cuisine featuring independent farmers and artisan producers using sustainable practices. Menu items are paired alongside seasonal and small-production wines. The changing menu also lists small and shared plates as well as casual entrées like housemade tagliatelle and grilled bistro steak.. Appetizers focus on local farm produce, as in roasted beets with yogurt, mozzarella with tomato chutney and orecchiette with “Bill’s broccoli and chili-garlic sausage.” Main courses range from seared diver scallops with organic carrot puree and crushed peas to ribeye steak with hakurei turnips and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms. Roasted Amish chicken might be accompanied by local chanterelle mushrooms and fava beans. Desserts reflect Japanesse-American chef Joji Sumi’s background as a baker and pastry chef in Michigan. (413) 458-0123. www.mezzerestaurant.com. Entrées,
$23 to $36. Dinner nightly, from 5. The Mill on the
Floss The late Maurice Champagne, originally from Montreal, was the genial chef-owner at this established and well-regarded restaurant, tops on everyone’s list locally for special-occasion dining. He loved to socialize, and one reason he designed the open, blue and white tiled kitchen was so that patrons could come up and talk with him as he cooked. The dark brown wood building, pleasantly landscaped, was once a mill. Inside it is cozy, with beamed ceilings, paneled walls, a hutch filled with Quimper pottery, white linens and many hanging copper pots. Just as Maurice presented classic French fare, daughter Suzanne, his longtime assistant, continues the tradition. Among starters are chicken liver pâté, escargots in garlic butter, prosciutto and melon, and soups like cold cucumber or black bean. Entrées range from crab cakes dijonnaise to rack of lamb. Sweetbreads in black butter, coq au vin and tournedos with béarnaise sauce are some. The fish of the day could be herb-encrusted cod beurre blanc, halibut meunière or poached salmon hollandaise. For dessert, you might find crème caramel, deep-dish pie and frozen grand marnier soufflé, or you might prefer café diablo for two. Wines are quite reasonably priced. (413) 458-9123. Entrées, $23.50 to $29.50.
Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday from 5.
This country-rustic place with paneled walls and beamed ceilings is a favorite of locals. Old tools hang on the walls, Tiffany-type lamps top tables and booths, and there are a few stools at the bar in back. Around the front door are wonderful panes of stained glass with flowers and birds therein. A rear addition was opened in 2001 to provide more dining space and an open lobster tank. Chef-owner Dan Campbell moved from Montana to lend a Western accent to the extensive steak and seafood menu. Hand-cut steaks, prime rib, five versions of chicken, cajun shrimp and grilled or blackened Norwegian salmon, scallops and fish of the day are featured for dinner. You can create your own surf and turf combo, perhaps Alaskan king crab and buffalo steak. Or you can make a meal out of pasta marinara or the salad bar, which is known for its organic produce. Start with shrimp wontons, sautéed mushrooms, tuna carpaccio or fried calamari. Finish with mud pie, grand marnier fudge parfait, apple strudel or death by chocolate. (413) 458-9101. Entrées, $15 to $21. Dinner
nightly, 5 to 9:30. Material updated from The Ultimate New England Getaway Guide, by Nancy and Richard Woodworth. Copyright 2005. Wood Pond Press E-mail feedback to: Home
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