Burger Kings Closed in Pittsfield, Lenox

The signs at the Burger King on First Street assure patrons the closure is temporary.

North Adams Dunkin' Doughnuts Closed For Renovations

Forget the doughnuts this week. The Dunkin' Donuts at the corner of Union and Eagle streets in North Adams is getting a facelift, including new paving in the parking lot.

Mezze Gets Selected as Fodor's Choice

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Mezze Bistro + Bar has been recognized by Fodor’s Travel as a 2010 Fodor’s Choice selection. The travel review resource distinguishes Mezze as a leader in its field for service, quality and value.
 
Since 1988, Fodor’s Travel has been awarding the Fodor’s Choice distinction to the best hotels, restaurants and attractions around the world. Every year, Fodor’s writers experience, examine and evaluate thousands of hotels, restaurants and attractions in their travels. While every business included in a Fodor’s guide is deemed worth a traveler’s time, only 15 percent of those selections are awarded a Fodor’s Choice designation by Fodor’s editors.

“From hidden-away restaurants to can't-miss museums, Fodor’s Choice selections recognize the top sights, properties and experiences our editors and updaters have found in their travels,” said Fodor’s publisher Tim Jarrell in a statement sent by Mezze to iBerkshires Oct. 7. “These places are the best of the best, providing a remarkable experience in their price range or category.”

As a 2010 Fodor’s Choice recipient, Mezze Bistro + Bar receives special recognition in the current Fodor’s guidebook to this region and on Fodors.com.

“We’re really excited to be given this honor by Fodor’s Travel,” said Nancy Thomas, founder and proprietor of Mezze Restaurant Group. “Our new location is primed for guests to come and explore our beautiful rural setting and to sample our seasonal, farm-to-table cuisine and we look forward to welcoming Fodor’s travelers to our new home.”

To see Fodor's review of Mezze, click here.

Vietnamese Restaurant Slated for North Adams

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A Vietnamese restaurant will open in the former Branning's on Curran Highway.

John and Nancy Nguyen of North Adams will open the Saigon-Vietnamese restuarant, Pho, at 1280 Curran Highway at Valley Park Lanes. Pho refers to the restaurant's specialty, a Vietnamese beef noodle dish.

The Nguyens appeared before the Planning Board on Monday night, Jan. 11, and were represented by James Sisto. Sisto told the board the hours will be 11 to 11 daily and the workforce will consist of seven to 10 part- and full-time employees, mostly family members.

New paint and carpet and appropriate decor are planned for the space before it opens.

The last two restaurants in the space have been Italian — Breda's and Modena's — but neither lasted more than a few years. The new eatery will include pub fare for bowlers along with its Southeast Asian menu.

The restaurant space is part of the bowling alley, operated by the Soule family as DBD Partners.

Gramercy Moving to MoCA

Tiny Gramercy Bistro is expanding its operation with a move to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art campus on Feb. 1.

The Marshall Street eatery has signed a lease to take over the dining room and catering kitchen in Building 11. The space was occupied by Mezze Inc.'s Cafe Latino for a number of years before closing at the end of its lease agreement in September. Cafe Latino was the second restaurant Mezze had at Mass MoCA, after the high-concept 11 did poorly. A ice cream and sandwich cafe LIckety Split is located inside the main museum building.

"We really look forward to growing our business at MASS MoCA," said chef and owner Sandy Smith. "The new space will nearly double our seating capacity and allow us to significantly expand our catering reach.  We'll expand our hours of operation to offer not just dinner but also lunch and brunch. We are very excited about the new possibilities."

Gramercy Bistro opened at 24 Marshall in 2001 and has steadily grown since.

"We're pleased that Gramercy Bistro, having decided to grow, chose Mass MoCA as the site for its expansion. Gramercy is a fantastic restaurant and great contributor to the vitality of North Adams. The benefits are many: the campus will have a high-quality and well-seasoned restaurant operator, and Gramercy will be able to grow and provide the opportunity for a new venture to take root on Marshall Street," said Mass MoCA Executive Director Joseph C. Thompson.

Smith said he intends to begin renovations on the space immediately and open it to the public around Feb. 1. The current location will remain until the move occurs. He doesn't think the Marshall Street location will be empty for long.

"It's a great location right between the downtown, the hotels, and the museum, and has served us well for years. We see this as a great chance for a qualified restaurateur to add a little more flavor to the downtown dining scene," he said. "If someone great comes along, we'd be happy to transfer the Marshall Street lease. And if not, we've got several new concepts of our own for that space that we could undertake ourselves, once we get the new Gramercy at Mass MoCA up and running."

"This announcement is not only beneficial to MASS MoCA but also to the entire North Adams dining community," said Mayor John Barrett. "Sandy Smith is recognized as running one of the premier restaurants in Northern Berkshire County. Equally important is his catering expertise, which he can grow with the larger kitchen and prep spaces that this move will afford." 

Mayor John Barrett III said he was concerned about losing a downtown restaurant "but I was reassured by Sandy that he would either secure a new operation at the restaurant's current site on Marshall Street or open a new type of restaurant in that space."

The new Gramercy Bistro will be open for lunch and dinner, six days a week (closed Tuesdays), and will be open seven days a week in July and August.