Great Barrington European Deli to Reopen in Pittsfield

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A beloved South County specialty food shop and will open soon on Pittsfield's main thoroughfare.

The new location of Maria's European Delight will offer many of the same kinds of meats, fish, cheeses, pickled vegetables and other edibles as its southern incarnation, along with new additions such as fresh made sandwiches, owners Kryzysztof and Maria Sekowski told iBerkshires. The deli had previously been at its Route 7 location in Great Barrington for five years.

The delights offered by Maria's cover a wide range of northern European fare, particularly staples of Hungarian, Polish, German, Russian and Jewish cuisine.  Much of the deli's inventory is sourced from New York City and includes many items which cannot otherwise be found for sale in this region. The Sekowski's say five years at their previous location have refined their ideas of what is most in demand locally.

"When you start the second time, you know a lot more," Kryzsztof Sekowski said.

The couple cited the appeal of increased walking traffic, downtown lunch business, and less expensive rent as major factors in the decision to relocate from the smaller, tourist-rich community to the slightly more urban environment.

The Sekowski's expect to open their doors for business next week, but an exact date was still uncertain as the deli is in the final stages of inspections and awaiting proper permits.  

"Once we do, I'm heading straight to New York," said Kryzsztof, where he will acquire the rest of the fresh foods to fill the rest of the shop.

The new location at 146-A North Street, between Abbey Cutters and the Palace parking lot, has seen several changeovers in the past half decade. Music shop and indie band venue Rebel Sound Records occupied the spot for most of 2009 through 2010, then Great Gifts & More opened there for about a year, followed by two other businesses which operated there more briefly in 2012.