GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — I like to revisit food, at least, good food. In that way, we are like well-trained dogs. Good food feels good and makes me happy, bad food feels bad and makes me sick.

Ask me when was the last time I stepped foot into a Burger King.

On Saturday night, maybe because the full moon had us all swooning with the prospect of spring, or because it was late and we (we meaning myself, the kids and the nearly 7-foot eating machine called the boyfriend) were in the mood for some good spring eats.

And what says spring more than barbecue?

"Let's go to the Route 7 Grill," I said to the kids, whose faces were buried in their Nintendo DS game. Lucian was killing Anna; it seemed like a good time to break things up. They perked up immediately at the suggestion.

"I'm totally getting a cheeseburger," Anna said in her annoying, pre-teen voice. Lucian just nodded his head saying something about the cornbread and butter.

Let me back up for just a second. My first run in with the Route 7 Grill  on Main Street was about five or six years ago. It was a spring day and I was scheduled to do an interview with the owners of this new BBQ joint that had just opened. I thought I could kill the interview and then make my way up to the DMV to get my license renewed, which was, like my inspection sticker, long overdue. So, there I was, the rookie reporter sitting with the owner, Lester Blumenthal, talking about slow smoking and roadhouse culture in the Berkshires. As much as I wanted to get in and get out, I could not refuse the brisket sandwich and fries that Lester put in front of me. I took a bite; he held his breath.

"That's d*mn good," I said, savoring the buttery meat and sauce. "Wow, really d*mn good."

My review/interview that day was their first write-up in print. Since then, the Grill has been in several foodie magazines and seen numerous reviews and accolades. But, we grew up together, Lester and I. The rookie reporter and the business guy turned professional meat smoker.

Filled with the usual good will and nostalgia, we dove into our meal by the light of the Crow Moon. Immediately I noticed something different about my salad. The smoked chicken was richer, much richer, almost as if it had been sitting in a hickory tree for weeks, waiting for me to enjoy. I took several bites, savoring the familiar flavor of my childhood.

The kids ate in silence, Anna just humming and chewing on her burger and Lucian deftly focused on his homemade chicken tenders.

"They've done something different here," I said. "This is so authentic."

Lester sidled up to the table, ever the awesome host checking in with his clearly happy customers. Before he could even ask the question, I jumped in.

"What's going on, man?" I said. "This stuff is amazing. You're doing something different, you can't fool me."

"Nothing too different," he said with an almost sly smile. "Just taking our time. I had an epiphany a while ago. We slowed down the smoker, got some new recipes in there, and really looked at our ingredients."

So humble. The mashed potatoes with a hint of blue cheese made my mouth tingle, the smoky mushrooms with the meat were a meal in themselves, and the dessert, oh the dessert. Chocolate espresso cheese cake (all homemade, bitter grounds, handcrumbled crust) and a polenta dish with spiced apples and caramel sauce.

Simple yet effective is putting it lightly. The savory sweetness of the dessert pretty well encapsulated the entire evening.

A roaring fire, familiar faces, and a delicious meal with hints of woodsmoke and lots of surprises.

Outdoor pig roasts are coming soon on Fridays. You know where to find me.

The Route 7 Grill is on 999 Main St. (yes, Route 7), Great Barrington. Its hours are 5-9 weekdays (to 10 on Friday and closed Tuesdays) and lunch and dinner on the weekends. Check out the Facebook page.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — There is about to be a shakeup in the town's restaurant scene.

Both Michael's Restaurant and Hobson's Choice have been put up for sale and the former Mezze site on Water Street will soon be filled with a new upscale restaurant.

Owner of the former Mezze location on Water Street Charles Fox said he could not reveal the details of the restaurant but the owners expect to open in June. The new owners have good reputations of running "upscale and trendy" restaurants in New York City, Fox said. The business is listed as Hops and Vines to be managed by Gil Rubenstein.

"In another 10 days there will be a more complete announcement," Fox said on Thursday. "They hope to have it up and running before Williams' graduation."

A liquor license for Hops and Vines will come before the Selectmen next month. The restaurant has just recently filed as a company with the Secretary of State and has yet to submit information to the town's Board of Health or Building Inspector.

Michael's Restaurant, a Route 2 mainstay, may also switch hands. The restaurant is advertised for sale at a price of $425,000 through the real estate company Alton and Westall. Michael Nikitas, who helps operate the restaurant with his sister and owner Cindy Nikitas, confirmed Thursday that the business is for sale but refused to elaborate. He said he would provide more information in the next few weeks.

The business has been in the Nikitas family for 40 years. It first opened at as an A&W Root Beer stand and became Michael's in 1984 when Michael Nikitas transformed his family's stand into the restaurant it is today. Cindy Nikitas purchased it from her brother in 1991 running it as the chef and owner. The two teamed up to run it in 2000.

Hobson's Choice is also advertised for sale for $495,000 but owner Daniel Campbell said he does not expect to close it. Campbell, who has been running the restaurant for 20 years, is looking for a new business partner after his former one left the establishment.

"We're testing the waters. I'd rather not sell it," Campbell said on Wednesday. "I'm actively pursuing partners."

Hobson's Choice, also on Water Street, has been in business for 20 years.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — I had a chance to try the new Sushi House on Main Street over the weekend.

First, the interior is very sleek and contemporary with a Japanese feel. The hanging lamps were very cool; the ones over the tables were loglike, the ones over the sushi bar had lovely maple leaves on them.

The restaurant wasn't very busy but it was only 5 p.m. on a Friday night. About a half-dozen other parties came and went during our meal. We've heard it's been quite busy later in the evening.

I ordered the fried calimari and Crazy Maki, a six-piece sushi roll with fried shrimp. It was served really beautifully but I was already digging into it before I thought to take a picture.

The calimari was very good. The batter was light and not greasy at all. It was served with a side sauce I also used for dipping the sushi. OK, it wasn't technically "real" sushi, but it looked good and tasted even better. My companion tried a Korean sweet and sour soup that he said had "a little bite to it."

The special was another Korean pot dish with layer rice, vegetables and meat of choice topped with a fried egg that also looked very good. The restaurant has a full liquor license and a choice of drinks like daiquiris and martinis all for $4.95.

There is a wide variety of appetizers and both traditional and nontraditional sushi, pad thai and other items, and lunch specials. Service was swift and efficient. We were in and out in less than an hour.

We've got a menu we'll try to get up.

Editor's Note, Dec. 29, 2011: RUB closed its doors in early December because the owners are separating. Gramercy Bistro at Mass MoCA remains open.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A new restaurant will open its doors Wednesday celebrating Americana through its bourbon and barbecue.

Rub: Bourbon and Barbecue is opening in the former Marshall Street storefront of Gramercy Bistro, which moved its operations onto the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts campus last year.

The menu will feature a variety of barbecue sauces and about 20 different bourbon whiskeys.

"I have a secret rub that's going on the product," owner Alexander "Sandy" Smith said on Friday. "It's all about celebrating Americana and barbecue is very American."

The menu will definitely be different from Smith's contemporary French cusine at Gramercy, with regular barbecue items from ribs to brisket to chicken splattered with the customer's pick of sauce. The styles of sauce vary in flavor depending on origin, such as Texas or Kansas. The food will be available for eat in or take out.

"We have a Texas sauce that has a very Mexican influence so it is a little spicier. The most popular would be the St. Louis or the Kansas City style," Smith said.

The restaurant will feature a bar but will specialize in bourbon whiskey. The whiskeys range in price and quality and some are distilled locally, Smith said.

The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Sunday. It will be closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Smith said he has only to hang a sign and artwork and then prepare the food prior to Wednesday's opening.

"People are scurrying around trying to get those last-minute details," he said. "I'm just going to open it and see what happens."

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — I pride myself in knowing the hidden gems of South County.

In fact, I am even smug when I send people to Baldwin's for vanilla extract, or to Rubi's for real, French hot chocolate and an oyster feast (I even know the names and tastes of the oysters nearly every week). So when my boyfriend arrived last Sunday morning with a handful of specialty meats and a jar of sweetish, sharpish gourmet mustard, I knew I had missed something big. I swallowed my pride and in between savory bites of blood sausage and eggs I finally bit the bullet.

"So, uh, where'd you get all this stuff?"  Chew, chew, savor.

 "Price Chopper."

"Sure you did," I said, scraping the last remnants of food off of my plate with my fingers and a fork.

That's when he busted out the secret.

"Maria's European Delights," he said. "I can't believe you, of all people, haven't been there."

I remedied that situation very quickly. Late Wednesday afternoon, after taking out the garbage, watching my laptop die and blogging about insects, I finally made it to 67 State Road for a serious taste of Eastern Europe at its very best.

Let me begin by saying, don't be scared. Much of the packaging at Maria's is inaccessible if you can't read Polish or Russian or German. Thankfully, there are self-explanatory pictures and some English phrases to guide you along. There is also Kryzysztof and Maria Sekowski, husband and wife owners of Maria's, who clearly relish the chance to talk mustard, honey, salami and whatever else comes up while a customer is sampling the plethora of specialty smoked meats and cheeses.

The Sekowskis, natives of Poland, haved lived in the Berkshires for nearly three decades. They opened the deli on Route 7 in 2007.

"We have a lot of Hungarians, Germans and Polish people who come in here," said Kryz (prounounced "Chris"). "And I have a rule that when a new customer comes in that I have them taste things before I tell them what it is. That way there is no judgment, just flavor."

Flavor abounds at Maria's, and the proprietors are very happy to have customers sample the goods and discuss, in depth, the merits of every flavor, before purchases are made. Maria's shelves are lined with mustards of all kinds, rich chocolate (including Milka, which is a coveted item among my children), concentrated juices in flavors such as cactus, rosehip and gooseberry, 20 different kinds of pierogis, pickled vegetables, strudel breads stuffed with apricot, apples, cheese, you name it. They even have caviar (red or black), as well as a wide range of smoked and pickled fish.

My senses were about to explode, but fortunately Kryz led me to the meats and Maria began slicing samples to get me focused. Actually, before any serious ingestion took place, I was given a small cup of sour cherries to try. I devoured them, relishing the sweetness and another familiar flavor that I finally was able to place after I drank the remaining juice at the bottom of the cup.

"Whoah! Is that rum I'm tasting?" I asked.

Maria just smiled.

The tasting began with a soft, mild-tasting pate that I recognized immediately as something my grandmother made years ago – chicken liver pate. Done right, of course, with very little of the irony aftertaste. Next was a thin slice of Danish bacon (all of the meats at Maria's are precooked and ready to eat). Very little fat, very much flavor. Next came the stuffed bacon, the center of which was speckled with spices such as pepper, rosemary and sage.

"This is very good with smoked cheese," Kryz said. I perked up like a hungry dog.
 
"You have cheese, too?" It's a French thing, I swear.

Lots of cheeses, each one with a unique flavor and texture – smoked goat cheese, sheep cheese that crumbles like feta (without the salt), buttery Swiss. I finally settled on a sharp, heavily smoked cheese somewhere between Swiss and gouda.

As I was reeling from the several rounds of tasting I saw it, right there on the counter in front of me. If it weren't for the fact that I was in public and wearing a very expensive camera around my neck, I would have cried.

"You have Halva?!" I picked up the generous block of sesame paste speckled with pistachio nuts.

"Yes, we can only get that kind at one place in the middle of Brooklyn. It's very special."

Yes, it is very special. The whole thing. I am hesitant to post this blog because I feel like Maria's is a secret that I want to keep to myself and let others discover in their own sly time. But, here you are.

Knowledge is delicious.