Restaurants

The restaurant descriptions that follow reflect the opinions of the editors of Rural Intelligence.
They are editorial content, not paid advertisements, and are organized by county.

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Bread Alone in Rhinebeck specializes in breakfasts and lunches on artisanal bread.

Bangall Whaling Company is an archetypal neighborhood saloon.

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Red Lion Inn - Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Rural Intelligence Food “There is something so reassuring about this dining room,” said my friend the Baltimore Brahmin. He admired the faded flowered wallpaper that whispers Great Aunt Alice, the bud vases filled with fresh Christmas bouquets of holly and mini pinecones, the handsome hotel silver, and the pewter chargers engraved “Red Lion Inn 1773” set on the snowy white tablecloths. Dinner at the Red Lion Inn manages to be New England past, present, and future. The bowl of clam chowder ($7), which is served with a paper doily underneath like every proper restaurant used to do, tastes just like Cape Cod. An appetizer of five-spice seared tuna ($12) proves that chef Brian Alberg has managed the balancing act of creating modern dishes without jettisoning tradition. Certainly, the handsome prime rib ($32)—two “thin” but hefty slices—served with a jumbo popover, sauteed vegetables and a nostalgic baked potato with sour cream is a comforting, all-American meal. But there’s lighter fare with a contemporary sensibility such as barbecued Scottish salmon with mashed potatoes and collard greens ($27). Chef Alberg sources as much as he can from local farms and producers and his stunning “flight” of artisan cheeses (which is normally $22 for two, but free for readers of Rural Intelligence with two entrees if you mention RI to your server) is awesomely au courant. Each cheese is paired with a sweet or savory: Old Chatham camembert with Braebrun apple; Crawford Family Farm Vermont Ayr with Marcona Almonds; Shelburne Farms cheddar with quince paste; Twig Farm tomme with wildflower honey; Jasper Hill Bayley Hazen Blue with carmelized walnuts. Even if you’re not staying overnight at the inn, dinner at the Red Lion makes you feel like you’ve been on a journey to the heart of America. —Dan Shaw

30 Main Street; 413.298.5545
Breakfast: Monday - Friday 7 - 10; Saturday & Sunday 7:30 - 10:30
Lunch: Monday - Friday 12-2:30 Saturday and Sunday noon - 4:00
Dinner: Sunday - Thursday 5:30 - 9; Friday & Saturday 5:30 - 9:30

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