House Of Seasoning: A Taste Of West Africa In The Berkshires
It’s not “soul food,” say the owners. The dishes here are authentically West African, with emphasis on the blend of spices.
Attieke poisson grille — fried fish with fresh vegetables served with cassava couscous. Photos: House of Seasoning
As you drive around Berkshire County, particularly Pittsfield, you may notice some of the storefronts advertising the sale of African products or phone cards and money transfer services that connect West Africans to their countries of origin. There is a small community of West Africans in the county, one that is growing as those who have settled here share information and opportunities with friends and family members. If, like me, you’ve worked in public schools, you may have had the chance to get to know some of the younger generation growing up as Americans and heard stories about how they’ve adapted and of their parents’ pursuit of success in their adopted country.
It’s perhaps not surprising that the West Africans in Berkshire County might want a place to meet and enjoy tastes of home — which is what they have been getting at House of Seasoning in Pittsfield. The sign outside reads “African-American Food,” but what owners Mattieu and Raissa Niamke (photo, right) have been serving for the last six months is different from familiar Black American “soul food” dishes that developed out of the culinary traditions of the southern United States. As Chef Raissa explained, the dishes she prepares are authentically West African, with a menu augmented with items like wings and hamburgers (Tuesday is burger night, BTW) for customers wanting more familiar American fare.
“My passion and love is to cook,” says Raissa, who developed her skills in her mother’s kitchen, in the restaurants her family operated in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and in African restaurants in New York City. Clued into opportunities in the Berkshires by Ivoirian friends, the Niamkes left Brooklyn five years ago for an easier lifestyle in Pittsfield, where they are raising two young children. Mattieu first worked at Kripalu and Raissa at The Brien Center, which is near The House of Seasoning on Seymour Street. That’s how they first noticed the property that houses their restaurant, which was formerly home to Friends Grille.
The Niamkes shared that opening a restaurant is their American dream and they are putting all they know about hospitality into this endeavor. Mattieu is a welcoming presence in the front of the house and the bar while Raissa works the kitchen, turning out dishes in different West African styles. True to the restaurant’s name, what distinguishes this food are the seasonings — all-organic spices and mixes that are brought in for the Niamkes directly from Ivory Coast. In fact, Raissa’s African mother makes the peanut butter (a key ingredient in West African stews and sauces) used at House of Seasoning.
Raissa stresses that while the word “seasoning” may suggest “spicy” or “spicy hot,” newcomers to West African food should really be thinking about the richness and complexity of flavors rather than heat — although you can ask for the burn, if that’s what you choose. The key thing to know about House of Seasoning is that the African food it serves is the real deal — there is no “Americanized” version of this kind of cuisine (in the manner of, say, Mexican or Asian food) anyway, at least not that I’ve tried. While I’ve never been to West Africa, House of Seasoning compares favorably to the better restaurants of its kind I’ve eaten at in New York City and Paris.
Start with the juicy grilled chicken wings, marinated in spices that impart a subtle warmth that lingers on the palate after you’ve eaten all on your plate and are sitting there wishing you’d ordered more — House of Seasoning serves baskets from 6 to 28 wings, and the restaurant will be serving eat-in specials on Friday night happy hours.
Attieke Croupion (cui de dindon), grilled turkey tails with special tomato sauce
The signature dishes include jerk chicken — Raissa says that jerk is not just a Jamaican dish, but one that is enjoyed throughout West Africa. Hers is made in the Ivoirian style. The dishes enjoyed by my dining companions and I on the night we visited were, in ascending order of funkiness:
- Chicken yassa — there are many different styles of this classic West African comfort dish of meat and onions marinated in a tart mixture of vinegar, citrus, chiles, and spices. I’ve had it as a stew and a braise, and House of Seasoning’s traditional Senegalese take on this dish is to grill half a chicken and cover it in a rich caramelized onion sauce topped with olives. With a side of fried plantains, it’s a fine introduction to the cuisine of West African for the unfamiliar.
- Gigot — two meaty pieces of grilled lamb shoulders covered with chopped onions, tomatoes, and other fresh veggies and herbs in the manner of a Mexican pico de gallo or an Israeli salad, but with distinctive spicing. An intensely satisfying meal if you want something on the heavier side. Like the pork braise also on the menu, the recipe is from Ivory Coast.
- Attieke Croupion (cui de dindon) — Turkey tails fried and served with a tomato sauce, and indeed they are turkey tails, not another part of a turkey euphemistically called “turkey tails.” Thanksgiving warriors like myself consider a roasted turkey tail one of the decadent joys of the fall feast, but from the way I’m asked each year “Are you really going to eat that?” as I devour my treat, I know that turkey tails might not be everyone’s cup of meat. I admired my dining companion on ordering the full-on attieke croupion (a dish from Ghana and also Ivory Coast) and really enjoyed my taste, but this may not be the ideal starter meal at House of Seasoning. Maybe one to work up to and then shared among intrepid tablemates as an appetizer rather than a main course.
The Niamkes have plans to expand the offerings at House of Seasoning, and will be opening an outdoor garden with eight tables and backyard games this summer. Matthieu say he wants his restaurant to be a place people stop into and feel comfortable hanging out at even if not staying for a full meal — perhaps before or after a Pittsfield Suns game or a performance at Barrington Stage. The restaurant is open late-ish (10 p.m. or 11 p.m.), which is also welcome.
As the brisk take-out business and the full parking lot on weekend nights suggest, people are already coming by for the Naimkes’ food and hospitality. What is also heartening is that House of Seasoning joins a roster of good ethnic restaurants in the area — among them BB’s Hot Spot (Caribbean), Espetinho Carioca (Brazilian), Placita Latina Restaurant & Market (Salvadorian/Mexican), and Roman's Restaurant & Cuchifritos (Latin American) — that together may make central Pittsfield more of a destination for diners hankering for authentic dishes in off-the-beaten-track settings.
House of Seasoning
117 Seymour Street, Pittsfield, MA
(413) 464-0819
Open Tuesday to Sunday for dine-in and takeout, but calling ahead for days and hours of operation might be a good idea because of special events and theme nights.
