Food

Discover the best food, farms, and dining in the Hudson Valley, Berkshires, and Litchfield Hills. Rural Intelligence shares local restaurant reviews, seasonal recipes, and stories celebrating regional flavor.

Food

At Cricket Creek Farm, There's A Party In The Creamery

Shane Solar-Doherty cuts and weighs the feta. By Lisa Green Last year, when Cricket Creek Farm in Williamstown, Mass. put out a pre-holiday call for volunteers to help wrap cheese, I couldn’t sign up fast enough. I’ve long been a fan of this dairy farm — its artisanal cheeses

By Editor

Food

Firefly Gastropub: A New Vision, And Better Than Ever

By Shawn Hartley Hancock Photos by Jocelyn Vassos, courtesy of Firefly Gastropub. The old Firefly restaurant in the walkable center of Lenox signed up for a makeover and re-opened in May as Firefly Gastropub with new décor, a new menu, better-trained staff, and food and drink offerings good enough to

By Editor

Food

Recipe: Baked Pears With Honey Whipped Cream

One of our favorite events every summer is The Sylvia Center’s Farm-to-Table dinner, hosted by Great Performances in the fields of Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, N.Y. The mission of The Sylvia Center is to inspire young people and their families to eat well through hands-on learning experiences on

By Editor

Food

Cafe Culture Picks Up Steam In Salisbury

By Lisa Green When we wrote our 10 Things To Love About Salisbury story two-and-a-half years ago, two of our favorite things were Sweet William’s Bakery and Salisbury Breads. Alas, Salisbury Breads has been folded into Hathaway Young and moved to Millerton, New York. But happily, Sweet William'

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Food

The Farmer's Wife

The near-Millbrook location is a satellite of the successful café of the same name in Ancramdale

By Lisa Green

Food

Recipe: Stuffed Peppers With Bulgur And Spinach

One of our favorite events every summer is The Sylvia Center’s Farm-to-Table dinner, hosted by Great Performances in the fields of Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, N.Y. The mission of The Sylvia Center is to inspire young people and their families to eat well through hands-on learning experiences on

By Editor

Food

Oak Pizzeria Napoletana Makes A Great Thing Extraordinary

By Jamie Larson I love pizza, but it’s not often I’m surprised by it. The new Oak Pizzeria Napoletana in Hudson, New York is surprisingly, shockingly good. To my taste, the clam pizza is, frankly, the best single thing I’ve eaten all year. And it certainly doesn’

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Food

Vong's

Thai with a sprinkling of Vietnamese dishes

By Lisa Green

Bartlett House

Food

Bartlett House

Bakery and cafe with old-world charm

By Lisa Green

Food

Traghaven Whiskey Pub & Co.

The atmosphere, food and drinks make it feel like a community pub in the truest sense

By Jamie Larson

Food

Winter Farmers' Markets: Extending the Season

By Rachel Louchen From North Adams to Norfolk, farmers' markets are a popular draw throughout the Rural Intelligence region. They're an extension of the many vibrant farms and purveyors that make this area the envy of visitors from all over the world. So, it's reassuring

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Food

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Perhaps the only thing better than a day at the spa is the greeting by the spa manager holding a plate of fresh-from-the-oven cookies. I was the customer, and Brandi Scalise, the manager and author of “Cookie Classics Made Easy.” An enthusiastic home baker with a passion for cookies, Brandi

By Editor