iBerkshires.com Columnist SectionSue Bush
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Dishing It Out On Main StreetBy Susan Bush
12:00AM / Sunday, June 25, 2006
 | Benjamin Goergoulis, 2, found some tasty tidbits at a June 25 Northern Berkshire Food festival.
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North Adams - Restaurant owners and staff dished out some of their finest cuisine during a June 25 downtown Northern Berkshire Food Festival as an eager crowd swapped tickets for samples of cuisine such as chocolate soup with caramelized nuts, a variety of pasta and vegetable salads, pizza, and other specialty foods available on local restaurant menus.
"It's another great year for the festival," said City Councilor Richard Alcombright, who attended the Main Street event. "This is the leading event for our downtown summer events. The people who put this together do a great job.They've got a good day, and the smells are wonderful."
The Red Herring, a Williamstown restaurant, hosted a festival booth under one of two canopies erected on the street's north side.
"This is always a fun-filled afternoon with great food and great entertainment," said eatery owner Ned Smith.
Steeples restaurant staff Emily Girard and Joe Filkins gave the festival a "thumbs up". |
The locally popular trio the "Reformers" returned to the festival this year and performed live music as the festival progressed.
Among the participating restaurants were Cafe Latino, Gideon's Restaurant, Gramercy Bistro, How Sweet It Is, Red Sauce Ristorante, Steeples Restaurant, Izabella's, Sugar Llama Cafe, Village Pizza, Moulton's Pizzeria, Lickety Split, The Orchards, and Spice Root Modern Indian Cuisine.
Throngs of folks of all ages gathered at ticket sales tables and purchased tickets sold for 50 cents each. Most items were offered for between two and six tickets. Tables and chairs were set up for dining and many people balanced food-laden disposable plates or bowls in their hands as they roamed the festival arena.
Ice cream cones were the choices of Caroline and Julia Cellana. |
Soft drinks and water were sold and those who sought beverages with a bit more zing were tempted by Berkshire Brewing Co. micro-brewed beer or by wine choices offered by West's Liquors store.
Gideon's owner and chef William "Bill" Gideon moved through the crowd and chatted with those who were preparing and serving the foods as well as those who ate the offerings.
Isabella's Restaurant owner Leigh-Anne Nicastro and employees Beth Schmehl and Michael King |
"I think food festivals are a great way to introduce the cuisine being presented in North Adams to those who may not have experienced it yet," Gideon said.
Festivals offer new restaurants a chance to showcase their talents and more established eateries the opportunity to bring out new menu selections or share news of any changes.
And there was news that came from the Lickety Split booth. The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts Lickety Split site is now making Herrell's of the Berkshires brand ice cream on the premises, according to staff at the restaurant's booth.
Food festivals deliver an opportunity for participating restaurants to put a sampling of their best foods forward, Gideon said.
Festival participants visited the numerous food booths. |
"When we participate in a festival, we bring out the best of what we do so that people can really get a taste," he said.
Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail at suebush@iberkshires.com or at 802-823-9367. |
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