St. Stanislaus School benefit, 9 to 4 in Kolbe Hall, Adams. Bake sale, snack bar, games, Chinese auctions, money raffle, crafts, and pierogi.
Blackinton Union Church, 1373 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams; 10 to 2. Crafts table, bake sale, Chinese auction, the Christmas table, and kid's grab bag. Lunch $4, $2 kids.
First Congregational Church, North Adams, 9-2.
Nov. 28 Becket Federated Church, Route 8, holiday bazaar from 9-3. Lunch, crafts, baked goods, holiday and other items. Information: Mary Peltier, Parish House, 413-623-5217.
Dec. 5
Holiday Fair at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, Lee, from 10 to 3; handcrafted items, raffles, children's shop, bake sale, cut Christmas trees and lunch from 11 to 1. Includes angel-themed goods from SERRV. Information, 413-243-1033 or www.ucc-lee.org.
Dec. 12-13
North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Information: Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.
Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here.
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Send press releases and announcements to info@iberkshires.com. Need to contact someone at iBerkshires? Here's how.
Mammography Dispute The government's issued controversial new guidelines stating that women shouldn't get annual mammograms until age 50, rather than age 40.
iBerkshires will be meeting with local medical experts Monday. Have a question you'd like answered on this issue? Send it info@iberkshires.com with "mammogram" in the subject line.
By Jen Thomas iBerkshires Staff 12:48PM / Wednesday, May 14, 2008
NORTH ADAMS — The Hub's only been in business for a little over a week but the restaurant's owners are already laying the foundation to become a downtown mainstay.
"We want to be here forever," said Kate Schilling, who owns the new Main Street restaurant with husband Matthew Schilling. "Everyone keeps saying this is exactly what North Adams needs and we're going to do whatever it takes to make it work."
With a completely renovated interior and a menu that offers something for everyone, Schilling hopes the eatery at 55 Main St. will be a destination for local diners and tourists alike.
"We want to cater to everyone. I want this to be the place to go when you come to North Adams but on the other hand, the biggest thing I wanted with this restaurant was to see the same faces over and over again," said Schilling, who has been managing the business since its May 3 opening.
The Schillings took over the former Milan at 55 Main Restaurant and Bar after owner John "Jack" Carlow abruptly closed it at the end of January. It had also been the site of the Capitol Restaurant, a longtime favorite of the lunch crowd in previous decades.
The Hub — named for a popular eatery that operated downtown in the 1950s — seeks to offer comfortable, casual dining with "good food, good atmosphere, good service, at a good price."
"This has been our dream. We're restaurant people. We always used to say 'If I had my own place, I'd do things differently.' So, one day we just got to thinking about it and it just — bang! — happened. It all happened so fast but the idea and the menu were already engrained in us. We just knew," Schilling said.
Boasting a menu of homemade dishes complemented by a full bar, The Hub offers both dine-in and takeout options, along with a complete breakfast menu on the weekend. The Schillings, who most recently worked at the '6 House Pub at the 1896 House in Williamstown, hope their new business will help draw people to Main Street after dark.
"At 7 o'clock, there's no cars, no people on Main Street. It's like a ghost town. Every main street in every town needs a few good restaurants and that's what we want to be," said Schilling.
Though the pair are practically permanent fixtures at the new venture — Kate's the manager and Matt's the chef — the Schillings hope to eventually have enough staff to operate without their constant presence.
"I mean, I'm tired because I'm here all the time but I also want to be here all the time. Customers like to come in and see that the owners are an active part of what's here," said Schilling.
Since opening at the beginning of the month, The Hub has already seen hundreds of curious customers who are quickly becoming regulars. Whether it's spicy jambalaya (a favorite), a 10-ounce steak or "grown-up grilled cheese," the food, at fair prices, is drawing people in.
"I would absolutely say we've been successful but every new restaurant has a honeymoon phase. My goal is make sure that never ends," said Schilling, who went through 200 takeout menus in less than two weeks. "We've really got to prove ourselves in the beginning and win people over. Hopefully, even in the dead of winter, people will want to snowshoe down to The Hub."
During the space's renovations, the Schillings transformed the restaurant from a "dark, cold, gloomy" place to a hotspot for both the casual lone diner or a group of festive revelers. The walls, which are covered in historic photographs of a bustling downtown, are painted a soft yellow and vibrant red to give the restaurant a more "homey" feel.
Opening a new business just before the Berkshires' typical busy season isn't without its challenges, said Schilling.
"There's always kinks to work out," she said.
The Hub's first (and only major) challenge has resulted in putting a stop to takeout orders between noon and 1, because of the lunch rush.
"We want people to be able to come in on their lunch break and have a half-hour lunch from the time they come in until when they pay. And we just can't make that happen right now while taking orders for takeout," Schilling said.
She plans to be able to offer takeout again soon.
Calling starting a business in these economically insecure times "scary," Schilling said she and her husband are ready to face obstacles head-on.
"They say the economy is bad right now but hopefully, people will always want to go out to eat," she said. "We have a lot of experience in this industry and that's why we can make this work."
The Hub is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, breakfast begins at 7 but the restaurant closes at 2 on Sunday afternoons. For takeout orders, call 662-2500 — except during the lunch rush.
I always enjoy eating at The Hub. Their breakfast is good and priced reasonably. I've never had to deal with surely waitstaff.
from: Peter
on: 06-26-2009
I didunt eat dere.
from: Curly
on: 05-16-2008
Best of luck Kate and Matt! We've got our fingers crossed for you in Texas!
from: Angela
on: 05-15-2008
Our family gave it a big thumbs down for breakfast - the food was fair, the waitstaff was surley and the plating was awkward.
I went back for lunch with a co-worker and was pleasantly surprised. The food was better, the service was pleasant, but they left the phone on the bar in front of me and the constant ringing was worse than eating at my desk.
from: anon
on: 05-15-2008
I ate their last week and had a really nice lunch. I wish you both the best and thank you for your efforts.
