Ta Bellas in North Adams Under New Management

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Anthony Donovan II has taken over the management of Ta Bellas on Main Street in North Adams along with Tim Lanfair.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Italian restaurant Ta Bellas is under new management.

Anthony Donovan II and Tim Lanfair will manage the Main Street Italian restaurant, which has seen several incarnations over the years, most recently as Mediterra.

Owner Fahri Karakaya reopened the location as an Italian restaurant in April but after conflicts with his chef, he decided to close.

Lanfair said they were looking for a location and found Ta Bellas last minute.

"It was an 11th hour thing," Lanfair said. "Fahri was in need of some help, and it came down to us, and this is a no-brainer. We both have long backgrounds in business and the location is outstanding."

Donovan said Karakaya agreed to lease them the space and let them run the restaurant. He said most things will remain the same.

"We call all of the shots, and he stays home and collects his money," Donovan said. "We are keeping the name and the theme, but we are making it much more organized."

Donovan has managed three different restaurants: the Cobble View in Cheshire, Village Pizza in North Adams and the Adams Ale House.

Donovan explained that he felt it was important for North Adams to have an Italian restaurant.

"We looked at Red Sauce, and we thought this town needs Italian, that's it," Donovan said of the now closed eatery on Ashland Street. "I am Italian, I love Italian food and to eat anywhere good I have to drive 30 or 40 miles."

Donovan said he planned to have a soft opening this past weekend after they finish their construction. They look to have a grander opening next week.

Donovan said that he wishes to work with the other restaurants in the area.

"We should all work together, and if you want good burger I have no problem making a recommendation," he said. "We serve stuff that they don’t have, and it is a family neighborhood."

Donovan said he and his partner will be the chefs and they are ready for the summer season.

"We are going to kill in the kitchen and take it from there," he said. "We are going to hit the beginning of the season with good beer and good food."


Tags: downtown,   Italian,   Main Street,   reopening,   restaurants,   

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MassDOT Warns of Toll-fee Smishing Scam

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation was alerted that a text message-based scam, also known as smishing, is fraudulently claiming to represent tolling agencies from across the country. The scammers are claiming to represent the tolling agency and requesting payment for unpaid tolls.

The targeted phone numbers seem to be chosen at random and are not uniquely associated with an account or usage of toll roads.

Customers who receive an unsolicited text, email, or similar message suggesting it is from EZDriveMA or another toll agency should not click on the link.

EZDriveMA customers can verify a valid text notification in several ways:

  • EZDriveMA will never request payment by text
  • All links associated with EZDriveMA will include www.EZDriveMA.com

The FBI says it has received more than 2,000 complaints related to toll smishing scams since early March and recommends individuals who receive fraudulent messages do the following:

1. File a complaint with the  Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov; be sure to include:

The phone number from where the text originated.
The website listed within the text

2. Check your account using the toll service's legitimate website.

3. Contact the toll service's customer service phone number.

4. Delete any smishing texts received.

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