Williamstown - An impromptu dinner date led my husband and I to Michael’s Restaurant on Route 2 in Williamstown.
The ambiance inside the restaurant reflects its vast history. Upon walking in, you can feel that the restaurant is family friendly, with booth and table seating and a casual, come-as-you-are atmosphere. The lighting is low and pictures of all shapes and sizes adorn the walls. The restaurant has been owned by the same family for over 40 years.
Owner Cindy Nikitas is also the restaurant’s chef. Using traditional family recipes and the freshest ingredients around, she makes most everything from scratch each and every day, according to the restaurant's Internet web site. The extensive menu has both Greek as well as Italian dishes to choose from.
Appetizers
The appetizer list offers a wide array to choose from. Some of them include, Hummus [$5.25], Tzatziki, which is a Greek yogurt dip flavored with cucumber and dill [$5.25], Greek salad [$6.50] as well as a selection of soups.
We chose to have the Baked Feta, which is baked with extra virgin olive oil, chopped tomato & oregano and served with pita chips [$4.95]. When it arrived at our table, it was served on a hot plate and was steaming. The salt from the Feta was complemented by both the tomatoes and the oregano
Dinner
The dinner menu has over 20 meals to choose from, both Greek and Italian. I choose to have the Fettuccini Alfredo [$12.95] which is a long time favorite of mine. The bowl arrived and it was a generous amount of egg noodles covered with a thick creamy, cheesy sauce. It was right up my alley!
My husband chose the Baked Penne with meat balls and a side of sausage [$12.95]. His eyes lit up when the waitress brought it over. It was a bowl full of penne bubbling over with cheese. I have to admit, it looked tasty! He was however awed by the side of sausage, it was so tender it could be cut with a fork.
Both meals included either soup or salad and a basket of garlic bread. We chose not to order dessert because we were stuffed but the special of the day was fresh baked, home made carrot cake. Other favorites on the menu include Mocha Brownie Madness [$4.95] and a Greek favorite; Baklava, which is phyllo dough, walnuts and honey [$2.95]
The bill totaled $40.53 including the state meal tax.
The food at Michael’s is very good and the portion sizes are very generous, though our waitress didn’t seem too eager to be there. The restaurant needs to fine tune its' serving timing; we had barely been served our appetizers when our salads arrived and minutes later, our entrees.
Upon leaving, we were greeted by Nikitas, which was a very personal touch. We did notice that many times throughout our meal, she stepped out of the kitchen to greet her customers with a friendly smile and to see how everything was.
Michael’s Restaurant serves dinner daily from 4 p.m. and is closed on Mondays. The complete menu is available for take-out, and a catering menu is also available for special events.
You may also visit their website at www.michaelsofwilliamstown.com
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Michael's is my favorite restaurant. I try to go there at least once a month. The food is delicious, & I've always had friendly waitresses. The timing on all of the meals I've had has been impeccable, & the atmosphere is just right, not too fancy and not too diner-like. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants good eats at a good price.
I have to say that the last time I was at Michael's the food was not very good, and the service was poorly timed. The restaurant has really lost a lot of it's qualities that used to make it an enjoyable experience.
I have to say that for the quality of the food, and the usually rushed and ill timed service, Michaels is probably the most over priced restaurant in the area.
I eat at Michael's at least once a week. I have -never had a poor meal there. Would highly recommend the lamb shanks and the Thursday night special, of half a roasted chicken.
As with many restaurants there is a turnover of wait staff, I imagine from previous comments that the other diners were there when new staff was being trained. Prices have gone up everywhere. The important thing is to get value for your money and I think you get it at Michael's as well as a warm welcome.
i recently went to micheals on a date with my boyfriend who used to go to micheals alot as a kid. i personally was very disappointed in the food quality and portions for the price they were charging. also, the menu is quite limited. they shouldve kept it a casual eatery with the quality.
I will make sure to visit Michael's on my next Billsville visit. I loved the place in the past and I am sure it still is great. All you negative comment makers should chill ~ lax!
Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
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