Mezze Restaurant Group Hosts Carhartts + Cocktails

09:55AM / Tuesday, February 03, 2009Print Story | Email Story

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – In hopeful anticipation of the not-so-far-away Spring season, Mezze Restaurant Group will host a celebration of farmers and community members who embrace and enjoy local seasonal food. Carhartts + Cocktails – a farm-to-table social event featuring the farmers who source many of the group’s menu items – will introduce farmers to regional ‘foodies’ alike on Sunday, March 1 from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. at two locations – Mezze Bistro + Bar in Williamstown and allium in Great Barrington.

Both Mezze Bistro + Bar and allium will provide complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar will be available. Several farmers will offer their CSA member shares for purchase and some have agreed to extend a ten percent discount on membership if shares are paid in full. Both events are open to the public. RSVPs are recommended but are not required.

“It is our hope to put faces to the names of the small family farms and farmers featured on our menus and to raise awareness of eating locally,” said Nancy Thomas, co-founder of Mezze Restaurant Group. “Our three sister restaurants, Mezze Bistro + Bar, Café Latino and allium as well as Mezze Catering, are very committed to the ‘buy local’ mission and we are inviting community members to share support of our neighboring farms and help sustain our regional economy and the environment,” she added.

Participating farms at Mezze Bistro + Bar include Mighty Food Farm, Two Spoons Farm and Hidden Pasture Farm in Pownal, Vt., Cricket Creek Farm and Peace Valley Farm of Williamstown, Mass., and Avonlea Farm Brick Oven Bakery of Pownal, Vt. Massachusetts-based CSAs Farm Girl Farm in Egremont and Indian Line Farm, plus Blue Hill Farm and North Plain Farm of Great Barrington, Mahaiwe Harvest in Housatonic and Sheffield-based Berkshire Mountain Distillers will be present at the allium event.

Mezze Bistro + Bar

Mezze Bistro + Bar serves New American cuisine focusing on the bounty of the region – local, farm-fresh produce, meats, cheeses and breads. The food is handcrafted by Chef Joji Sumi, who takes great care to provide local and seasonal ingredients paired alongside seasonal and small-production wines. Emphasis is on the highest quality ingredients combined with creative alchemy in the kitchen.

Located in downtown Williamstown at 16 Water Street, Mezze Bistro + Bar serves dinner nightly beginning at 5 p.m. All major credit cards are accepted. For more information or reservations, call 413-458-0123.

allium restaurant + bar

Opened in May 2007, allium restaurant + bar serves New American cuisine with Chef Joe Nastro’s varying seasonal menu focusing on local, farm-fresh ingredients, and features an exceptional, well-chosen wine list to accompany dinner offerings. Selected as Editors’ Choice in Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide to New England in 2008, allium has also been awarded Boston Magazine’s Best New Restaurant of 2007. The restaurant is located in downtown Great Barrington at 42 Railroad Street, and serves dinner nightly beginning at 5 p.m. All major credit cards are accepted. For more information or reservations, call 413-528-2118.

Mezze Restaurant Group

Co-owned by Nancy Thomas and Bo Peabody, the Mezze Restaurant Group is comprised of Mezze Bistro + Bar, Cafe Latino, allium restaurant + bar and Mezze Catering, which provides full-service event design and planning. Mezze Restaurant Group is a member of Berkshire Grown, Slow Food and Berkshire Visitors Bureau.

To receive Mezze Restaurant Group’s weekly newsletter, including value-added specials and events, email info@mezzeinc.com.

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Williamstown Studying Major Overhaul for Main Street

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:14AM / Wednesday, July 29, 2026

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The town is working with a Worcester civil engineering firm to redesign Main Street with an eye toward a major project sometime in the next decade.

Community Development Director Andrew Groff was before the Select Board on Monday night to talk about Town Hall's use of a $500,000 state grant to do preliminary design on major improvements to that portion of Route 2 that runs from Water Street west to the Field Park rotary, through the middle of Williams College's campus.

Groff introduced the elected officials to Amanda Bazinet of Worcester's Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, who is helping the town to develop a plan for Main Street that would align with the commonwealth's Complete Streets Program.

"Our project goals, in addition to the increased pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, is just, in general, improving the sightlines and improving the intersection geometry," Bazinet said.

"Complete Streets … has a lot of different facets to it. As Andrew had mentioned, the goal is to improve the safety for all of the roadway users — not just the motorists. We're looking at improving it for pedestrians, bicyclists, anyone using a mobility device. We want to create streets that are safe for all ages and abilities to use. So, while bicyclists will still be allowed, legally, to use the roadway, we want to look at providing a separate bicycle accommodation along the corridor, whether it's a shared use path along both sides of the streets that is a little more accessible to young children or older people with disabilities to look at all transportation options."

One goal is to encourage "active transportation." The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, who the town hopes one day might fund the construction, has a "healthy transportation policy," Bazinet said.

That MassDOT funding would come through the Transportation Improvement Program, which is managed locally by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. The design work underway now is being done with an eye toward going after TIP funding years down the road.

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