NoCo Pastaria is a new Italian restaurant located next to the Stop & Shop on State Road in North Adams.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — It's the size of a small suitcase, and it's tucked away in a basement.
But that doesn't mean the $8,000 imported Italian pasta machine is anything less than critical to the newest restaurant to hit the North Adams dining scene.
"It's the heart and soul of NoCo," said Robert Beuth, who along with Jane Patton has opened NoCo Pastaria (think "pizzeria," only "pastaria") at 896 State Road. The restaurant, located next to the Stop & Shop plaza, housed the La Veranda restaurant for many years then Isabella's and Espana restaurants more recently.
Beuth and Patton are no strangers to the North County restaurant scene: The two also own Hops & Vines on Water Street in Williamstown. But NoCo (short for "North County," concocted by accident by Beuth) is anything but a copy of Hops & Vines — from the authentic Italian food it serves to the more family — and budget-friendly atmosphere it strives to achieve.
"Because Italian food is such a void, and we know it could work, we felt like if we could bring our own stamp and in some ways model what La Veranda did ... good food, good value, then we thought that was something we could do," Patton said.
The menu includes traditional Italian appetizers like bruschetta and steamed mussels and entrees ranging from creating your own pasta dish by picking the pasta, sauce and protein to chicken parmesan and lasagna to more sophisticated dishes like bucatini carbonara. Desserts are made on premises by Beuth's wife, Megan, who also helps with the operation of both restaurants. The pasta, of course, is made in the Italian machine fresh every day then cooked to order.
In addition, Beth and Patton said they are committed to using local ingredients when possible, something they already are doing with Hops & Vines.
"Here we do a lot with local farmers," Beuth said during a break from the kitchen at the Williamstown restaurant last week. "Now we are using them in both restaurants."
NoCo Pastaria opened for dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. the third weekend of May and is adding weekend lunches on Memorial Day weekend. The timing was deliberate in that they wanted time to "work out the kinks" before the summer tourist season heats up.
"We're really committed to the quality of the food and the quality of the service," Patton said.
Patton, who handles the marketing end of the restaurant while Beuth heads up the kitchen, said they have received a lot of good feedback so far. And this Tuesday, May 26, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., the restaurant will host the monthly networking event for the North Adams Chamber of Commerce — a chance to show off the business to the chamber community.
"The response has just been overwhelmingly positive," Patton said. "The fact that it's been so busy on non-traditional busy nights, it bears out the theory that this is a niche aching to be filled."
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North Adams Library Friends Receive $25K Bequest From Late Paul Gaudreau
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Friends of the North Adams Public Library was gifted $25,000 by the late Paul Gaudreau.
The Drury High graduate had great respect for the library and its service to the city, said his good friend Richard Taskin, and had entrusted him with the check before his death on Sunday at the age of 64.
"He understands the importance of the library as a crown jewel of our city. And he loved this city and he loved this country," said Taskin, a library trustee. "He was in the National Guard. He was concerned about his city. He was concerned about his country. ...
"He read a newspaper every single day of his life and cared about public affairs."
Taskin presented the check to Friends President Bonnie Rennell on Thursday evening at the end of the trustees' meeting.
Gaudreau was a youth sports coach, and had retired from Williams College. He had already donated CDs to the library and had enjoyed seeing Jeff Tweedy of Wilco perform at the library. Taskin said Gaudreau was one of the hardest working people he'd ever known and, his voice breaking, his fantasy baseball partner.
He'd first passed the check to Chair Sarah Farnsworth, who gasped "oh my" when she read the amount.
The Drury High graduate had great respect for the library and its service to the city, said his good friend Richard Taskin, and had entrusted him with the check before his death on Sunday at the age of 64.
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The "Into Light" exhibit is sketching a new path toward transforming the conversation around addiction — one portrait and story at a time. click for more
Adan Wicks scored 38 points, and the eighth-seeded Hoosac Valley basketball team Saturday rallied from a nine-point first-half deficit to earn a 76-67 win over top-seeded Drury in the Division 5 State Quarter-Finals. click for more
NoCo Pastaria is a new Italian restaurant located next to the Stop & Shop on State Road in North Adams.
