Mama's Place Bringing Pub-Style Home Cooking to Adams

Owner AnnMarie Belmonte says the community has been very supportive of her newest venture, Mama's Place. 

ADAMS, Mass. — Mama's Place at 85 Commercial St. is spooning up homemade fare made by veteran restaurateur Annmarie Belmonte.

"It's pub-style food with specials that are more of what you would see in a homemade style," she said. "But the center of it is pub-style food at affordable prices."

Nearly two months after opening, Belmonte said the eatery is doing well.

Mama's Place opened on Oct. 5 and operates from 2 to 8 Tuesday through Friday and noon to 8 on Saturday for winter hours. Belmonte said she wanted to offer Adams something that it didn't have with Mama's Place.

Her goal with Mama's Place was to provide Adams with homemade food and desserts while also keeping it at an economical price. She is active on the eatery's Facebook page, often posting about specials and deals for the restaurant.

"I do a soup every day. They're always homemade. It's not anything that's coming from a can. So basically, it was to offer something in town that was different and affordable," she said. "That's basically what the whole vibe is here. I do homemade whoopie pies and cookies. I also have homemade chocolates that I do."

The community has been highly supportive since Mama's Place opened, according to Belmonte. She said it is crucial for the Adams community to support all local businesses.

"It really has been great over the last two months," she said. "I hope to see more of a continuance of what we've seen so far. Maybe on a slightly larger scale, but not going crazy because I still want this to be more of that homey feel."

Belmonte said she and her husband had previously operated Izzy's Pizza in the same building nearly a decade ago. She said despite being in a familiar location, Mama's Place has a distinct and unique ambiance.

In addition to Izzy's Pizza, there have been a number of eateries in that space over the years, including Bigg Daddy's Philly Steak House, the Pitchfork, Valhalla Eatery and, most recently, the Village Fryer that closed in August.

Long-term plans that Belmonte said she has for the restaurant are catering, events and night offerings. She also hopes to be able to expand the menu over time to have a more diverse selection.

"I've kind of been toying with that here and there with specials to see how something other than just burgers and sandwiches and hot dogs would go," she said. "So, for instance, I offer a chicken bowl where you have mashed potatoes, corn, chicken and gravy. And that seems to go really well. Stuff like that where it's not a five-star sit-down restaurant, but it is a good home-cooked, comfort food feel that you can take home and not scarf down like you would a burger or sandwich."

Special Minerals Agrees to Pay Adams, River Groups Over River Discharge

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
02:58PM / Friday, May 03, 2024

Adams plans to use the $50,000 it will get in the consent decree toward the removal of the Peck's Road Dam. 

BOSTON — Specialty Minerals is expected to pay $299,000 for a discharge of calcium carbonate into the Hoosic River nearly three years ago in a consent decree with the Attorney General's Office. 

 

The river turned visibly white from Adams to the Vermont state line from the mineral that leaked out from the plant's settling ponds on Howland Avenue in November 2021. 

 

Calcium carbonate, also known as chalk or limestone, is not toxic to humans or animals. However, the sudden discoloration of the water alarmed local officials and environmentalists and prompted an emergency session of the Northern Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee. 

 

"We allege that this company violated its permits, disregarded federal and state law, and put the Hoosic River — a resource cherished by the Adams community — at risk," said AG Andrea Campbell in a statement. "I am grateful for this collaboration with our state agency partners and committed to holding polluters accountable and working to bring resources back to communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms."   

 

If approved by the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the consent decree will require Specialty Minerals to pay a total of $299,000, which includes payments to the town of Adams and three community groups in Northern Berkshire County that will be used to benefit water quality and prevent stormwater impacts. 

 

Once approved, most of the settlement would fund multiple projects to benefit water quality, including infrastructure improvements and native plantings to mitigate stormwater impacts in the Hoosic River Watershed. Specifically, the proposed settlement provides for: 

• $50,000 to the town of Adams for infrastructure improvements in a tributary of the Hoosic River
• $50,000 to Hoosic River Revival for stormwater mitigation projects  
• $50,000 to Hoosic River Watershed Association for a native plant garden and other projects to mitigate stormwater impacts and benefit water quality 
• $50,000 to Sonrisas to fund invasive plant removal and native plant habitat establishment at Finca Luna Búho, a community land project that centers the voices and prioritizes the decision-making of those living in marginalization. 

It will also provide $30,000 in civil assessments to the state's Natural Heritage Endangered Species Fund and $20,000 in civil penalties for violation of state law, as well as $49,000 to offset the costs of the AG's enforcement efforts.