PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A well-known local eatery is relaunching a second location with a new menu.
Jae's Grill is planning a soft opening mid-week at 7 Winter St. The menu will feature upscale American cuisine, a change from the pan-Asian offerings of Jae's at the Hilton Garden Inn on South Street.
"It's a classy place but a homey place that you can come to," general manager Raya Stockton said, adding that it will have good food, good drinks, and a nice atmosphere.
The space was open as Jae's a handful of years ago before the South Street location, which Stockton reported is a great success. Owner Jae Chung, herself, and Executive Chef Ronald Reda felt it was the right time to bring a new restaurant to Pittsfield.
"Everybody is ready for a new restaurant for Berkshire county and it was the perfect timing," she explained.
Reda previously was chef de cuisine at Hotel on North and has a long tenure in the restaurant industry as Chung and Stockton do.
They chose an American cuisine menu to not step on the other location's toes and offer a new side of Jae's brand. For drinks, there will be a fully stocked bar that includes around 40 different types of wine.
Reda said the vibe will be similar to a steakhouse but not completely fit the theme, as the team wanted to keep it approachable to best serve the community.
"I think you need something upscale but casual," he said. "We're still going to have really good steaks, we're still going to have some really good options but I didn't want to label it as a steak house so I said upscale American grill."
The chef is also known for his fusion/comfort food, which fueled the choice to offer a new kind of cuisine.
"The guys that I have in my kitchen plus myself, we all have some kind of pride in what we do," Reda said. "We're not just here to throw food out at people. We care about what we're doing. We're using the best ingredients we can for the seasons and stuff. We just try to make everyone happy."
Stockton seconded his sentiments.
"I think everybody working here as a team, we have a passion for what we do, and that can't be taught," she said. "We love what we do. This is not something we come in and we punch the clock, we enjoy it and that's why we're here."
The upper floor of the building features a large room for events. The team is focusing on getting the restaurant open for now and then will make way for catering.
Stockton did report hosting a successful event at the eatery a couple of weeks ago with over 50 people who were pleased with the food and service.
"I think the most important thing is we just get open," she explained. "We get people knowing that we're here, people knowing us."
Jae's Grill will be open from 3 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, from 3 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 3 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
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Pittsfield 2025 Year in Review
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city continued to grapple with homelessness in 2025 while seeing a glimmer of hope in upcoming supportive housing projects.
Founders James Shulman and his wife, Jackie, offered it to the city through a conveyance and donation of property, which was met with some hesitation before it was withdrawn.
Now, a group of more than 50 volunteers learned everything from running the ride to detailing the horses, and it is run by nonprofit Berkshire Carousel Inc., with the Shulmans supporting operating costs.
Median and Camping Petitions
Conversations about homelessness resumed in Council Chambers when Mayor Peter Marchetti proposed a median standing and public camping ban to curb negative behaviors in the downtown area. Neither of the ordinances reached the finish line, and community members swarmed the public comment podium to urge the city to lead with compassion and housing-first solutions.
"If you look at this as a public safety issue, which I will grant that this is entirely put forward as a public safety issue, there are other issues that might rate higher that need our attention more with limited resources," said former Ward 7 councilor Rhonda Serre.
Protesters and public commenters said the ordinance may be framed as a public safety ordinance, but actually targets poor and vulnerable community members, and that criminalizing activities such as panhandling and protesting infringes on First Amendment rights and freedom of speech.
Some housing solutions came online in 2025 amidst the discourse about housing insecurity in Pittsfield.
The city celebrated nearly 40 new supportive units earlier in December. This includes nine units at "The First" located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. A ceremony was held in the new Housing Resource Center on First Street, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
These units are permanent supportive housing, a model that combines affordable housing with voluntary social services.
Pittsfield supported the effort with $750,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds and some Community Development Block Grant funds. Hearthway, formerly Berkshire Housing Development Corp., is managing the apartments and currently accepting applications.
After the Wahconah Park Restoration Committee completed its work with a formal recommendation in 2024, news about the park was quiet while the city planned its next move.
The ice rink was originally proposed for Clapp Park, but when the project was put out to bid, the system came back $75,000 higher than the cost estimate, and the cost estimates for temporary utilities were over budget. The city received a total of $200,000 in donations from five local organizations for the effort.
Last year, there was $18 million committed between grant funding and capital borrowing.
The Parks Commission recently accepted a negotiating rights agreement between the city and longtime summer collegiate baseball team, the Pittsfield Suns, that solidifies that the two will work together when the historic ballpark is renovated.
It remains in effect until the end of 2027, or when a license or lease agreement is signed. Terms will be automatically extended to the end of 2028 if it appears the facility won't be complete by then.
William Stanley Business Park
Site 9, the William Stanley Business Park parcel, formerly described to have looked like the face of the moon, was finished in early 2025, and the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority continues to prepare for new tenants.
Mill Town Capital is planning to develop a mixed-use building on the 16.5-acre site, and housing across Woodlawn Avenue on an empty parcel. About 25,000 cubic yards of concrete slabs, foundations, and pavements had to be removed and greened over.
There is also movement at the Berkshire Innovation Center as it begins a 7,000-square-foot expansion to add an Advanced Manufacturing for Advanced Optics Tech Hub and bring a new company, Myrias, to Pittsfield.
Voters chose new City Council members and a largely new School Committee during the municipal election in November. The council will be largely the same, as only two councilors will be new.
Earl Persip III, Peter White, Alisa Costa, and Kathleen Amuso held their seats as councilors at large. There were no races for wards 1, 3, and 4. Patrick Kavey was re-elected to Ward 5 after winning the race against Michael Grady, and Lampiasi was re-elected to Ward 6 after winning the race against Walter Powell.
Nine candidates ran to fill the six-seat committee. Ciara Batory, Sarah Muil, Daniel Elias, Katherine Yon, Heather McNeice, and Carolyn Barry were elected for two-year terms.
Katherine Nagy Moody secured representation of Ward 7 over Anthony Maffuccio, and Cameron Cunningham won the Ward 2 seat over Corey Walker. Both are new to the council.
In October, Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre stepped down to work for the Pittsfield Public Schools.
In 2025, the city remained challenged by the homelessness crisis, though the development of new supportive housing offered a promising outlook. click for more
The ribbon was cut on Thursday Dec. 19, on nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at The First, located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. click for more
Disrepaired houses at 154 Francis Ave. and 224 Fourth St. will be demolished as part of the city's yearly efforts to address condemned properties. click for more
Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 100 Northumberland Road.
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