The Lantern Owners Seeking New Tenants

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Lantern Bar and Grill owners are looking into the historic eatery's future after it closed in April.

On Monday, Licensing Board approved an alcohol license transfer from previous owner North Street Eats LLC to 449 North RE LLC, a Mill Town Capital company that owns the real estate that includes The Lantern.

The intent is to find another tenant and it was reported that there is potential tenant in negotiations.

"Its role up to this point has been that of landlord and lender to the owner of North Street Eats LLC doing businesses as The Lantern," attorney Michael Macdonald explained on behalf of the applicant.

"There is in the application package a termination agreement, the tenant went out of business back in April, (499 North) and the tenant agreed to a termination agreement pursuant to which the liquor license and the personal property inside of the premises which have previously been sold by (449 North) to the tenant is now all coming back in satisfaction of the debt."

Jeremy Berlin was appointed as the manager. He is a chef with experience in managing Blantyre in Lenox, The Gateways in Lenox, and the now-shuttered Mission Bar and Tapas.

Former owner Bjorn Somlo brought The Lantern back to life in 2019 after the previous owner Mark Papas closed it in 2017. The eatery has been at the corner of North Street and Linden Street since the 1920s.

Somlo cited a decline in business that was exacerbated by the pandemic.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.