Renee Tessier and 'America's Best Restaurant' host Theo Williams, who's trying some of the diner's hash. The show is featuring the diner and some of its menu items.
Theo Williams of 'America's Best Restaurants' tries three menu items at Renee's Diner on Thursday morning.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There was a hubbub Renee's Diner on Thursday morning as the "America's Best Restaurants" rolled in to highlight the eatery's specialties.
"The place was packed with a lot of excited people and I think it's great for our community to put us on the map," owner, Renee Tessier, said.
Tessier and crew have been burnishing the Massachusetts Avenue diner this week in preparation for its debut on the video program. The national media and marketing company spotlights independent eateries around the country.
The host tries three meals with the owner and on Thursday, Theo Williams enjoyed the hash in the kitchen and then dug into an order breakfast tacos and the popular turkey club.
He was enjoying the hash so much he couldn't stop eating it.
He's been with the "America’s Best Restaurants" for two years now and was warm and welcoming to the diner's customers.
Williams explained that Renee's Diner was noticed by a fan, who submitted the diner to the show to try. After the team did some research, they contacted Tessier for a visit.
Williams said he likes the city of North Adams and loved to see the community here.
"It's beautiful out here in North Adams," he said. "It's a beautiful area and you can tell this is an area where people really come together. This is a community that always has each other's back."
The diner's patrons came to enjoy breakfast and celebrate the accomplishment.
Sue Downey and Maggy Button sat at a booth and enjoyed their favorite meals: apple cinnamon french toast and the Mexican omelet.
"It's very worthy for her [Renee], we've been coming here since she opened up," Downey said. "I am so happy for her because she really deserves that.
"I mean there are other people around here who deserve it, too, but she really deserves it."
Another longtime customer, Pete Milesi, was enjoying a meal of over medium eggs, bacon sausage, and rye bread. He said also the loves the eggs Benedict and breakfast burritos. Milesi says he feels very welcome every time he comes.
"I really love the cook. He is great, he really caters to the customer and gets to know the people which is nice because not a lot of restaurants do that, and the waitresses here are phenomenal," he said. "They are very friendly and very welcoming."
Waitress Stacy Pettengill has worked at the diner for 15 years, ever since it opened, and likes to see the customers happy and the employees' hard work be recognized.
"To watch us grow from the beginning from where we started to where we are today, I guess I could say it's mind blowing and flattering and it's an honor for Renee to receive this opportunity because she worked so hard," she said. "When you say blood, sweat, and tears go into things that statement couldn't be more true. A lot goes into trying to be successful and keep people happy and it's hard to keep people happy nowadays.
"So people come here happy and they leave here happy and that's just what makes me happy."
Renee’s husband, Michael Tessier, was excited to see and proud of his wife, the diner and the cooks' hard work.
"It's nerve wracking to be in the spotlight but you do the hard work and I'm happy that the staff is being recognized for what they do," he said.
Williams says to keep checking the show's social media pages to know when the Renee's Diner episode will air.
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North Adams Council Votes $55M Budget
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The $55 million fiscal 2027 budget approved by the City Council on Tuesday had been cut by $298,000, as of Monday.
The proposed fiscal 2027 spending plan is $54,964,135.99, up 5 percent over this year. The Finance Committee gave a final recommendation of the draft on Monday.
Of the amount approved, nearly $24 million comes from state aid (minus $4.5 million in charges), $9.5 million from local receipts, and $25 million through taxation.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the Finance Committee, as it was giving its final look at the plan, that she'd made cuts on previously recommended budget lines. The budget has been under review for several weeks.
"We were trending at $1.8 million that we were closing the gap on, and then it became evident that we couldn't push any more really on local receipts," she said. "The team really took a deep dive into what can we really survive without. ... I feel like we, as an administration, tightened up a lot, but we are trying to keep the budget in balance."
The reductions, use of $663,000 in reserves and accounts sitting outside the general fund, will be used to close the gap, along with an anticipated $1.1 million more in local receipts.
"We have the reserve, we should use it. It's hard to both on the city side and on the school side, you know, to say to a taxpayer, your taxes are going to go up, we have spread out this $2 million and we're sitting on a savings account for $2 million right?" the mayor said.
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition celebrated a community hero, its 40th anniversary and kicked off its $10 million campaign drive for a new home on Thursday.
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The college community bid farewell to President Jamie Birge last week as he ended his 10-year tenure at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. click for more
The School Building Committee was updated on the progress on Tuesday night by Todd Ashford, project manager with Collier's International, the city's owner's project manager.
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The Finance Committee in the last two weeks reviewed Public Safety, auditor, Zoning Board of Appeals, City Council, election and registration, Office of Community Development, city solicitor, License Commission, information technology, Planning Board, and vital statistics. click for more