Table or Booth
Culinary Tourism
by Bess Hochstein
The International Culinary Tourism Association recently held its first New England symposium, and judging from the enthusiasm of the participants, this is an idea whose time has come. I came away imagining what a culinary tour of the Berkshires would look like, and realized that this area is so steeped in food culture that there could be several distinct itineraries.
If I were putting these tours together, I’d start by speaking with the folks at Berkshire Grown. They’re our regional farm-to-table organization, bringing together local food producers – not just the many farmers raising fruit, vegetables and livestock, but also dairies producing milk, butter, and cheese; bakers; brewers; vintners; chocolatiers; and so on – and food buyers, mostly chefs at places ranging from upscale restaurants to down-home diners and everywhere else, including college dining halls, caterers, resorts, B&Bs, and markets. Berkshire Grown knows all about this county’s bounty -- what’s cooking in the Berkshires, and how to source the best ingredients to go into the pot.
A springtime culinary tour would certainly include Ioka Valley Farm, starting with pancakes and fresh maple syrup at the “Calf-A,” then a pick-your-own strawberry outing to burn off some of the calories. The tour might include a mushroom-foraging expedition with Master Chef Erhard Wendt of the Williamsville Inn; a stop at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, which is stocked with scads of locally produced goods; and meals at one of many top restaurants committed to using local foods. For example, during the growing season, The Stagecoach Tavern offers a Community Farm Table on Thursdays, a three-course, prix fixe meal which highlights the harvest of neighboring fields. And in addition to its commitment to using local foods, The Red Lion Inn offers a year-round prix fixe sustainable foods menu featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients from nearby farms produced under the most earth-friendly methods.
Other stops on this imaginary culinary tour would include visits to local dairies producing milk, butter, yogurt, or cheese from cows, goats, or sheep; a cruise through some of the Berkshires’ many farm stands and farmers markets; and more pick-your-own adventures – could be apples, raspberries, pears, blueberries, or even pumpkins, depending on the season. Then, for much-needed refreshment, there would be a visit to a local brewery or producer of hard cider. And we’d finish with a flourish: a visit to a Berkshire ice creamery or coffee roaster.
At the symposium I learned that a collection of fine New England B&Bs have already jumped on the culinary tourism bandwagon with a program called “Fun for Foodies,” and the Birchwood Inn, in Lenox, is one of them. The Birchwood offers guests several “Extraordinary Culinary Experiences,” including a private chocolate tasting led by chocolatier Joshua Needleman of Chocolate Springs; a private educational wine and cheese tasting and cellar consultation; and hands-on classes in the kitchen with innkeeper Ellen Cheneaux, preparing either professional-caliber breakfasts or baking sumptuous desserts, such as soufflé cakes, tarts, and pastries. These last two activities come with Birchwood Inn’s “Fun for Foodies” apron and a gift certificate for Different Drummer’s Kitchen, a shop full of cooking supplies that would also merit a stop on the culinary tour!
About Bess Hochstein
Buzz chronicler Bess J.M. Hochstein came to the Berkshires as a second-homeowner before deciding to move here full time. Previously a communications executive, she's now a freelance writer living in Tyringham with her corgis Duffy and Hobbs and K. She writes for several publications, including Berkshire Living, the Boston Globe, New England Wine Gazette, and Healing Lifestyles & Spas magazine.