For as long as my wife and I have been together, we always try and take a winter trip to Lenox, MA in the Berkshires. Aside from the picturesque landscape, its old world charm and close proximity to many ski resorts and spas, it is also ideal for the Westchester foodie and wino!

 We like to stay at The Birchwood Inn which is a classic Colonial B & B built in the 1700’s. There are fireplaces in most of the rooms and it’s walking distance to the town of Lenox. The Innkeeper Ellen is definitely the hostess with the mostess. Not only does she make you feel comfortable and at home, but she can cook up a mean breakfast that will leave you satisfied until dinner!

Just down the road in Lenox there are a number of dining options to choose from, all quality! There is everything from a Wine Bar (Alta), an upscale Italian Steakhouse (Prime), a Spanish tapas joint (Firefly), a couple of traditional Italian restaurants (Café Lucia and Frankie’s), a classic style cafe (Church Street Café) and a lively French Bistro, Bistro Zinc.

The menu at Zinc is French in nature, but not too aggressive so that it is still very approachable to those who are not fans of the hardcore French fare. The French Onion soup and Mussels were definitely the highlights for the apps. For the entrée I went with the Steak Frites. I asked for it rare and it came it basically mooing (NICE!!), and my wife said the Grilled Salmon was the best she had ever had….literally!

The wine list is obviously French in nature, however it’s small enough not to be overwhelming yet has enough variety to be appealing.  We ordered a bottle of 2005 Chateau Garraud Lalande de Pomerol (a Merlot based Bordeaux) which was outstanding!! In a store that bottle goes for about $28-35 if you can find it. The full bottle was $60 and the half bottle was only $28. Most of the wines were only about 2 to 2 ½ times what you would pay for it in the store, which has value written all over it.

I am focusing on Bistro Zinc as we have eaten there a couple of times and really enjoyed it. However the food and wine value is found throughout the Berkshire restaurants, including all the ones mentioned above. If you are looking for a real historical place to check out, you can hit The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge. Built in 1713 it is filled with history,  friendly staff and an option of eating in a classic dining room or a tavern that looks like it hasn’t been touched since it opened. Their burgers and sandwiches are delicious and they serve beer crafted by the local Berkshire Brewing Company which makes for a tasty combo.