Sunday, October 05, 2008

Vacationing in the Berkshires - Part 5

Over halfway through our trip. Today we wandered over to the Hancock Shaker Village outside of Pittsfield.









What a great place to visit. So peaceful in the Autumn with sheep and cows grazing and roosters crowing. Not to mention the round stone barn, the working gardens (heirloom seeds available in the gift shop), and a variety of other buildings to investigate. We spent much more time than anticipated and enjoyed every minute. The private non-profit museum did have a cafe for lunch (soup and sandwich fare) so we could spend as much time as we wanted amongst the restored structures. I highly recommend spending time here if you are in the area.
For dinner this evening we were back in Great Barrington at Pearl's Restaurant.


The space featured contemporary chrome and black tables and chairs with the booths wrapped up in brown sleek wood. All against a brick wall backdrop.



We began by sharing the Vietnamese Vegetable Spring Roll with a Yuzu Chili Dipping Sauce and a half bottle of St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc. The fried spring rolls featured mushrooms as well as carrots and other veggies with a dipping sauce more sweet than spicy. Hubby decided upon Watermelon Sake Glazed Tuna with Watermelon and Watercress Salad. He also ordered a side dish of mashed potatoes since the tuna did not indicate a starch. I ordered the Red Chile Miso Roasted Duck Breast with Wild Rice Waffle. My spouse's tuna was just right, bright red on the inside and just-seared on the edges. He also liked the watermelon. The dish also came with rice, so he really did not need the extra side dish. But I needed the mashed potatoes because I really did not like the wild rice waffle so it worked out. The duck had a saltiness due to the miso, but I did not detect the red chile. It was still good.

The best order of the night turned out to be the red wine - 2003 Chalk Hill Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill, Sonoma County. Silky smooth, good fruit structure yet still holding forth some tannin to ensure a great food pairing. What a delight! And all for $52. We have since discovered how much of a fantastic bargain this wine and wine price turned out to be.

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