Spice is Nice
By Jayne Church

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For as long as I’ve lived in Pittsfield (18 years), I’ve been hearing how, one of these days, our historic downtown, once the very center of The Berkshires, was coming back to life. Someday soon, it was said, North Street, Pittsfield’s main artery, would hustle and bustle, sparkle and crackle, be filled with energy and excitement, just as it used to be. But, truth be told, in all that time, Pittsfield seemed to be on a slippery downward slope and any real hope of a renaissance all but faded away, buried under a mountain of urban blight.

But now, quite suddenly, life, even excitement and, yes, even expectation is stirring on North Street once again. The historic Colonial Theatre, recently re-discovered moldering beneath the façade of an art supply store, has been renovated, and will soon be open for business. A south county theater company has taken up residence right in the heart of town and, soon, a brand-new movie complex will be opening its doors.

Spice Restaurant, newly opened in June, at 297 North Street, is playing a major part in Pittsfield’s long anticipated re-birth. Once a sporting goods emporium, the space was gutted, renovated and transformed into a spacious, trendy, elegant and fun eatery that would be right at home in West Hollywood.

When I went to Spice, the first time, it had only been open a matter of days. Service was spotty, as I knew it would be, but the food was wonderful. What tipped me off to what to expect was the bread. You can deduce an awful lot about a restaurant by the bread it serves, and at Spice the bread is out-of-this-world: warm, with a thin but flavorful crust sprinkled with coarse salt, while the bread itself is lighter than air, truly the best I’d ever tasted.

I started my meal with Wild Mushroom Toad-in-a-Hole, a bread base with a hole scooped out of its center and filled with a perfectly poached egg and generously topped with wild mushrooms in a cream sauce, $8.00. Sublime (a word I find I use a lot when describing the food at Spice). My husband had Chicken Liver Toasts with sweet onion jam, $7.00, which he loved. One of our friends and I had Macaroni and Maine lobster with spinach, bacon and chive cream, $19.00 for our entree. My husband chose Wood roasted trout with arugula bread salad, garni sauce, $18.00, and our other friend selected Grilled mustard and herb marinated chicken with asparagus salad, lemon caper sauce, $17.00. We were all delighted with our meals, and the only complaint I have, it you can call it that, was that I ate too much.

I’ve since been back twice. The service has improved and the food is simply wonderful. What I’d like to do, rather than go into a long list of menu items, each more delicious than the one before, is to tell you a little about what Spice is all about: (the devil may be in the details, but at Spice, angels are in the details).

  • Tables are set far apart, so even in this rather spacious room, there’s a sense of privacy rarely encountered in other restaurants.
  • There are noise buffers overhead, so that no matter how crowded the place gets, you never have to shout to be heard.
  • Wine by the glass is served in little carafes. When the wait-person pours your wine, he leaves some in the carafe. It makes you feel like you’re getting more when your glass is almost empty and you can re-fill it from your own little carafe. A nice little pinot grigio, by the way, was only $6.00. A bargain, I’d say.
  • Dress is casual. Gals can dress up, as we like to do. Guys can dress down, as they like to do.
  • Fine dining (which is really what Spice is all about), can be intimidating. You know: snooty waiters; scary wine lists; fussy service. Not at Spice. The place is all about enjoying, having fun, relaxing with friends.
  • The lighting is innovative. Huge spirals of light that dim automatically as the evening darkens. The lights are reflected in the huge plate-glass windows and (I’m sure this wasn’t an accident) give the illusion of illuminating North Street, giving it the look of a festival waiting to happen. Which, I suppose it is.
  • Reservations are not only taken, they’re honored!
  • While a little pricey, (dinner for two can run from around $80.00 to a little over a hundred, including drinks) you get so much more than what you pay for.
  • Valet parking is available.
  • For even more relaxed dining, the tavern has its own menu, a selection of interesting bites of this and that, rather like tapas with an American spin.
  • That bread. Sublime.

For reservations (a must) call (413) 443-1234
I go every chance I get. So should you.

SPICE 297 North Street Pittsfield, MA 01201 413.443.1234
www.spice-restaurant.com