July 2, 2008

Bringing Home the Bacon

Weekend in the Southern Berkshires

Pack your picnic basket and bug spray for a gourmet getaway in the Southern Berkshires.

Trek two and a half hours north and check your worldly cares into The Old Inn on the Green (134 New Marlborough Road, Route 57; 413-229-7924) in historic New Marlborough, Massachusetts. Chef Peter Platt serves an unbeatable tasting menu in an 18th-century candlelit dining room: squab, sweetbreads, and buttermilk panna cotta.

Coax yourself out of bed with thoughts of The Southfield Store’s (163 North Folk Road; 413-229-5050) homemade croissants, buttery scones, and serious espresso.

Take restless legs to nearby Bartholomew’s Cobble for an outdoor romp or guided canoe tour of rock gardens, marshes, beaver ponds, rare wildflowers, and some 200 species of birds. Hike to Hulburt’s Hill for an elevated picnic (Weatogue Road, Ashley Falls).

Hungry again? Stock up on heritage goodies like capretto, artisanal bacon, and poussin at Moon in the Pond Farm (816 Barnum Street, Sheffield; 413-229-2092), then head up back roads to rural Sandisfield for organic greens and eggs at When Pigs Fly Farm (222 Sandisfield Road, Sandisfield; 413-258-3397). Pick up annuals, perennials, and herbs at Snow Farm (21 South Beech Plain Road, Sandisfield; 413-258-4929), one of the older in the Berkshires.

For prenosh noshing, stop by Bizalions (684 Main Street, Great Barrington; 413-644-9988), a French eatery with the best baguettes and pâté this side of the Atlantic. Choose from an impressive selection of olive oils, imported cheeses, French lentils, and hard-to-find olives.

When cocktail hour rears its head, visit Dreamaway Lodge (1342 County Road, Becket; 413-623-8725). Bring the GPS: This longtime haunt of Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsburg is literally in the middle of nowhere. Relax at the cozy outdoor fire pit with a proper whiskey sour, then head into the onetime brothel for some live music.

Once you’ve loosened up, nearby Buckley Dunton Lake is ideal for skinny dipping. But you didn’t hear it from us.