Lenox: Dining bargain in the off-season

Until this winter, few would consider eating at Church Street Cafe a bargain. In fact, its dinners can be pricey.

But since November -- on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday -- you could enjoy a three-course, "Berkshire Bistro Night" meal here for only $20. The menu changes weekly so repeat visits will not be -- repetitious.

Winters can be long and lonely in the Berkshires. With tourists fewer in number, many eating establishments are looking for diners. Berkshire Bistro Night was not only a clever way to get off-season business, but also "a way that we could give something back to the community" said Linda Foreman, one of Church Street's three owners, along with Allan Foreman and chef Clayton Hambrick.

"So far," added Hambrick, "it's been a great success. Everyone in there knows someone else."

Last week, the theme was Asian, although the menu is usually not thematic.

Classic Chinese Shrimp Toast, Thai Hot and Sour Soup or Peking Chicken Roll with Mu Shu Pancake and Stir-Fried Vegetables were the three appetizers offered.

A slow-cooked pork with soy, ginger, chile, and bok choy atop a generous portion of lo mein noodles was just one of the three entree selections.

Hambrick said

the pork is like a stew and requires three hours to cook.

The dessert choices departed from the Asian theme and we were not forced to eat kumquats or lichee nuts. Instead, we had a choice of lemon mousse with strawberry sauce or chocolate roulade with mocha filling.

This week, the menu is what I would call "inventive mainstream."

For appetizers, there is a choice of shrimp bisque with creme fraiche and chive oil, a beet salad or a bruschetta of wild mushrooms, roasted garlic, white truffle oil and frisse.

Entrees are Southern fried catfish, pecan-crusted chicken breast or, my favorite, eggplant moussaka with golden béchamel topping.

You can't go wrong with any of their choices unless the kitchen is having a bad night, which happens every once in awhile.

I've tasted many of Church Street's other dishes available regularly and was told most of them will end up on the Bistro Night menu.

Most recently, I had a New Mexican home-style tortilla appetizer stuffed with 10-hour-barbecued brisket, jack cheese and grilled onions served with a red chili sauce and smoky crema (a Mexican term for a thickened cream).

"This is near perfection" critiqued my very discriminating dining partner.

And it was. Tender morsels of beef with a slight smoky flavor and a hint of heat are sandwiched in a crisp tortilla merging various textures and flavors. The red chili sauce was not overpowering so all the subtle spices had room to breathe, so to speak.

Equally delicious was the grilled organic salmon with a savory ginger-soy glaze and a chili and garlic lo mein noodle accompanied with a vegetable stir-fry.

Church Street Cafe is a member of Berkshire Grown, which translates into being committed to using locally grown produce whenever possible.

Their salmon and chicken are organic; the red meat is not.

The difference in taste is quite noticeable. Organic salmon has a fresh, fragrant and decidedly non-fishy aroma and flavor, as if you had just pulled in your own eight-pound fishing line.

A bistro in the true sense of the word means a small, informal restaurant serving wine. (Bistrot, in French, means pub).

Church Street Cafe is American, not French, so you won't find the butcher-paper-covered tables and the steak and pommes frites that one associates with this informal type of eatery. Instead of medi-ocre house wine, this American bistro has an admirable wine cellar.

Linda Forman, who works the front room, is very knowledgeable. Trust her to lead you to the perfect cabaret for your grilled dry-aged sirloin steak served with mashed, not fried, potatoes.

Winter menus tend to include many of the dishes that we now call comfort food. You can get classic coq au vin, braised short ribs, stuffed cannelloni or a rustic winter beef stew with caramelized shallots, carrots and mashed potatoes.

The latter was fall-off-the-bone tender, rich and delicious.

Church Street Cafe has been around forever. This spring, it will celebrate a 24th anniversary.

That's pretty impressive in this business. Consistency is a rare commodity but the cafe has managed to keep its customers happy.

Church Street Cafe
65 Church St., Lenox.
Tel. 413-637-2745

Style: American bistro

Dress: Casual

Prices: $20 midweek prix-fixe menu of three courses. Regular house menu: appetizers -- $8-50 to $10.50; Entrees, $18.95 to $27.50.

Smoking: No smoking

Winter hours: Tuesday - Saturday. Lunch --11:30 to 2; dinner, 5:30 to 9.

Reservations: Recommended

Credit cards: Visa and Mastercard

Wheelchair accessible. Noise level: Quiet to moderate

Special: Local art and sculpture displayed on walls are for sale. Outdoor deck available for dining in warm weather.