Pittsfield: Asters - A history renewed

PITTSFIELD -- The expanded farmhouse cattycorner from Dan Fox Drive on Route 7 near the Pittsfield-Lenox line has long been feeding local diners and tourists, in most recent memory as South Mountain Grille. The latest incarnation of the property is Asters, named as a nod to the original eatery on the site, the popular Yellow Aster.

Developer Joseph Toole and manager Laurie Kohlenberger have revamped the restaurant with an eye on relaxed but stylish ambiance, with lots of beiges and taupes, carpeting in warm-toned stripes, dark wood and attractive lighting.

Because the building is set slightly below the road and the windows mostly look out on the trees at the side and back of the property, one has a surprising sense of distance from the hustle of Route 7 traffic.

The

team worked with antiques dealers to track down an impressive collection of historic prints and postcards of Berkshires interest that share wall space with intriguing photographs by longtime Eagle shutterman Bill Tague. A photo of Toole as a boy in Lee has its place among them.

Comfortable booths line the rooms, providing niches of privacy important in a space cavernous enough to host more than 200 guests, not counting the special banquet facilities.

A wine closet serves as eye-catcher and partial screen for a side dining room. As the guests pass the bar en route to the main dining room, a glassed-in cooler that beds raw shellfish on ice and lettuce leaves beckons the bolder palate.

Despite a hurricane-driven rain on the Friday we visited, the place was doing a brisk business, filling its tables with families, a sprinkling of young couples and, at the relatively early hour, a preponderance of older patrons. The atmosphere was congenial and unhurried, and the staff was plentiful enough to assure attentive service. Our waitress was quite pleasant and professional, even though she did goof on our wine order.

We ordered two starters. The spinach and artichoke dip ($8.75) featured lots of Popeye's favorite vegetable with melting cheese and traces of artichoke in a hot gratin dish. The accompanying tortilla chips were a brilliant tomato red, more about eye appeal than flavor, but satisfying as dunkers for the oozy concoction. It made a fun, hands-on appetizer and a good one to share with drinks.

The bruschetta on French baguette ($6.75) turned up generous slices of grilled bread brushed with olive oil and loaded with a tangy mixture of chopped tomatoes, olives, onions and parmesan. Balsamic dressing was provided for drizzling. It was a bit messy to eat by hand, especially when the softly toasted bread absorbed the vinaigrette, but the combination was fresh and appealing.

My daughter's opening bowlful of shrimp and corn bisque ($5.75) was not large, but the soup had heft and packed plenty of chili-powered punch. Though there were more potatoes and corn than shrimp, the seafood flavor held its own, and the base was thick and filling. It was an ample side for her vegetarian burger ($9.50).

This was not your standard freezer-variety, but a robust homemade patty of black beans and brown rice, with pureed beets and prunes deepening the color and onion and jalapeno adding zing. The mixture sounded incongruous but pulled together into more than a sum of its parts. It was just a trifle pasty in consistency and tasted not at all like meat, but it seemed an inventive and arguably more nutritious burger alternative.

The mountain of crispy fries that came with it probably would have canceled the health advantage had Clara finished them, but she didn't.

The "From the Sea" section of the menu invites one to "create the perfect seafood experience." The diner chooses among tuna, scallops, swordfish, salmon or shrimp, then picks a flavoring and a cooking method -- char-grilled, broiled or sautéed.

My husband asked for salmon ($15.95) char-grilled with Asters' "signature" rub, a blend of coriander, cumin and other spices. It was plated with a large baked potato and a vegetable medley flavored with roasted red pepper and shiitake to echo the seasoning's Asian flavors. Although the fish's exterior was dry from the grilling, the thick slab had plenty of moist interior.

I had another house specialty, the Mogambo steak salad ($16.75). Large steak tips cooked rare to order provided a goodly portion of meat, and sliced mango, avocado and cabbage added vegetable interest.

My only quarrel there was that the cabbage was cut rather thick and long, making for unwieldy bites. The mild dressing had a little spark of ginger and a crunch of peanuts. The foundation of this salad was cold soba wheat noodles, which were filling, but ho-hum. I'd have preferred a greens option instead -- with the same toppers.

We arrived at the dessert stage with a familiar dilemma in American dining -- a yen for something sweet to finish but nowhere to put it. We decided one selection would be about right for all of us. The choosing led to a lively debate.

I nixed the Blondie brownie sundae with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge as just too sweet and gooey, although I was later told that it is the No. 1 seller.

My daughter vetoed my husband's pitch for the cheesecake, and we bypassed the chocolate Chambord cake and the pecan pie to settle on a berries and cream shortcake ($6.25).

It was a lavish affair vaguely resembling an old-fashioned bonnet -- a curved crown of light spice cake festooned with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries and satiny swags of whipped cream, accented with mint leaves and a rakish angled sliver of chocolate. Even with three spoons at work, we barely did it justice.

Asters is a hospitable addition to the still thin ranks of Pittsfield wining and dining spots, and will likely be a welcome venue for parties and events.

It has location in its favor, lots of parking and a professional attitude.

Chef Todd Alden, a veteran of Sturbridge Village, offers a menu with plentiful choices for full dinners and lighter fare. The proprietors have ambitious plans. They are putting finishing touches on a special Thanksgiving dinner menu and they anticipate opening for lunch eventually, at least on the weekends.

Asters

1015 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield (413) 499-2075.

Style: American casual dining.

Dress: Comfortable or office-to-evening.

Noise level: Moderate; carpeting and booths help buffer the steady buzz of conversation.

Prices: Appetizers: $5.75 to $12.75; Burgers, pastas and salad plates: $8.50 to $16.75;

Entrees: $13.95 to $28. 95, Desserts: $5.95 to $6.25.

Hours: Sunday through Thursday: 4 to 10, Friday and Saturday 4 to 11

Credit cards: Major.

Bar: Full liquor.

Reservations: For parties of six or more.

Specials: Raw bar; banquet facilities