There are some places that I just treasure, from the warm memories to the lifestyle they provide, and Great Barrington in the Berkshires of Massachusetts is one of those places.

I spent many summers there and now live close enough to enjoy it on the weekends ~ from shopping to yoga to gourmet markets to the many restaurants they offer ~ it's all good!

I often start my day at Riverbend Cafe (403 Stockbridge Road), grabbing decaf with soy milk or a custom fresh juice. (Just be cautious when ordering a sandwich ~ despite their names, the soy bacon and soy sausage are NOT vegan!)

For lunch, Baba Louie's
is always a hit.  They not only have a half dozen delicious salads (and will accommodate vegans leaving some ingredients out of the dish) but their spelt crust pizza with soy cheese is really great!  Trust me, I am not a big fan of vegan cheese (that's a whole other blog soon to come) but this pizza tastes like the real deal.  My son even prefers it to the usual!

For dinner, Bizen on Railroad Street is my favorite, hands down.  It is a haven for vegans!  Their steamed greens with black sesame dressing is so good - a touch of sweet and really fresh - and they have a nice variety of skewered grilled vegetables, steamed dumplings, and vegan maki (like tofu, shiitake mushroom, tempura yam or lotus root with cucumber, avocado, plum paste or cranberry)...even their spicy dressing is vegan!

For dessert, you can stay at Bizen for some of their vegan/gluten free homemade selections or preorder mini chcolate spice muffins from Barrington Bites,
housed in The Chef Shoppe.  (I believe they ship...) 

Maybe I'll see you there!
Veg and the City