Food

Celebrity chef, best-selling author and successful restaurateur Lidia Bastianich will highlight the 2010 Saratoga Wine & Food and Fall Ferrari Festival presented by the Italian Trade Commission, September 10 – 12. Bastianich joins world-class Italian auto designer Andrea Zagato and Presenting Sponsor, the Italian Trade Commission, in headlining the festival, a series of events over three days celebrating Italy’s excellence in wine, food and automobiles. Proceeds from the event will benefit Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s educational programs.

The popular Mezze in Williamstown is known for locally grown on its varied menu. The restaurant is relocating to a stunning location on Route 7 on the way out of town. Previously that site at 777 Cold Spring Road was home to Jae's an Asian fusion restaurant. Before that it was an upscale French restaurant. Let's hope this is a good move for a culinary landmark.

According to Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and Harvard nutritionist Lilian Cheung, more than a billion people worldwide are overweight. This figure is so high that scientists are calling it an obesity epidemic. A new book reviewed by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat addresses this issue.

The popular, upscale restaurant, Mezze, is relocating from one Williamstown address to another. The new location at 777 Cold Spring Road was originally Le Jardin and more recently Jae's. The popular restaurant will remain open in its current location until the transition in early June.

In an Eagle story two ladies who lunch voted the down home Highland Restaurant in Pittsfield as their favorite destination. At just $8.95 I followed their tip for the generous scallop sandwich. It was divine. A best in the Berkshires.

During the cold winter in the Berkshires the hot new restaurants to enjoy is Flavours of Malaysia tucked away in a basement on McKay Street just around the corner from the new Beacon Cinema in Pittsfield. On weekends reservations are recommended.

Final summer series Talking Taste presents Frank McClelland proprietor of Sel de la Terre and L'Espalier that combines French culinary traditions transformed by regional ingredients.

Actress Kate Burton dropped by to help the new artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Nicholas Martin, launch a sandwich in his honor at the famous Papa Charlie's Deli in Williamstown.

After two years and a $1.2 million loss the ambitious, upscale Spice Restaurant closed last March. But in a merger with Jae Chung it will soon reopen as Jae's Spice in time for the peak summer season. Let's hope that they find a winning combination that will sustain a year round business.