It’s like
coming home again when I step into the entrance hall of the Rookwood Inn, a
Victorian “Painted Lady” Bed & Breakfast in the heart of Lenox,
Massachusetts. Fresh baked cookies and pink lemonade await me in the dining
room. I let out a sign of content. It’s been too long.
I first
stayed at the Rookwood Inn in 1995, and kept returning each summer year after
year. But, eventually, various issues
and commitments got in the way. The
Berkshires is a cultural mecca for theater, music, art and dance, once a
retreat for literary luminaries like Edith Wharton, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman
Melville, William Cullen Bryant and Henry James. Perhaps it’s the spirit of those writers
that continues to invite me back.
My friend
Amy Lindner-Lesser is innkeeper and proprietor of the Rookwood Inn. In 1996, she and her late husband Steve
purchased the inn. Steve developed many
of the recipes served at breakfast.
There’s always a lovely selection of stratas, frittatas, fruits and
breakfast casseroles. I’ve come to
expect a warm and delicious, satisfying breakfast with plenty of strong coffee
and good conversation, accented with a touch of classical music.
In 2011, Amy published "The Rookwood Inn's Guide to Devouring the Berkshires -- One Cultural Bite at a Time." The book contains many of the recipes served at the Rookwood Inn, and provides fascinating anecdotes on local cultural attractions. On this
weekend – when independence is on the minds of visitors – the tables are decorated
with American flags, and the breakfast offerings take on a patriotic flavor.
There’s a
trifle of fruit, granola and yogurt and an oatmeal breakfast pie studded with
blueberries and drizzled with maple syrup.
Every day in
Lenox is filled adventures historic, literary and culinary. I’m thrilled that my favorite antiques
store, Coffman’s Antiques now has a new life in a store right in Lenox, and I
marvel at the lovely arrangements of country artifacts. A selection of Shaker
whiskbrooms, children’s play shovels and antique eggbeaters catches my eye.
At the Alta
Wine Bar, I feast on salmon topped with olive tapenade.
I return to
Charles Baldwin Extracts where I always buy my vanilla extract. Charles Baldwin has been making vanilla
extract on the premises for 125 years.
At the
Mount, the home of Pulitzer Prize winning author Edith Wharton, I stroll
through the formal gardens hoping to connect with the literary ghosts of Lily
Bart, or Ethan Frome.
Edith's dining room is the ultimate in Gilded Age elegance:
A number of
wine bars have opened in Lenox, where a fantastic selection of vintages and
small plates are available. At Brava Wine Bar, I sample of flight of crisp and crackling
whites:
And, dine on
lamb meatballs and roasted Brussels sprouts with Bacon:
The
bartender Johnny convinces me that a couple of scoops of strawberry rhubarb
sorbet would match beautifully with a bubbly Prosecco! He is spot on.
The Rookwood
Inn is a short walk to Tanglewood, where violinist Joshua Bell leads an all
Tchaikovsky program. Many picnic on the
lawn throughout the midsummer night evening.
At the
Berkshire Botanical Gardens, there is a charming culinary garden, and an
exhibit on re-imagining the potting shed.
I can’t
resist a return visit to Brava, where I dine on roasted beet salad and luscious
steak and bacon sliders.
Once again,
Johnny makes a case that dessert is not optional, so I finish with Blueberry
Pound Cake with Strawberry Trifle.
Before
checking out, there is one more leisurely breakfast at the Rookwood Inn,
featuring another red, white and blue fruit and yogurt trifle and a hearty
spinach strata.
Perhaps an autumn visit to the Berkshires is in order?
©2013 T.W.
Barritt All Rights Reserved
