I am going to suggest that if one was looking to dine in a special place while in the Berkshires, one might consider an evening at the Widow Bingham's Tavern at the Red Lion Inn for a variety of reasons. For one, The Red Lion Inn is steeped in history and tradition and from the moment you step onto the porch and into the lobby the atmosphere of elegance transports you to another time when attention to detail and comfort were of utmost importance. Another reason would simply be that the food is excellent and the service wonderful.

As Teri and I were ushered through the burgundy velvet curtains, under the impressive chandeliers and into the dining room, we craned our necks as inconspicuously as we could to admire the old paintings of scenery and historical figures that covered the walls in their amazing gilt and wooden frames. We had the feeling of being in a museum without the stuffiness and hush. The teapot collection that runs the entire width of the room is displayed on a shelf overhead. Mrs. Plumb, a wife of one of the owners, was known for her "collection of colonial china, pictures, wearing apparel and furniture, the largest of its kind in the country, and the delight of everyone who visited Stockbridge" as quoted from the Berkshire Courier in 1896.

The tavern, established in 1773, was a welcomed stop for coaches traveling from Boston to Albany. In 1862, after a succession of ownership, the inn was enlarged to accommodate 100 guests and then tragically burned to the ground in 1896. The Red Lion Inn was promptly rebuilt and reopened in May 1897 and has been operating ever since. The current owners, the Fitzpatricks, a former Senator from Massachusetts, his wife and his family bought the property in 1968 and have preserved the historic aspect of the inn and its restaurants while allowing for modern day comforts.

The chef, Douglas Luf, has put out a menu for the summer of 2000 using a program called Berkshire Grown, which he is one of the founders of, and uses much of the fresh and high quality products that are available in abundance in the Berkshires, when serving up his menu. The result is quite astonishing and our dinner was top-notch.

Douglas Luf honed his culinary skills at the Culinary Institute of America after growing up in Connecticut where he spent much of his time hunting and fishing and preparing the food that he caught. Douglas has been the head chef at The Red Lion Inn for three and a half years and changes the menu seasonally so that it reflects the harvest from the Berkshire Grown Program. The food could be labeled a Contemporary New England style using local products and twisting some of the traditional dishes.

Teri and I settled in and ordered a bottle of bubbly and as this was served a Chef's Surprise of seafood salad on toast was put in front of us to whet our appetites. We shared a Pate and continued on to order. From the menu I selected the Chilled Potato Leek Soup that came with a black olive crouton. I could have eaten several of the croutons and the soup was excellent. Teri enjoyed a Caesar Salad with Anchovies with a mild lemon anchovy dressing.

The entrees arrived shortly after the first course with Poached Salmon and a delicately seasoned couscous for Teri and the Grilled Sirloin with shaker-style mustard butter for myself. I was delighted with the shaker-style mustard butter, which enhanced the generous portion of sirloin perfectly with home-style fries on the side.

Of course we had not saved much room for desert, but that did not stop Teri from devouring the Dark Chocolate Rum Cake with whipped cream commenting under her breath, "This is orgasmic". I attempted a huge piece of Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice cream with sugar and cinnamon coating the flaky crust.

Altogether the experience was exceptional, never were we neglected by our servers, and the tempo of the meal catered to the varied appetite of each customer.

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E-mail The Red Lion Inn at: innkeeper@redlioninn.com.

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