Sunday, September 11, 2011

A Wonderful Breakfast in the Bershires

Taking a brief break from my Hawaiian entries, I want to discuss a recent meal I had in the Berkshires for my Labor Day travels. This was the one-year anniversary of my Mother's death, and I dedicated this day of travel to her. After jogging in the morning, I headed for breakfast at Java Joe's Cafe. This establishment is formerly known as the Sunrise Cafe and Deli, and is now a restaurant, not a deli, under new ownership! The breakfast experience was excellent in this family business run by husband and wife, and help from their daughter.

I will review other restaurants from this trip in due time, but this restaurant stood out for a number of reasons. One was that the wife took the time to answer ALL of my obsessive questions regarding my diet, even being clear that a possible first choice -- an Irish Corn-beef hash wrap -- was likely too big for me, and redirecting me to the yummy steak and eggs. The second point that stood out was the time the chef put into preparing the meal -- I was alone in the cafe when I entered, and he easily could have rushed the preparation, but he put energy and love into in, resulting in a well prepared, scrumptious meal. Here are the pics:

The aforementioned meal, prepared to perfection...:



Preparation and love go into setting a pleasant table -- I thought the flowers on the table for breakfast was a nice touch:


The menu shows the pride in the Irish flavor of the restaurant:


And, of course, the little trinkets that give the ambiance that special touch, including the Red Sox player (I am not a Sox fan, but I was in Sox country!)...:


The outside of the restaurant...:


I would be remiss if I didn't mention the helpfulness of the staff, providing suggestions and directions to area attractions. My initial plans -- Alpine Slides -- were washed by for the rain, and I needed a new itinerary for the day. The chef and his wife were very helpful in describing what I could do locally, going above and beyond what I would expect from a restaurant staff.

When I travel, I want to enjoy the whole experience. The food quality is important, but it is not the whole deal. Many restaurants have good food -- not all of them are as fun and pleasurable as Java Joe's, and that is a reflection on the staff. They treated me like a king, and they can count on my return business when I come back to the area, which I will, in large part, because their suggested activities for the day also hit the spot. Do yourself a favor and eat at this wonderful family business in the Berkshires.

No comments:

Post a Comment