With the purchase of any of the Fun for Foodies Vacations, you’ll also receive our list of “Everyday Bites,” which are foodie-favorite places to add to your itinerary as desired — no appointments needed. You’ll want to allow time to visit these spots, in addition to your planned Fun for Foodies experiences that are by appointment only.
After your Birchwood Inn Fun for Foodies Vacation, you’ll be glad to know that there are a total of six participating Select Registry inns in New England and New York offering similar Fun for Foodies regional culinary experiences and exceptional accommodations. Each participating inn will stamp your Fun for Foodies Trail Map along the way.
Guests who visit at least three inns receive a free insulated wine bag, while those who visit all seven will get a Select Registry gift certificate for $150 to use at any Select Registry inn.
To learn more, please visit the Select Registry “Fun for Foodies” website here.
“This is without a doubt the best B&B we have ever stayed in. The food was excellent, the room was immaculate, and the bread pudding was out of this world.”
With a passion for food and wine, here in the Berkshires I taste a symphony! The Berkshires abound not only with world-class cultural events but also with a plethora of extraordinary culinary experiences with chefs, bakers, oeniphiles, and a chocolatier as maestros of their own kitchens and wine cellars, orchestrating decadent and intoxicating creations.
If you share my passion, perhaps you would like to indulge in the sensual adventures of the Berkshires with a “Fun for Foodies Vacation.”
EXTRAORDINARY EPICUREAN EXPERIENCES
A Tapestry of Gourmet Adventures
Available only by advance reservation of at least a week or more and are offered year-round (or nearly so). Payment in full is required when reserving any of the “Extraordinary Epicurean Experiences” and “Seasonal” Experiences at our Berkshires Inn. Payment will be refunded only with a least one week’s notice.
The Ultimate Chocolate Experience
$45.00 per person. A group of four preferred.
Chocolate, decadent, heavenly and sinful is and now regarded as healthy! It’s food for the gods as made by Lenox’s young chocolatier Joshua Needleman, who has been named by Saveur as one of the top 10 chocolatiers in the U.S. Now the world knows what we in the Berkshires already knew! Spend a late afternoon at Chocolate Springs for your private chocolate tasting, plus a treasure of truffles to take home and savor.
NEW! NEW! NEW! What’s on Tap? From Amstel to Zatec
$125.00 per couple.
A Private Beer Tasting with Kollin Kozlowski, a beer aficionado and amateur home brewer. Here’s a chance to take your knowledge of beer styles to the next level, with Kollin guiding you through tasting eight distinct brews from around the world.
An Evening with Your Personal Wine Consultant
Tasting for two: $150.00. For four: $180.00. For six: $200.00. (Gran Cru Tasting also available).
Would you like to start a wine cellar or expand your wine horizons? Experience a unique private wine tasting evening at the Berkshire’s premier wine merchant. Let Kollin Kozlowski, Wine Director, Kelly’s, in Dalton, our favorite wine maven be your guide through a learning experience designed just for you. And enjoy a variety of local cheeses, breads and Berkshire specialties at the same time.
The Brunch Bunch – Breakfast at Birchwood at Home
$150.00 for one; $175.00 for two. (Demos, please ask) [Available year-round, or nearly]
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an innkeeper and feed 22 or more people for breakfast? Innkeeper/chef Ellen Chenaux prepares more than 300 award-winning breakfasts each year. How does she do it? Spend a hands-on afternoon with Ellen at our Bed and Breakfast in the Berkshires, and you’ll be creating award-winning breakfasts at home! And in your own Birchwood Inn Fun for Foodies apron! Plus a voucher for 10% off kitchen supplies at Different Drummer’s Kitchen.
Bake Your Cake and Eat It, Too!
$150.00 for one; $175.00 for two; plus the cost of ingredients (Demos, $25.00 pp)[Available year-round, or nearly]
Razzle-dazzle ‘em! Hands-on individual or couple’s baking classes at Birchwood Inn are for those who believe that life is short, start with dessert. Souffle cakes. Tarts. Pastry. Holiday baking. Gingerbread houses. Wow ‘em in your Birchwood Inn Fun for Foodies apron! Plus a voucher for 10% off kitchen supplies at Different Drummer’s Kitchen.
SEASONAL SELECTIONS
These activities are available on a seasonal basis and only by advance reservation.
ULTIMATE PICNICS- ROMANCE TO GO
The Ultimate Romance to Go Picnics – [Available June-October.] (alcoholic beverages not included)
“A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou?.” Romantic epicureans will delight in this culinary experience on wheels. Your “designer” gourmet lunch or dinner — created for you by Gateways Inn’s Rosemary Chiariello — is ready for a musical interlude at Tanglewood or Jacob’s Pillow, a secluded picnic while taking a woodsy hike or floating up, up and away in a hot air balloon! To set the scene, all you’ll need are candles and flowers. We’ll include them, too! We’ll pack your Ultimate Picnic in a Deluxe Picnic Basket-on-Wheels, complete with glasses, silverware, cloth napkins, corkscrew, cutting board with a deluxe Fun for Foodies picnic blanket, roll-up table and chairs along for the ride! Or perhaps you would prefer the traditional wicker basket. We even offer our little red wagon.
Please order with at least 24 hours’ notice.
The 2011 Ultimate Picnics
The James Taylor Summer Picnic: Mixed lettuce salad with balsamic vinaigrette; Southern Style Friend Chicken; Potato Salad; Cornbread; Brownie; and Watermelon. $25.00 pp plus 6.75% tax.
By the Sea: Shrimp Cocktail with arugula and horseradish; Grilled Lobster Tail with grilled corn on the cob and roasted potatoes; Chocolate Cake Roll with mixed berries; and cheeses, grapes, and spiced nuts. $45 pp plus 6.75% tax.
The All-American Barbecue: Iceberg Lettuce Wedge with blue cheese dressing and bacon; Kentucky Bourbon Barbecued Grilled Beef or Spare Ribs, potato salad with bacon and chives. Fudge Brownies; corn bread with American cheeses, and fresh fruit. $45 pp plus 6.75% tax.
Dreams of Italy: Prosciutto and Melon; Pasta and Tuna Salad with summer vegetables and extra virgin olive oil Veal Cutlet a la Milanaise with roasted potatoes and arugula-tomato salad; Biscotti; and Italian cheeses. $45 pp plus 6.75% tax.
Dog Day Afternoon
$50.00 for one. $75.00 for two. [Available November-April, subject to availability)
We love our dogs, and our dogs love treats. Spend an afternoon at our Pet Friendly Berkshires Lodging learning how to bake delicious and nutritious dog biscuits for the furry members of the family under the watchful eyes of Birchwood Inn’s own personal cookie monster Quinn, our Golden Retriever with a sweet tooth!
HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE
Shaker Family Picnics
Enjoy a hearty Shaker-inspired picnic in the charming rusticity of the 1910 Barn while you take in breathtaking views of the verdant Berkshire Hills. Your savory picnic supper includes a variety of Shaker flavors to tempt your palate, including: herbed chicken, Shaker red potato salad, coleslaw, corn bread, strawberry shortcake, iced tea and lemonade. Dates to be announced.
Traditional Shaker Suppers
Dinner or dinner and tour. (Prices to be announced)
Shaker-inspired cooking and Shaker hospitality combine for a memorable evening in the historic 1830 Brick Dwelling. Your evening begins with wine and cheese, served by hosts in traditional Shaker attire. Or you may choose to begin with a guided tour of the Village. Dinner is served by candlelight in the Believers Dining Room. The menu varies, making use of fresh, seasonal ingredients. Chef Paul Proudy selects soup, a variety of entrees, accompaniments, and desserts from recipes in The Best of Shaker Cooking by Amy Bess Miller. Yankee Magazine has recognized Chef Proudy for his outstanding fare and adaptations of traditional Shaker cooking. A typical bill of fare may include squash and carrot soup with ginger, pot roast with cranberry chutney or ham baked in cider, roasted potatoes with rosemary, Sister Mary’s zesty carrots, and bread pudding. The evening concludes with a program of Shaker music, a 20-minute a cappella program introducing visitors to Shaker music as an expression of their spirituality. Dates: TO BE ANNOUNCED.
