Bluebird & Co., the newest restaurant from Mezze Hospitality Group — which runs the much-loved Mezze Bistro + Bar — opened at the base of Jiminy Peak in July. Given its reputation, I was excited to try this new project’s food.
Unlike Mezze’s Mediterranean offerings, Bluebird is centered around a “globally inspired menu sourced with local ingredients, craft cocktails and a curated selection of wine and beer,” according to their website. But that’s not the only point of difference: In addition to a more standard dining room, Bluebird also offers a large outdoor space complete with picnic tables, lawn games, and fairy lights. Though it was a bit too chilly for me to take advantage of the space when I ate there last week, the restaurant is also host to a selection of live music when the weather is warmer.
Bluebird has only been open for two months, but the owners’ expertise was immediately evident. The restaurant is located in the former Powder Hounds Restaurant & Tavern, but the space was redone under the new ownership: Co-owner Nancy Thomas told The Berkshire Eagle in August that the bathrooms were renovated, the lighting was changed, and the walls were completely redecorated. The results — a warm atmosphere with wonderful energy and a sense of community — seem to have paid off. During my visit, Bluebird was full of locals. I was quickly seated in a booth, which let me focus on the best part of any restaurant: the food.
My first impression of the menu was that it seemed to lack cohesion, though the individual dishes looked interesting. Bluebird’s offerings felt like a random smattering of world cuisines — French, Moroccan, Mexican, Greek, and German — which made it slightly hard to navigate all of their offerings. I decided on the Souvlaki-style grilled chicken ($24) and bratwurst with fries ($19).
The food came quickly and didn’t disappoint. The chicken was tender and served on top of a wonderfully rich brown-butter orzo. The bratwurst was on the drier side but came with a healthy topping of sauerkraut, and the fries were perfectly fluffy.
Though I was impressed by everything that I ate, I found myself feeling unsatisfied. The chicken didn’t feel properly balanced due to the absence of some vegetables on the plate. I could have ordered them as a side, but for the price, I would expect more.
Similarly, the fries served with the bratwurst cost an additional $3, and the same is true if you order a burger. I can’t remember the last time I had a restaurant burger that didn’t come with fries. In general, I felt that Bluebird didn’t provide great value for the price.
After the mains, dessert offered Bluebird a shot at redemption. Bluebird has a solid set of classic selections, including an ice cream sundae, apple crisp, and banana pudding. I went for the apple crisp, which came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ($8). Unfortunately, the dish didn’t escape any of my previous gripes. Though the ice cream was good, the crisp’s portion size was quite small, and its streusel topping was completely mushy.
For a drink, I tried Bluebird’s cider-based mocktail ($8), which was tasty but full of ice. Once again, not worth the price.
Though I left the restaurant disappointed by elements of the meal, overall, Bluebird & Co. still provides a lovely dining option close to campus. It’s certainly on the pricier end — my meal came out to $80 including tip, which goes a long way in Williamstown (27 scoops of ice cream at Lickety, anyone?) — but the interior is beautiful, the servers were friendly and extremely attentive, and the food was a solid 8 out of 10. It’s reasonable for a new restaurant to have some growing pains, but with a few months and a few menu tweaks, Bluebird will live up to its serious potential.
The Need-to-Know
Location: 137 Brodie Mountain Rd. Hancock, Mass., 01237
Hours: Thursdays through Mondays, 5-9 p.m.
Price Point: $$$ (roughly $40 per person)
Reservations: Visit eatbluebird.com, call 413-738-9002, or email [email protected]
