STATE Food + Drink opened on Sept. 20, replacing The Break Room at Greylock WORKS, which was last open to the public on Sept. 1. The restaurant will serve breakfast and lunch six days a week, as well with a full dinner menu beginning on Oct. 10.
STATE Food + Drink owner Tu Le, who also owns 328 North Café in North Adams, Mass., arrived in San Diego as a refugee from Vietnam. A decade ago, he and his husband, Matt Bertles, moved to the Berkshires and started a farm in Williamstown where he grows many products, including blueberries and asparagus.
Le told the Record that, in curating his new restaurant, he paid special attention to prices. “Accessibility is really important to how we work,” he said. “We want to create good quality food that doesn’t have to be a special occasion. It’s important to show people that you don’t have to pay a fortune for good local food.”
“We want people to not leave hungry,” he added. “The portion size is really good for the price that we’re offering.”
In his restaurant, Le pointed to the candles, flowers, and art as an ode to local artists. “I wanted to create something that represents who we are,” he said. “This is a nice communal space.”
Le also explained that the word “state” carries multiple meanings, simultaneously referencing State Road, where Greylock WORKS is located; the Golden State, an ode to his California roots; and his feeling of statelessness as a refugee.
Parts of the menu reflect his roots. The breakfast burrito and yogurt bowls, for example, are both staples of a quintessential California breakfast. The sandwich names on the menu honor key individuals involved in the restaurant, including Le himself, his partner Matt, and chef Aaron Willis.
STATE Food + Drink also plans to feature pastries made by Amanda Perrault and Cindy Walton, two chefs who were recruited to start The Break Room.
Karla Rothstein and Sal Perry, co-developers of Greylock WORKS, expressed excitement about the new restaurant in an interview with the Record. “The space was designed to celebrate the community and the history of the building,” Rothstein said. “We feel strongly that the team at STATE is going to be instrumental in building relationships and collaborating.”
“We appreciate Tu’s farm-to-table concept,” Perry added.
Perry also addressed pivoting and reutilizing the restaurant space from The Break Room, the restaurant owned by Brian Alberg. “Brian was instrumental in thinking through the logistics of how a kitchen could operate with the open kitchen concept,” Perry said. “At this juncture, Brian’s excited about other opportunities and spending more time with his family.”
Le expressed the importance of staying actively involved in the greater Berkshires community through his restaurants and farm. “Integration is really important to me,” he told the Record. “It’s the mentality of community which is how I work.”
