Food and Drink
Staying In Pittsfield: Eating at District Kitchen & Bar
Jared Decoteau
District Kitchen & Bar, serves modern American food, rotating craft beer, innovative house cocktails, and excellent wine. Their ever-changing seasonal menu showcases locally sourced ingredients. District takes food seriously. The owner Jared Decoteau was welcoming, as was the entire staff giving the restaurant a warm and welcoming feel.
They are primarily a walk-in restaurant, although they do accept reservations for large groups. Make sure you get there 2 hours before you need to be somewhere as this restaurant packs out and food and drinks are to order. For New Yorkers this will make you feel like you stepped into a chic SOHO boutique restaurant.
District showcases local artists on their walls. Not only does it help the local economy, but makes District festive.
I started out with the Coconut Margarita ($16) casamigos tequila reposado, cointreau, organic coconut milk/coconut cream, lime juice (rocks). Though sour it was refreshing.
Lauren had a Tzakoli Rose/Balea/Basque/2020 ($13)
But changed to a Cosmopolitan ($13)
Jalyn had the Night Of The Iguana ($15) tullamore dew, tempus fugit crème de banane, amontillado sherry, fernet branca.
She switched to a Prosecco/Ca’ Di Rajo “Doc Treviso” Brut/Italy/NV ($11) light & crisp texture from the veneto region with banana, wild flower, & pineapple notes.
ElizaBeth had a Ibiza Martini ($16) spanish olive oil-washed berkshire greylock gin, zirbenz alpine liqueur, dolin dry vermouth, house orange tincture, manchego- stuffed olive, house-brined cocktail onion and a Here Comes Brenda ($13) plantation dark & pineapple rums, velvet falernum, orgeat, lime. Sorry I forgot to get the picture.
And Taylor stuck to a Negroni ($15)
To comment the drinks we ordered a Public Salad (7.95) local greens, goat cheese, roasted almond, dried cranberry, honey cider dressing.

Pei Mussels. Hard to see the dish as they were consumed rather quickly. We also ordered this over pasta
Pei Mussels ($21.95) house fennel sausage, kale, tomato ragu, grilled baguette.
A must order is the Mac & Cheese ($18.95) pancetta, smoked gouda, roasted tomato and panko was really one of the best Mac & Cheese’s I have ever had and I have had a lot.
For Entree’s I had the Pan Seared Duck Breast ($28.95) with braised cabbage, roasted pear, pommery mustard sauce. The last three ingredients made the dish.
ElizaBeth had the Coffee Rubbed Strip Steak ($31.95) with fingerling potato, grilled corn-pineapple salsa.
Jalyn had Soft-Shell Crab Po’Boy ($21.95) pan fried with cabbage, tomato, & cajun remoulade on toasted baguette with choice of fries or greens.
Now remember when I said leave about 2 hours….the three of us had a 7pm show and we had only had a hour an half, so we ended up taking our entree’s to the hotel. This was not the restaurants fault nut ours. Don’t let it be yours. The restaurant is across the street and a block away from The Colonial Theatre.
Laurenn did not have an entree, so I gave her half of mine, but Taylor had a delicious Pan Roasted Salmon ($27.95) with roasted fennel, dill risotto, fried leek, orange-anisette sauce.
I am sorry I did not get a chance to try their tempting desserts, but I will definitely come back.
District Kitchen & Bar is located at 40 West Street Pittsfield MA
Open for dinner Tuesday-Sunday from 4pm
Family
Labor Day Recipes to Get You Through The Long Weekend
Herbed Potato Salad

This potato salad is for last-minute people. This recipe is surprisingly simple and quick to make. This healthy potato salad recipe is mayo-free, easy to make, vegan, egg free and gluten free. Recipe yields 6 side servings.
- 2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, plus about 2 tablespoons more for garnish
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped green onions, plus about 2 tablespoons thinly sliced for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven combine sliced potatoes and salt. Cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are easily pierced by a paring knife and pulled out with little resistance, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, then drain. Transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
- In a small food processor or blender, combine the olive oil, ⅓ cup parsley, ⅓ cup green onions, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic and freshly ground black pepper. Process until the herbs and garlic have been chopped into little pieces. Then, while running the food processor, pour in the reserved cooking water and process just until blended. (If you don’t have a food processor or blender, just finely chop the parsley and onions and whisk the dressing together until the oil is fully incorporated.)
- Drizzle the potatoes with the herbed olive oil mixture and gently mix to combine. (It will look like you’ve poured in too much dressing, but don’t worry, the potatoes will soak it up!) Let the potatoes rest for ten minutes, gently tossing every few minutes.
- Add the celery to the bowl, along with a couple tablespoons each of additional chopped parsley and green onions. Toss again. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. This salad is best served within a few hours, but will keep in the refrigerator for about three days.

Elote Corn
Corn season is here! Corn is never better than right now. I love sweet fresh corn on the grill with charred crispy kernels. I especially love the versatility of corn.
- Vegetable oil for brushing
- 6 ears corn, shucked
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup queso fresco or cojita cheese crumbles
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
- kosher salt
- lime wedges
- In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and garlic. Mix until well combined, set aside. Spread cheese crumbles on a plate, set aside. In a small bowl combine chili powder, cayenne paper, and 1 teaspoon salt, set aside.
- Brush grill grate with vegetable oil. Heat grill to high heat. Place corn directly on the grill. Grill corn, turning occasionally until cooked and lightly charred, about 10 minutes.
- Immediately brush the corn with mayonnaise mixture. Roll corn in cheese crumbles sprinkles with chili powder mixture and cilantro. Squeeze lime over corn and serve immediately.

GARLIC BROWN SUGAR FLANK STEAK WITH CHIMICHURRI
- 2 pound flank steak, about 1-inch thick
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 2/3 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Add the flank steak to a large baking dish and season it with the salt and pepper. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, brown sugar and garlic cloves, then cover the steak with it and place it in the fridge to marinate. I marinate anywhere from 2 hours to overnight.
- When you’re ready to cook the steak, you can grill, broil or pan sear it to your liking. I tend to broil it as I find that easiest. Preheat the broiler in your oven and move the oven rack as close as possible. Place the steak on a broiler pan or baking sheet and broil on each side for about 5 minutes. This will result to a medium to medium-well doneness in my oven.
- Allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes before slicing it thinly against the grain. Serve it immediately with the chimichurri.

EASY RED, WHITE, AND BLUE TRIFLES
- 1 angel food cake About 12 ounces, store bought or homemade
- 2 pounds strawberries
- 12 ounces blueberries
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Place your bowl and whisk for the whipped cream in the freezer for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Remove the tops from the strawberries and dice into cubes. If you are making the strawberry stars for garnish, make those first so you can use the prettiest parts of the strawberries. To make the stars, cut a strawberry in half and use a small star shaped cookie cutter to cut out a star shape. Cut as many as you need. Scraps can be tossed in with the diced strawberries. Set the strawberry stars aside. With the rest of the diced strawberries, toss with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and set aside for 30 minutes to macerate.
- Cut or tear the angel food cake into 1/2 inch cubes. If making the angel food cake stars, use a small star shaped cookie cutter to cut star shapes out of a flat slice of cake. Scraps can be used in the trifle along with the cubes.
- Make the whipped cream. Remove bowl and whisk from freezer. Pour in heavy whipping cream, sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on top, and add vanilla extract. Beat until soft peaks form (1–2 minutes in a stand mixer, 6-7 minutes by hand).
- To assemble the trifles, use 6-8 small glass containers such as mason jars, drinking glasses, or wine glasses. I recommend using smaller sized glasses, about 4-6 ounces.
- Cover the bottom of the glass with a layer of angel food cake cubes. Top with a layer of the macerated strawberries. Top that with a layer of whipped cream, then a layer of blueberries. Repeat until you reach the top of your glass. Top with more whipped cream and garnish with strawberry and angel food cake stars.
Food and Drink
A Criminally Delicious Espresso Martini Is Coming Your Way, and It’s All in One Bottle
Is the coffee flavor rich enough? Is it too sweet? Does it have a proper kick? And will it arrive with that beautiful layer of creamy foam?
For hosts, BeanKick means less time preparing cocktails and more time enjoying the evening. For bartenders, it means faster service without measuring multiple ingredients or waiting for fresh espresso. For hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues, it offers an easy way to serve a premium espresso martini while maintaining the flavor and presentation guests expect.Events
NYFW Gets a Little Spicier as NEST New York Brings a Cardamom Latte Café to the Meatpacking District
New York Fashion Week has always been as much about what happens between the shows as what happens on the runway. This September, one of those moments will smell remarkably like fall.
On September 14 beginning at 10 a.m., NEST New York will take over Chelsea Triangle in the Meatpacking District with a complimentary Cardamom Latte café, turning the launch of its new Cardamom Latte Eau de Parfum into something New Yorkers can both wear and drink.
The concept is wonderfully simple: take the notes of a fragrance and put them into a cup. Visitors can stop by for a free fall-inspired cardamom latte while experiencing the scent that inspired it, transforming what would ordinarily be a perfume launch into a small sensory playground in the middle of Fashion Week.
Cardamom Latte was practically made for September in New York. The fragrance combines cardamom with jasmine petals, coconut milk and vanilla cream, moving between spice, floral notes and something warm and deliciously comforting. It is fragrance borrowing from café culture, then café culture returning the favor.
There is also something distinctly New York about launching it in the Meatpacking District during Fashion Week. For years, the neighborhood has been one of the places where fashion, beauty, nightlife, food and street culture continually collide. A perfume-inspired coffee shop appearing for a day in Chelsea Triangle feels considerably more interesting than another fragrance bottle sitting beneath perfect lighting at a traditional launch party.
It also taps into the increasingly blurred line between beauty and experience. We no longer simply want to smell the perfume or see the dress. We want to enter its world. Here, scent becomes taste, a perfume counter becomes a café, and discovering a new fragrance becomes part of wandering through New York during one of its most stylish weeks.
The pop-up is also conveniently located just steps from Sephora, where the Sephora-exclusive Cardamom Latte Eau de Parfum can be purchased after visitors have had their first smell—and their first sip.
NEST New York’s Cardamom Latte Café takes place September 14 beginning at 10 a.m. at Chelsea Triangle in the Meatpacking District. The lattes are complimentary.
Fashion Week may be concerned with what New York is going to wear next, but for one morning, it will also be concerned with how New York smells—and apparently, how it takes its coffee.
Events
Taste of Times Square Returns, Serving the World One Bite at a Time
Times Square has always been a feast for the senses. On September 9, it becomes a literal one. The Times Square Alliance brings back its annual Taste of Times Square, one of New York’s longest-running outdoor food festivals, turning Restaurant Row and the Broadway plazas into one enormous open-air dining room on Wednesday, September 9, from 4 to 8 p.m.
Presented by The Durst Organization, this year’s festival gathers close to 40 Times Square restaurants, offering a culinary trip around the world without requiring so much as a MetroCard swipe. Mexican, Caribbean, Cuban, Italian, Indian and American flavors will share the streets, proving once again that the neighborhood surrounding Broadway is considerably more interesting gastronomically than its old reputation suggests.
That’s part of what makes Taste of Times Square so much fun. The Theatre District has quietly become a remarkable culinary crossroads in its own right. Within a handful of blocks, one can travel between cultures, continents and cooking traditions—and on September 9, those kitchens come outside.
The festival also returns to familiar territory this year, stretching along West 46th Street from Seventh to Ninth Avenues, including Restaurant Row, and onto the Broadway plazas between 45th and 47th Streets.
The concept remains wonderfully democratic. Rather than committing to one restaurant and one meal, guests can wander, taste and construct dinner one plate at a time. Most dishes will cost $5, with select offerings priced at $10. Visitors register a wristband with a credit or debit card at the event and use it to purchase tastes as they go.
Even better for those who plan ahead: advance purchases made through September 8 receive a 20 percent savings.
Of course, this is Times Square, so food alone isn’t enough. Live music and performances will accompany the evening, with entertainment representing several current Broadway productions, along with performers from the Broadway Dreams Foundation and Ellen’s Stardusters. Dinner, Broadway and several blocks of New York spectacle—all without having to choose between them.
Taste of Times Square has endured because it captures something essential about the neighborhood. Times Square may be internationally famous for its billboards and Broadway marquees, but behind all that neon is a community of restaurants, chefs, bartenders, theatre people and longtime New Yorkers who actually make the district function.
For four hours, they take over the streets. Taste of Times Square takes place Wednesday, September 9, from 4 to 8 p.m., along West 46th Street from Seventh to Ninth Avenues and the Broadway plazas between 45th and 47th Streets.
Taste of Times Square information and advance purchases
Come hungry. This is one night when wandering around Times Square without being able to decide where to eat is precisely the point.
Broadway
Events for September… The City Is Back
September arrives with the U.S. Open in full swing at Flushing Meadows, followed almost immediately by Fashion Week, Broadway Week, major art fairs, Harry Styles taking over Madison Square Garden, the Feast of San Gennaro and the first real surge of New York’s fall cultural season. Summer isn’t quite gone, but the city is already moving at full speed again.
Continuing 9/13: The U.S. Open Tennis Championships take over the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, bringing the world’s greatest tennis players to Queens for the final Grand Slam tournament of the year.
9/2, 4-5, 9-12, 16-19, 23, 25-26 & 30: Harry Styles begins his massive Together, Together residency at Madison Square Garden, turning September at MSG into something close to Harry Styles month.
9/3: Bryant Park Picnic Performances presents saxophonist and singer Grace Kelly with Ashni as the Asian American Arts Alliance takes over the Lawn for a free evening of music beginning at 7 p.m.
9/4: Bryant Park’s Brass Festival fills the Lawn with brass bands and big sound during another free Picnic Performance beginning at 7 p.m.
9/4–5: Ed Sheeran brings his 2026 tour to MetLife Stadium for two nights.
9/6: Islands in the Park: A Caribbean Jam transforms Smorgasburg Prospect Park into a Caribbean celebration with DJs, live steel pan, Caribbean food vendors, arts and crafts and guest chef Scotley Innis. Admission is free.
9/7: The West Indian American Day Carnival Parade explodes across Eastern Parkway on Labor Day with spectacular costumes, steel-pan and calypso bands, floats, Caribbean food and an estimated crowd approaching two million.
9/8 – 20: If you’re looking to add a can’t-miss theater night to your September plans, Broadway Week returns to New York City from September 8–20, 2026, offering 2-for-1 tickets to select Broadway shows.
9/9: The Annual Taste of Times Square, one of NYC’s most beloved and longest-running food events, is returning to Midtown this September. The four-hour outdoor festival features 30+ restaurants serving everything from Mexican street tacos and Caribbean classics to Italian pasta, Indian curries, and American BBQ all for under $10per plate!
9/9: New York Fashion Week gets an early start, with Ralph Lauren, Coach and other designers presenting ahead of the official CFDA calendar.
9/10–15: New York Fashion Week unveils the Spring/Summer 2027 collections as designers, models, celebrities, editors and the fashion circus descend upon New York.
9/10: Bryant Park Picnic Performances: Dance Party All-Stars brings Alfredo de la Fé All Star Band and the George Gee Swing Orchestra to the Lawn for a free night of salsa and swing.
9/11: New York commemorates the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, with the annual reading of victims’ names at the 9/11 Memorial and observances throughout the city.
9/11: American Symphony Orchestra performs at Bryant Park in a special free Picnic Performance commemorating the 25th anniversary of September 11.
9/13: The U.S. Open Men’s Singles Final brings two weeks of extraordinary tennis to its climax at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows.
9/15 -10/15: Hispanic Heritage Month in NYC a month-long celebration recognizing the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities.
9/17–20: Clio Art Fair launches the first of two consecutive September editions in Chelsea, showcasing independent and emerging artists outside the traditional gallery system. Admission is free.
9/17–27: The Feast of San Gennaro celebrates its 100th anniversary, filling Little Italy with eleven days of Italian food, music, processions, entertainment and one of New York’s most beloved street traditions.
9/18–19: Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi sends 40 life-sized buffalo puppets through Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn in an extraordinary free public-art event created with Lenape and Lakota elders.
9/19: The German-American Steuben Parade marches up Fifth Avenue, celebrating German-American heritage with marching bands, traditional costumes and organizations from across the country.
9/20-27: Climate Week: The week attracts decision makers from across society. Leaders set the strategies here that drive pollution reduction and business growth.
9/22: Fall officially arrives in New York with the Autumnal Equinox, as the city trades summer for one of its most beautiful seasons.
9/24–27: Armory Week brings collectors, galleries, artists and the international art world to New York, led by The Armory Show and a constellation of satellite fairs and exhibitions.
9/24–27: Clio Art Fair returns for its second September edition, offering another roster of independent artists in Chelsea.
9/25: The Museum of the City of New York opens Halumii Ktapihna, exploring the enduring presence and living cultures of the Lenape/Lunáapeew, the original people of the land that became New York City.
9/25: The Museum of the City of New York also opens Raise Your Voice, tracing more than 250 years of New York activism and the ways generations of New Yorkers have fought to create change.
9/26: Global Citizen Festival with Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT). The concert is free, you’ll have to earn your ticket by taking action through the Global Citizen app or website, such as signing petitions and completing quizzes on global issues. New this year, fans can also get automatic entry with a $25 charitable donation, with proceeds supporting local New York causes.
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