Rebecca H.
Yelp
I don't know much about the area but after some brief research Alta seemed like one of the places we should make sure to visit during a short stay in the Berkshires.
We were able to snag a reservation for 6pm on a Wednesday. The staff were exceptionally friendly, especially the host.
The clientele is definitely of a post-retirement age. A lot of walkers around.
Like I said already, the service was excellent. The cocktail menu was also enticing. I ordered Lisa's Favorite (house jalapeno infused tequila, agave, muddled orange and cilantro, lime juice) and idk who Lisa is but we have very similar taste. GF ordered the Cherry Rose Gimlet with gin, lime, tart cherry, and rose syrup. These cocktails were not only a sight to behold but were some of the best cocktails I have ever had. They weren't too strong or too sweet. The flavors were balanced perfectly. Really outstanding drink program.
We started things off with the burrata. The toast with that (arugula?) pesto topped with the burrata was so fucking good. The toast was surrounded by a sea of strawberries and cherry tomatoes in a balsamic like dressing that I unfortunately got a touch of on my shirt sleeve. Ugh. I could hae done without the strawberry and tomato thing but the rest was very good.
I LOVE the vegetarian options, the possibility of having tofu as a protein in addition to the more standard animal based options. I ordered the spaghetti with tofu. The serving was GIGANTIC. Like an entire plate full of pasta and two massive slabs of grilled tofu. You definitely get your money's worth. When I put it in a box (and then subsequently left in the hotel fridge the next day) the box was legit heavy. It would have been a nice tool if I had been attacked on the way home but this does seem like a low crime area.
My only criticism was that I wasn't particularly fond of the flavors of the pasta. It was a little sweet and I would have preferred more of a savory/umami direction with spaghetti but I am very opinionated regarding when and where things should be sweet. There is a time and place. Ice cream? Yes. Candy? Yes. Popcorn? No. Spaghetti? No. I will say that I appreciated that they didn't salt the shit out of everything just to make it taste good.
I can see why people love this place, I think it's a very solid spot, I just probably ordered the wrong thing.
I almost forgot, GF ordered the trout special which she seemed to really enjoy.