RURAL INTELLIGENCE

06/17/2026

Elyse Deublein Harney received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from St. Joseph's University, New York last month and delivered the commencement address. She earned her BA there in 1952. She is 95.
She co-founded Harney & Sons Fine Teas with her husband John in 1983 and started Elyse Harney Real Estate at 50, wanting something of her own. Both businesses are still standing, now run by her children.

Elyse Deublein Harney has been an emblem of local bootstrap success for generations. Now, at 95

06/10/2026

We Ate Gross Bagels!

Tivoli is getting a new bagel shop. Gross Bagels, the project of Andy and Jake Gross, is aiming to open this October on Route 9G in the former Jaeger Haus. The name is their name. Gross means "big" in German. The bagels are, as Andy puts it, "hot and crusty. Not gross."

The bagel recipe is dialed in and chasing the memory of how bagels made us feel as kids. They are hand-rolled, boiled, then baked at high heat on a pizza stone. The result is the real thing: shattering crust, firm and chewy interior, and deep flavor before any toppings are added.
The menu will be breakfast and lunch. Cream cheese in all its forms, whitefish salad, chopped chicken liver, egg and cheese, and a deli counter where you can order whatever you want off-menu. Jake has pastrami ambitions and serious Reuben plans. Andy has decided every salad comes with a mini bagel, the sign has a little hidden butt on it. Pop-ups are coming before the October opening.

Aiming for an October opening, co-owner Andy Gross assures the bagels are “hot and crusty. Not gross.”

06/09/2026

What began in 1979 as a small produce stand has grown into Guidos Fresh Marketplace, a family-owned business still guided by a commitment to sourcing the freshest, highest quality products from the Berkshires and beyond.

Today, Guido’s locations in Pittsfield and Great Barrington bring together vibrant seasonal produce, house-made prepared foods, and a curated mix of local and regional brands that help customers feed their families well and support the wider Berkshires community.

Under its marketplace concept, separate vendors run independent businesses alongside the Guido’s departments, creating a selection and commitment to quality that helps to make Guido’s such a one-of-a-kind destination. Experience the skill of a traditional butcher at Mazzeo’s Meat and Seafood, order custom arrangements and baskets and shop for gifts at Bella Flora, and find tools for the cook at The Chef’s Shop.

See what's in store at guidosfreshmarketplace.com.

06/08/2026

RI PRIDE GUIDE 2026!

Pride Month is packed across our corner of the world—and we've got the full guide.
From Poughkeepsie's riverfront march to a Big Pride Hoedown in Hillsdale (mechanical bull, lariat lessons, DJ L***y Chaps, who is also the town supervisor), from Berkshire Pride's 10th anniversary season to OutHudson's four-day "Charlie & the Disco Factory" extravaganza—there are more ways to celebrate pride this month than ever before.

Marches, drag shows, a book launch about a gay boat cruise around Italy, a Billboard-charting drag queen in a Litchfield County barn, a tea dance at a Stockbridge estate, and a 5K.

Marches, drag shows, a mechanical bull, and more. We’ve got you covered.

06/04/2026

For ten years, has been one of the most singular restaurants in the Hudson Valley — a neon-bright, tropical-comfort-food haven that became a gathering place for q***r community, young cooks, artists, and anyone lucky enough to pull up a pastel bar stool. Today, founder Halo Kaya Perez-Gallardo announced it will serve its last meal on October 12. "I feel extremely lucky and grateful to have been a proud member of the Hudson community for the last decade," they wrote. "I feel clearly in my heart that closing the business is not a failure. Despite all the challenges, there is SO much to be proud of."

After 10-plus years of tropical comfort food, q***r community, and hard-won joy, Hudson's most singular restaurant announces its final season.

05/29/2026

Hudson has had quite the restaurant boom this spring. New spaces, new menus, rebrands, a wave of French-leaning kitchens. It's been an exciting season to eat in Columbia County's culinary capital. But when chef Hannah Wong and partner Sarah Jane (SJ) McLaughlin opened the doors to Haema this past weekend, something different arrived.

After a year and a half of pop-ups that built a devoted following across the Hudson Valley and Berkshires (from Delaware Supply to Kinderhook Books, Neverstill Wines to a residency at the Tourists hotel in North Adams) Haema has finally found its permanent home at 538 Warren Street, in the intimate space formerly occupied by Bar Bene.

With a menu rooted in Asian street food, Hudson Valley farms, and serious technique, Haema brings new flavor to a Hudson Valley culinary destination.

05/28/2026

An inspiring evening of music, mentorship, and young talent at Tanglewood.

The Kids 4 Harmony Summer Concert Gala returns to Tanglewood on Tuesday, June 23, bringing together student musicians, supporters, and acclaimed pianist and composer Ted Rosenthal for a special evening in Ozawa Hall.

The event begins with a 5pm reception in the Tent Club followed by a concert showcasing the students of Kids 4 Harmony, a free ensemble-based string program serving youth in Pittsfield and North Adams. Focused on musical excellence, student well-being, and family support, the program helps young musicians build confidence, connection, and opportunity both on and off the stage.

Learn more: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/18degreesfamilyservicesforwesternma/event/2026kids4harmonysummergala/

05/26/2026

What does it mean to try to understand someone you despise? That is the actual question at the center of "Clarence in a Pause," a new work-in-progress by Taylor Mac and composer Heather Christian coming to the Ancram Center for the Arts this weekend. It is not a provocation. It is more like a sustained, earnest act of curiosity, built around layered fugues, a cast of experimental theater heavyweights, and the idea that it is very hard to hate people when you harmonize with them. Presented as part of the center's Play Lab series, each performance includes a post-show dialogue and a chance for the audience to learn a song from the show.

Two MacArthur Fellows bring wildly ambitious quasi-baroque oratorio listening party to the Ancram Center for the Arts.

05/19/2026

Pull over! These backroad spots are worth every detour.

We rounded up 7 off-the-beaten-path eateries across the Hudson Valley, Berkshires, and Litchfield Hills worth braking for, and a few that need your support right now.

Three beloved spots in Craryville are stuck behind Route 23 construction this summer and have lost their through-traffic. Zinnia's Dinette is doing Rhode Island fish fry and tinned fish right. Random Harvest is a worker-owned market and cafe that's been feeding the community since 2018. Tommy B's Pizza Joint is turning out creative NY-style pies that will make you wish you'd found it sooner. All three are still open. You just have to take a little detour to get there.

Also on the list: The Neon Newt in Becket, MA, a former general store turned sourdough-and-seasonal-menu gem; Bluebird and Co. in Hancock, MA, a cabin-casual roadhouse with a globally inspired menu; G.W. Tavern in Washington Depot, CT, a circa-1850 colonial with a fieldstone fireplace and farm-sourced comfort food; and Golden Russet Cafe and Grocery outside Rhinebeck, a backroads staple for breakfast, local cider, and farm fresh produce.

There's nothing better than pulling into a restaurant off the beaten path and having a meal that's shockingly good and holding a local story. Here are just some of our faves.

05/12/2026

Serre is the new restaurant inside the solarium of the Maker hotel on Warren Street in Hudson, candlelit at night with tropical greenery climbing toward the ceiling, and executive chef Jonas Offenbach has just introduced a menu to match the room.
Classic French technique reimagined with a deeply personal touch: stuffed morels with pieds de porc, lamb crepinette sourced from Kinderhook Farm, beef bavette with sauce bordelaise, oysters dressed with yuzu and salmon roe. This is 20 years of obsessive culinary study on one gorgeous plate.

Inside Serre’s gorgeous greenhouse, classic French technique and contemporary style share a plate.