Duncan/Stockbridge, MA

Sometimes good things come in small packages. Nudel, a newish restaurant in Lenox, MA, is a case in point. The place is pint-size and only serves dinner. But the food is superb and most ingredients are seasonally inspired and sourced from local farms in the Berkshires and nearby New York State. Nudel has only six or eight tables but I prefer to sit at the open kitchen counter and watch the chef work his magic. No reservations are taken but you can cross the street for a bar stop and they'll ring your cell when the table's ready. Buon appetito!