Massachusetts Best Restaurants 2011

BEST MEAL WITH A VIEW
Bascom Lodge, Mt. Greylock Reservation
The 1930s lodge atop the state’s tallest mountain is a hot new sunset-dining destination. Chef John Dudek’s three-course menu, which changes nightly, might include herbed white-bean soup, grilled beef, or gorgonzola walnut gnocchi. Wine is served, and you can spend the night in either a dorm or a private room. Entrées: $25 prix fixe (reservations required). Rates: private rooms from $125; dormitory bunk rooms from $35 per person. Access roads from North Adams and Lanesborough. 413-743-1591; bascomlodge.net

BEST APPLE WINE
Furnace Brook Winery, Richmond
This 200-acre hilltop spread is webbed with hiking trails and planted with hundreds of fruit trees, the source of award-winning French-style cidre and “Johnny Mash” hard cider. Free tastings Thursdays through Sundays 11-5, plus Wednesdays from August 17 to October 26 this year. Also PYO apples, pears, and plums mid-August through October. Hilltop Orchards, 508 Canaan Road (Route 295). 800-833-6274, 413-698-3301; hilltoporchards.com

BEST CASUAL NIGHT OUT
Castle Street Cafe, Great Barrington
From soba noodles to locally raised sirloin, there’s plenty to please. The cafe itself is casually elegant, but an extensive pub menu is available with outside seating as well as in the Celestial Bar. Friday and Saturday nights serve up live jazz (no cover). Entrées: from $15 (cafe); from $9 (bar). 10 Castle St. 413-528-5244; castlestreetcafe.com

BEST GENERAL-STORE BRUNCH
The Southfield Store, New Marlborough Township
This vintage general store at the center of a small village is now an attractive cafe owned by Peter Platt, one of the Berkshires’ star chefs, who also owns the nearby Old Inn on the Green. Brunch on challah French toast with apple compote, huevos rancheros, or smoked salmon with saffron hollandaise sauce. Entrées: from $9 (brunch); from $21 (dinner). Norfolk Road, Southfield Village. 413-229-7924; southfieldstore.com

BEST SEASONAL FARE
Nudel, Lenox
Foodies love coming to this sleek little (28-seat) restaurant. The menu changes daily, depending on what chef Bjorn Somlo finds that morning at local farms. His open kitchen features fresh pastas and seasonal produce in creative combinations. Entrées: from $18. 37 Church St. 413-551-7183; nudelrestaurant.com

BEST CHURCH SUPPER
Mike & Tony’s Pizzeria/The Green Emporium, Colrain
The village’s former church on the common is filled with flower-decked tables, Tony Palumbo’s distinctive neon art, and often live music. Chef Michael Collins’s chicken soup with pasta and thin-crust pizzas with locally sourced toppings are worth a drive. Entrées: from $13. 4 Main Road. 413-624-5122; greenemporium.com

BEST FARM-TO-TABLE DINING
Gibbet Hill Grill, Groton
A sprawling hilltop garden supplies most of the vegetables for salads and side dishes at this unpretentious rural steakhouse in a century-old post-and-beam barn. Bicyclists touring the country roads often fill the space on Sunday afternoons. Entrées: from $15. 61 Lowell Road. 978-448-2900; gibbethill.com

BEST CLASSIC DINER
Blue Moon Diner, Gardner
Owner Jamie Floyd names her dishes for Fifties pop and movie stars. (Don’t miss the Elvis Burger–with peanut butter and bananas–a tasty tribute to The King.) She somehow manages to simultaneously work the grill of this Worcester Lunch Car diner and flash a smile at every customer who comes in. Entrées: from $6. 102 Main St. 978-632-4333; bluemoondinergardnerma.com

BEST VINEYARD DINING
J’s At Nashoba Valley Winery, Bolton
Set in the heart of America’s first fruit bowl, J’s reflects a New England take on the country winery restaurants of northern California and parts of France. Dishes like Chardonnay-poached lobster match the venue’s light style. Grilled beef and lamb pair well with the beers, brewed on the premises. Entrées: from $23. 100 Wattaquadock Hill Road. 978-779-9816; nashobawinery.com

BEST OLD-COUNTRY ITALIAN
Il Casale, Belmont
Chef Dante De Magistris brought Italian family cooking to his hometown as if it were called Belmonte instead of Belmont. Diners who like to nibble skip the big dishes and order lots of sfizi–tiny plates, from arancini (rice balls) to zucchinata (grilled zucchini strips). Entrées: from $18. 50 Leonard St. 617-209-4942; ilcasalebelmont.com

BEST FRESH MARKET MEALS
The Market Restaurant, Gloucester
Dockside on Lobster Cove, The Market is the brainchild of two young chefs, Nico Monday and Amelia O’Reilly, who met while working for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. They bring the gospel according to Alice to Annisquam with a select menu of fish from local docks and everything else from nearby fields. Entrées: from $21. 33 River Road. 978-282-0700; themarketrestaurant.com

BEST CASUAL FISH
Mac’s Shack, Wellfleet
The fryolator turns out the usual fish-and-chips, fried clams, and oysters at this popular casual spot, but the chefs also spotlight the local catch with sushi, a raw bar of local bivalves, and entrees such as cracker-crusted bluefish and wine-poached cod. Entrées: from $16. 91 Commercial St. 508-349-6333; macseafood.com

BEST CAPE COD ITALIAN
Dalla Cucina, Provincetown
Chef Michael Ceraldi presents a Cape Cod-infused menu, using lobster and fennel in a sweet risotto or serving local striped bass Sicilian-style with olives, tomatoes, rosemary, and capers. Even the gorgonzola on the dessert list is drizzled with Cape Cod honey. Entrées: from $18. 404 Commercial St. 508-487-5404; dallacucinaptown.com

BEST TAKE-OUT
Angel Foods, Provincetown
Locals exchange the latest gossip as they line up at this deli-cum-gourmet shop for takeout treats. Special offerings range from a tuna/roast pepper/olive tapenade sandwich to the truly huge ginger-cream whoopie pie. Sandwiches: from $7.50. 467 Commercial St. 508-487-6666; angelfoods.com

BEST PICNIC SUSHI
Net Result, Vineyard Haven
Best known as one of the Vineyard’s top fishmongers, Net Result also sells seafood plates to go. The sushi menu is an embarrassment of local riches, with sushi and sashimi all made to order from the freshest catch. Call ahead to order a box for a picnic at the beach. Entrées: from $10. Sushi: from $5.95. 79 Beach Road. 508-693-6071; mvseafood.com

BEST ISLAND BARBEQUE
Smoke ‘n’ Bones Bbq, Oak Bluffs
The slow-cooked smoked barbeque here replicates Southern styles with finger-licking results. Best bets are the baby back ribs and the slabs of Memphis-style spare ribs–served on plates big enough to share. On-premise eating is at picnic tables next to the shack, an area affectionately known as “the boneyard.” Entrées: from $15.95. 20 Oakland Ave. 508-696-7427; smokenbonesmv.com

BEST ROMANTIC SPOT
Summer House Restaurant,Siasconset
People go to Nantucket to get away from the mainland hubbub–and to ‘Sconset to escape busy Nantucket Town. Between the flickering candlelight, vases of fresh flowers, tinkling piano music, and zesty regional cooking, who wouldn’t fall in love? Entrées: from $19. 17 Ocean Ave. 508-257-9976; thesummerhouse.com