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Wheatleigh
Categories: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Restaurants Hotels, Restaurants [Edit]
11 Hawthorne RdLenox, MA 01240
(413) 637-0610
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot, Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
9 reviews for Wheatleigh
9 reviews in English
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Review from nicole b.
College Park, MD
5/17/2011
I had a $50 gift certificate (which of course did not fully cover our meal) from a silent auction and decided to do the Sunday brunch with my mom and fiancee. I'm a vegetarian and am not a fan of eggs, so asked if the chef could make me something special... I always like to see what chefs can come up with on the fly when there aren't many vegetarian options available.
The chef offered a few options and I went with the gnocchi with grilled spring veggies. The gnocchi were lightly grilled and melted in my mouth. The grilled veggies were perfect (asparagus, artichoke, parsnips, carrots, and jerusalem artichoke) and coated in some sort of light delicious butter/olive oil sauce. I was very pleased.
I also had a fantastic cappuccino. My mom raved about the freshly squeezed orange juice-- I tried it too. It was wonderful.
My mom went with an onion soup and my fiancee a grilled salmon dish. The soup was great-- really flavorful and completely smooth. My mom wanted to do the soup as a meal and they were willing to give us a larger size bowl to accommodate her.
We were all very pleased with the meal.
My fiancee is an architect and often complains about the stuffy architecture and furniture in places in the Berkshires. However, he was pleased with the juxtaposition of the old architecture and the modern European furniture where we were seated.
After the meal, a lovely woman gave us a tour of the gardens and told us the history of the building.
Overall we received excellent service and were very pleased with the experience. -
Review from Jessica S.
New York, NY
2/24/2011
I joked with my husband that I'd rented the entire dining room for his birthday at the end of January, and for a full hour, it was just us. The service was friendly and attentive, and we were well-taken-care-of. My heart started to sink at the first amuse buche though, a tuna sashimi that crunched on the inside with ice from still being defrosted - I get it, you can't buy all fresh produce when you're probably only cooking for 8 tables of 2 on a Saturday night in winter, but seriously - can you just make a gourgere instead? This moment definitely curbed my enthusiasm and made me start to question the quality of the food we were about to have (and pay $100+ for).
The starters were good enough - soft gnocchi, parmesan froth, chilled lobster. We saw other people getting the foie gras, which seemed it may have been a better choice. My fish was good, husband's meat was good (can't remember specifically what he had). I ordered the wrong dessert for me (chocolate and passion fruit?), but LOVED the cheese - we had a great plate and enjoyed it greatly.
My parents live in Pittsfield and my father took a cooking course there once and told me the chef doesn't use dairy/butter - I found this hard to believe (and don't want to pass on rumors, but ...), but ... is that the missing ingredient? Also, if they're not turning over enough tables in the winter, maybe tone down the menu so everything can be fresh? I told my parents if they were going to spend $100 on dinner, they should train it down to brooklyn and I'd help them spend their money - but, maybe if you live in the Berkshires you have a different perspective because it's all you have? That said, my parents refer to this as the kind of place that "New Yorkers" go to "spend money" :) -
Review from Dana R.
Bainbridge Island, WA
8/9/2010
What a beautiful property - the restaurant dining room (not the library room where they also serve dinner) is in what appears to have been an outdoor portico which now is enclosed in beautifully high glass doors and windows which showcase the "mountains" (I say that because I'm from the West Coast where we have "real mountains" -- just kidding) beyond and the colorful grounds. We are staying here for 3 nights (here to see Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble at Tanglewood) and our suite is just lovely - well appointed, spacious and very quiet.
The wine list is very nice - we chose a 1989 La Mission Haut Brion which was just divine. It was well-balanced and not too tannic -- didn't need decanting. Complex berries, leather, animal and tobacco notes. The color around the rim was a lovely rufous or russet red/brown.
Each of the plates, be it appetizer or entree were so beautifully composed and presented - we even took pictures, which isn't something I do very often. The chef's amuse bouche was small circle of cold poached chicken a black truffle vinaigrette and micro-celery greens - I don't like truffles, but I ate all of my amuse because the celery flavor balanced out the truffle nicely; the chicken was perfectly moist.
I started with the Heirloom tomatoes which came in 3 different presentations: (1) a tomato water gazpacho with tiny melon balls and a brunoise of heirloom tomatoes - outstandingly flavorful and fresh at the same time; (2) sliced "meat" of heirloom tomatoes with dark microgreens, Manchego cheese slices and a citrus vinaigrette - again, beautifully balanced and fresh; and (3) a fried (green, I think) heirloom tomato with golden oregano and a chickpea puree - I wasn't a huge fan of this preparation, mostly because I don't like breaded tomatoes or chickpeas!
My husband started with the Japanese Kanpachi (which we learned is the same yellow-tail tuna which we know on the West Coast to be Kampachi (if it's from Hawaii (Kona)). It was also served 3 ways: (1) a tartare with hearts of palm and microgreens; (2) a little spring roll; and (3) curls of raw fish with vegetable "salsa". The dish also had edamame and citrus. Overall, my husband found each of these preparations to be fresh, light and fantastic, with his favorite being the curls of raw Kanpachi with the citrus and vegetables.
Next, I had the Australian King Prawn (and I mean one prawn) - it was huge! It came with head on (for those who love to suck the brains out - not my style). On the side were shrimp mousse stuffed squash blossoms and an olive, eggplant caponata. The prawn was nicely cooked; however, it had not been deveined - the shell between the head and tail had been removed so there is no excuse for not removing the little digestive tract, particularly at a restaurant of this caliber.
My husband's next course consisted of a tourchon of foie gras served with toast points, a wedge of dried apricot, baby fennel, brandy and a cocoa nib encrusted foie gras mousse ball. The tourchon had a hint of smokiness and silky in texture. The mousse "meatball" was "just okay" according to my husband.
My entree was Alaskan cod with langoustine, artichoke and potato. The cod was perfectly cooked and the langoustine was tender (if not a bit too tender). The (tiny!) artichoke pieces were delicious, as was the potato "napoleon" (with layers of potato and potato mousse). A langoustine foam bubbled over the entire dish. Truthfully, I found the foam to render the dish just a little too rich and I couldn't finish my plate (even though the portion size was just right) - the foam made the plate visually appealing though.
My husband had the Four Story Hill Farm Poussin for his entree - chicken prepared 3 ways: (1) small portion of a crispy chicken thigh, (2) succulent unstuffed roll of chicken breast, and (3) a mini chicken and morel mushroom "cannelloni". Also on the plate were a parsnip puree, haricot verts, and kohlrabi. My husband's favorite was the chicken breast.
We skipped sweets and had 4 or 5 small tastings of various cheeses with warm bread, golden and brown raisins and dried cranberries.
Exceedingly refined in flavor, execution and presentation. Conscientious in portion size. Attentive yet unobtrusive service. Outstanding ambiance. Intriguing wine list.
Only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because I felt the prawn should have been deveined, my cod dish was overall a bit too rich, and the foie gras "meatball" wasn't a real success in my husband's opinion.
Listen to the other yelpers -- make a reservation. The staff is mostly international -- during dinner Melanie (from Reims, France) asked my husband and I if we had been to Montana ... we all recognized each other -- she used to work at Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana where my husband and I have vacationed 3 times in recent years! What a great coincidence to see a friendly face! -
Review from Jane E.
Boston, MA
8/25/2010
Just wonderful!!!! We went there with not too high expectations. We walked out, satisfied and full. This is a place that you must try once.
The scenery is stunning, the portico is so romantic. We had drinks out on the terrace. It was so peaceful and beautiful there. We wanted to stay outside, but then we had our amazing meal to deal with.
The service is great, however, since we went during the early evening it was not as conspicuous as I would want.
The portion sizes are small but the presentation, taste and textures of the food make sure that you are full. It was like, I was not physically full, but was full because the experience of tasting the food filled me up and I could not ask for anything more. If you are used to getting a lot of food, then you might be disappointed. But if you go with an open mind, the flavor of the food makes sure that what you get is all that you need :)
My favorite dish of all was the heirloom tomato something. It was three different things and the little shot of tomato something at the end was so refreshing and delicious. One complaint is that the bread was not as great as I would expect from an place like this and also the butter. It was normal, like stuff you would get any place else.
I had the chocolate dessert and my husband had the corn souffle. Both were right on. Not too sweet and just enough to make you walk away a happy camper.
I wish that we would have reserved a hotel room for the night as it would have been just perfect eating at Wheatleigh and then catching a performance at Tanglewood (just down the street).
I recommend this place. If you go, make sure to reserve a room for the night so that you don't have to drive back. -
Review from Jerry B.
New York, NY
8/1/2011
Check in as guests or they will insult you! We have a house nearby and wanted to bring house guests to Wheatleigh for drinks before going to Tanglewood. Despite calling a day ahead, giving the time of our planned visit and being assured of welcoming hospitality, we were greeted by a doorman who asked us to wait while he checked with some unseen person. Several awkward minutes later, he returned to tell us, "No one is available to serve you" and "Sorry, but you must leave." You can imagine how embarrassed we were! Forget this cold, unwelcoming establishment and consider Blantyre or Cranwell instead.
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Review from Jeannie H.
Boston, MA
8/22/2010
I suspect the hotel and grounds are beautiful and serene on a sunny day (it was rainy and gloomy), but it didn't have the opulence and austerity I expected given room rates starting at $800/night. The decor was a little "stiff" rather then being lush. However, it did have a certain quaintness and simplicity to it.
ATMOSPHERE - We had brunch in the sun room and to me, it lacked warmth and elegance. I wonder if a tablecloth would have been better than the pleather tabletop in addition to a vase instead of this green ball of shrubbery that looked like a tribble (Star Trek fans will understand).
SERVICE - The service was impeccable, perfectly attentive without being intrusive or overbearing. It started with the greeting at my car door with an oversized umbrella to escorting me to the table. I think this is the first time I've seen someone lay out a table with white gloves.
Gazpacho with smoked salmon atop brioche and hummus - The gazpacho was a nondescript tomato soup that really needed additional flavours...jalapeno oil, something. The brioche toast was perfect for the smoked salmon but the hummus was horribly bland.
Lemon pancakes with peach confit - The pancakes were small (descriptive not critical), light and fluffy. There wasn't any lemon flavour and it was filled with fresh blueberries so I wonder if this was actually a misstatement on the menu. Nonetheless, it was well made but not terribly interesting.
Wild Burgundy Snails (artichokes and wild garlic butter) - The snails were perfectly cooked, the artichoke was finely diced, and the butter mild. Once again, a good dish but a little bland.
Salmon and Truffle Scramble - The truffle was perfect....enough so that there was a mild, delicate aroma of truffle without being overwhelming. However, I wasn't a fan of the texture of the eggs. I like my scrambled eggs a little fluffier.
Ice cream (Chocolate, pistachio with coconut, honey with lavender, and strawberry marscapone) - This came with 2 small palmiers. I, actually, loved the ice cream. I think it was milk-based so it lacked the heaviness of a cream-based ice cream. It was perfectly smooth in texture. The only misstep was that they served it in a warm bowl that was fresh out of the dishwasher hence melting the ice cream rapidly. They really should have chilled the bowl first.
I think the food was mediocre at best. I was expecting a little more creativity and refinement given the location and price. If brunch is a reflection of his other meals, then I'm not sure I will be back for dinner. -
Review from jen b.
New York, NY
8/9/2010
Wheatleigh is the jewel of the Berkshires. It's not only about the food, which is amazing and French and beautifully presented, but the location, the architecture, the view overlooking the Berkshire mountains, and the romance of the place is just breathtaking. Went for dinner and felt like we were on vacation - first had a drink while walking the gorgeous grounds, then sat down to a glorious meal. I warn you though, it comes at a price....$400ish for dinner for two....it's less pricey in the library and I've not tried that yet, but for a special occasion, this is THE place!
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Review from Salamander J.
New York, NY
8/9/2010 1 photo
Luxurious fabulousness all wrapped in pink proseco! A mansion given to a daughter for a gift now an uber- exclusive hotel. If ur reading yelp and thinking of driving there for a bite, don't. You'll get arressted for tresspassing. This is where culinary art masterminds have there corn souffles served by Austrians with phd's in customer service. This place is the way we should all live at every moment. A shakespearen tribute to excessiveness and beauty.. I'm getting married here, but the bday for kristan was perfecto in the meantime.
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Review from Allison h.
New York, NY
9/8/2009
I've eaten at their restaurant 3 times. Twice for dinner in "the library" and once for brunch out in the windowed sunroom. The food is always delicious, probably the most up scale meals I've had in the Berkshires. The waitstaff is all international, i think it's a requirement to work there. My mother dreams of having my wedding here one day. The grounds are beautiful, it's truly an "escape."
