Dining at the Red Lion in Stockbridge, Mass.

Staying at the Red Lion is wonderful, but you don't have to stay there to enjoy dining there. While we were eating our anniversary dinner, we saw many people enter through the front door and either come to the dining room or head to the pub and outdoor dining. 

I was afraid when I booked at the Red Lion that the dining room would be formal, I need not have worried, While there are white tablecloths and candles, the dress code is casual, perhaps a little more business casual but you certainly can be dressed with your regular clothes.  

We had two meals at the Red Lion, dinner and breakfast. I had checked the menu ahead of time and knew that I wanted to eat in the dining room to take advantage of the roasts. They offer prime rib and turkey. The perfect combination for Al and me. We had reservations for 6 p.m. and arrived at the correct time. We were given a table along the wall and had our water and bread quickly. We ordered the meals and within 15 minutes our full plates were in front of us. I have never seen an entree served that quickly. It might be that we didn't order appetizers that resulted in the quick service but it was still impressive. 

Al's prime rib was cooked perfectly and served with mashed potatoes, a pop over the size of his head and green beans. My turkey was Thanksgiving on a plate. The food was excellent, well prepared and delicious. Honestly, we were almost too full for dessert but it was our 50th-anniversary rehearsal dinner so we decided to be brave and go for dessert. 

I ordered a coconut pannacotta and a cappuccino and Al got the apple pie. I can say with confidence that neither of us was disappointed. 

We came down to breakfast after 9 a.m and were given a table by the window. It was actually very nice to be able to enjoy the outdoor view. 

 We started with coffee and it was delicious, so smooth. It is roasted in Great Barrington so a local brand. 

I had two fried eggs over medium, this was the only disappointment I had with the dining experience here. As you can see in the picture, one of my eggs had a hard yoke. I always find it disappointing when a chef sends this out to a customer, did they expect I wouldn't notice? Well,  I did notice!! The homefries are unique and quite delicious and I loved my toast. 

Al's omelet was quite perfect. 

Our waitress was new, you could tell but she was very friendly and gave us good service. 

Spanish stuffed peppers

Stop and Shop had peppers on sale for $1 each, all the colors. I decided to buy two yellow ones with the correct shape to make stuffed peppers. I like to make stuffed peppers cutting the peppers from top to bottom so they lay flat not standing up. This was the first time I tried Spanish stuffed peppers.

I bought some quick-cooking rice but on the night I decided to make the stuffed peppers I remembered that I had a package of Spanish rice that was at its expiration date. I decided to mix the package into my pound of hamburger. Thus Spanish stuffed peppers.


What you need:


Peppers

1/4 pound of ground meat per half pepper (you can use the meat of your choice)

1 large can tomato puree

Garlic Garni spice (from Gilroy Garlic Festival)

13 by 9 pan

Turn the oven on to 375 degrees




Cut the peppers and clean. Put the ground meat into a bowl and pour the entire package into the bowl with the meal. I used Knorr. I like to use my hands for this part, I knead it with my hands until it is all incorporated. Scoop up a handful and place it in the pepper. Continue until the meat mixture has all been used.

Open the can of puree and pour it over the peppers. Sprinkle with the spice. Spoon more sauce over the peppers. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook for one hour.

I was surprised at how easy and delicious Spanish stiffed peppers were. It was also a very good bargain. You can certainly feed a family quite inexpensively with this recipe.