Mezze opening new eatery at Jiminy Peak

By Jane K aufman

HANCOCK — The former Powder Hounds Restaurant & Tavern at Jiminy Peak is about to undergo a transformation into an indoor-outdoor restaurant called Bluebird & Co.

Mezze Hospitality Group, co-owned by Nancy Thomas and Bo Peabody, bought the property for $950,000 on April 6 under the name 137 Fine Dining Inc., after the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission approved the liquor license transfer. The property includes more than 14 acres at 137 Brodie Mountain Road.

“We’re going to stay in our wheelhouse,” Thomas told The Eagle. “Starting with really good products from farms and good cooking-fromscratch techniques that will keep things familiar. But we might add a little twist, a little adventure, some ethnic, world flavor profiles.”

This is Mezze Hospitality Group‘s first venture since selling Allium in Great Barrington five years ago.

Thomas and Peabody said Bluebird & Co. will rely on local patrons, and that the restaurant will not just be based around tourism or skiers. The space is licensed as an 80-seat restaurant inside and about 60 outside. There will be fire pits in all seasons, burgers, steak frites and hot chocolate in winter. Other beverages will include cocktails, natural wines, spirit-free beverages and regional beers.

Thomas said Peabody encouraged her to take a look at

Powder Hounds after it went on the market.

“I fell in love with the site,” Thomas said. “I happened to go there last fall. And it was one of those magical fall days we had last year where the colors of the leaves were incredible. And the day was gorgeous. And the landscape was really outstanding. And I have been wanting to do a project with a big outdoor space for a while.”

She said the restaurant, which they’re hoping to open in time for the summer solstice in late June, will have two outdoor areas — a more casual space near Bentley Brook, where there are hardwood trees, and a more formal patio near the restaurant where there will be “more waiter table service.”

It was during the COVID pandemic that Thomas began to think about an outdoor space. Their restaurant, Mezze at 777 Cold Spring Road in Williamstown, doesn’t have an ideal site because of its slope and its limited parking.

“An upshot of a pandemic, I think, for everyone was learning to be outside more, and I think the Berkshires in gen- eral definitely is a place where people want to enjoy the landscape. It’s beautiful here,” she said.

Thomas said a chef and manager have been hired, but that they will be looking to hire a staff of 25 to 30 in May.

Once open, Thomas said she hopes the restaurant will have a clean, contemporary aesthetic. She said there may be programming, such as bands, games and outdoor activities.

Powder Hounds dates back to 1947 — then known as Hansons — and was started by the family of Frederick Kruger, who inherited the business in 1999 and reopened it as Powder Hounds, serving a core clientele of local condo owners from Bentley Brook and Vacation Village, according to a news release.

Peabody began ski racing at Jiminy Peak when he was 10, and continued to do so as a student at Williams College in the early 1990s. Over the years, he has gotten to know the Fairbanks family, who own the resort. He said he never expected to be in the hospitality business in the Berkshires, but since he has been, he’s been attracted to Jiminy Peak.

Peabody, who divides his time between New York City and Williamstown, said he’s looking forward to helping Jiminy Peak flourish.

“There are certain assets in northern Berkshire County that are just really, really important to keep and to sort of build and cherish, and I think Jiminy Peak is one of them.”