BERNARDSTON — Customers of Bernardston’s Hillside Pizza could soon enjoy beer and wine with their dinner, pending a public hearing and approval from the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
Jack Lindner, managing partner of Hillside Pizza, said some customers have requested beer and wine and adding them to the menu seemed like a natural fit for the restaurant.
“We were always hoping to add local beer and wine to the menu. I think it pairs well with what we’re trying to do,” Lindner said. “Local beer goes great with local food and that’s what we’re going for.”
“We don’t really want to become a drinking place, but people like to have a glass of beer with dinner and we want to have that as an option,” Hillside Pizza Co-Owner Craig White said. “It’s really just an added thing for us; it’s not our focus.”
White said Hillside Pizza has also applied for a license to serve beer and wine at its Hadley branch.
The plan, Lindner and White agreed, is to start with a handful of local beers, such as possibly those from Lefty’s Brewing Co. and The People’s Pint in Greenfield, and wine from Cameron’s Winery in Northfield.
“There’s some great breweries around here, so we want to showcase them,” Lindner said. “Some of the smaller producers we’ve known for years now.”
Hillside Pizza’s license application for 77 Church St. was approved by the Selectboard in February and is now in the hands of the ABCC. However, during a March 29 meeting, Town Coordinator Hugh Campbell announced that though a public hearing isn’t required in the town’s bylaws, the ABCC requested one be held.
The public hearing will be held Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Town Hall during the regularly scheduled Selectboard’s meeting. Residents are invited to voice their opinions concerning the license.
During the Feb. 1 meeting, Selectboard Chairman Andrew Girard said Hillside Pizza would be gaining the second beer and wine license in town, with the first being at Antonio’s II. The town is permitted five beer and wine licenses at a time.
You can reach Shelby Ashline
at sashline@recorder.com or
413-772-0261, ext. 257.