REVIEWS & PRESS
from Elixir's 7 Years of Cafe Days...
Nancy Lee is a magician. Her food nourishes the soul.
Barbara Newman
Coming out of the movie theater at close to 10 PM, my girl and I were hungry and thirsty but most places close early in this sleepy town in the Berkshires. You are prepared to leave because we didn't want to be those people who come in one minute before closing and order a meal, with the owner insisted that we come in and sit down reassuring us that she had plenty to do before she left. So the service was personal and very friendly. It felt like you were visiting someone's home. We ordered Mango Lassi and herbal tea elixir for two. The mango lassi was made with Rose water, making it the most delicious lassi we have ever tasted. The tea was a blend of lavender, sage and red Clover. It was perfect. We would have left happy at this point, and then the gracious host brought us a hand made chocolate peanut butter cup that was to die for. Go to this place. Support this generous and magical woman who makes magic with flowers.
Ashley D. Brockington
Loved our time at Elixir. Delightful place. Cozy and warm. Nancy is so sweet and passionate about what she does. Stopped by this morning and had coffee and tea. YUM! We loved it so much that we made sure to stop by before they closed for the evening. Had another tea and my husband a coffee. So good. We as had a delicious dessert. We will definitely be back soon!
Jennifer Ann
Thank you Nancy! We had dinner at Elixir for the first time today and were absolutely amazed by the freshness of your ingredients, the wonderful composition of your dishes and the soothing atmosphere at this jewel of a place of yours. Elixir already became one of our favorite places to eat out in the Berkshires. Your neighbors from Otis, Evelyn & Thom
Evelyn Garvey
Nancy is such a nice host. The drinks are amazing and she really knows how to choose pleasing drinks. The atmosphere is so calming and inviting you just don't want to leave. My wife and I declined after dinner drinks after our very fancy dinner because we would rather go to Elixir for a truly relaxing time.
Micheal J Uhrig
I have eaten Nancy's food for twenty years. She is the best cook in the world ... and with her fine and positive energy, the servings at ELIXIR will be nourishing and pleasurable to the max. To me ELIXIR deserves TEN STARS ! Nancy is a connoisseur of all levels of fine dining and gracious living, a health educator and organic gardener. Her sense of humor tops that of any funny TV host. I am such a fan..can't wait to visit her new place.
Margrit Ramme
Enjoyed a wonderful meal yesterday. Nancy Lee consistently creates the perfect bite.
Roberta Trutnau
Love it. What an amazing place with an amazing owner!
Dan Scott
I'm always in search for exceptional vegan restaurants. I stopped by for lunch this weekend and I can tell you that you're in for a real treat! What sets Elixir apart from many of the vegan restaurants that I have frequented is that the food not only tasted phenomenally good, it was healthful food. Will definitely be going back every chance I get.
Collin Lovas
Just there this weekend for dinner. Warm and friendly and delicious. Felt truly nourished when we were done!
Sharon True
Yummy and "good for you" rarely happen simultaneously. With Nancy it is an everyday occurrence. Congrats Sister!
Marie-Rose Nduku
Loved the food, the place, music and most of all "the Nancy." We'll be back!
Diane, Toel & Rachel
Thank you for the warmth and beauty,
Tice Atchison
Nancy! I love the fact that you mean Elixir so literally and that your Elixirs actually work! Thanks & Love,
R
Maybe becuase I'm from Barcelona - a city that I cannot reccommend enough if you like good food - I have developed a sixth sense to find wonderful restaurants. Eating here was a full experience: drink, eat and peace. Thank you and congrautlations on the beautiful, personal restaurant. Best luck!
Ferram
Dear Nancy, Thank you for blessing us with your wonderful food and spirit. Wishing you all the best,
Linda
Dear Nancy, What a DELIGHT - such an unexpected surprise for us Bostonians - to have stumbled across your incredible restaurant! We thoroughly enjoyed our meal! As Greg mentioned to you, the LOVE and ATTENTION you give to your dishes is truly palatable - evident in every delicious bite. Thank you so much - we will keep you in mind for our future visits, for sure! Sending much love & warmth from Somerville & Jamaica Plain,
Heather & Greg
Took a nice ride on my motorcycle from Dutchess County and stopped in GB for lunch! So happy to find such a great place to eat. Amazing food & tea! Keep up the great work!!
Chris
We have been eating macrobiotic for nine years. this food was absolutely beautiful. I hummed as I ate the food. It tasted so pure and the dessert was amazing. The tea was also tremendous. I can't thank you enough for creating such a perfect place to eat!
Dennis & Anne Mertz
I'm not a Vegan, but the AMAZING food at Elixir has me thinking about taking up this way of eating. Bravo for this DELICIOUS food!
Solange Bernbraugh
Dear Nancy, I always feel so nourished and feel your love in all your preparations it is an amazing gift you have. Love,
Dolores
Dearest Nancy - You are a wonder! I told you when I walked in that I felt healed even by entering the space never mind each incredible bite of your perfectly prepared food! Thank you for reminding me that nutrition goes beyond the intellect and has everything to do with communication, connection, vibrational transformation and truth. So much love and gratitude. Cheers!
Doria Bramante
I enjoyed the experience of the music and the tea was perfect! I look forward to bringing my girlfriend here soon! Great Barrington needed a place like this!
Dakota Malile, the Naturopathic student
“How’s your Reuben?” I ask. My husband has been more quiet than usual throughout the meatless meal. I assume it’s out of disappointment.
“It’s…amazing. You need to…just try it. The combination is amazing.”
He practically throws a chunk of the sandwich at me. The tempeh is a great texture, not rubbery, it’s got a slight smoky flavor to it. It’s smothered with spicy/sweet mustard and pickled beets (there might be an onion in there, too) and the whole thing is so crisp and tangy it may actually take the sweat away from the summer evening.
Elixir: Eat, Heal, Repeat in Great Barrington
By: Nichole Dupont
“Make your food your medicine and your medicine your food.” The concept is an ancient one, but the carrying out of the creed is still one of the greatest challenges in this country. So many bad choices to make. Obesity rates and disease rates indicate that in our society, food and medicine live in separate houses, on separate lands.
But what a joy to find out that it doesn’t have to be that way. There is a healer in town who promises to be serving the masses once the word is out. Elixir is a tiny café tucked in next to the Triplex Cinema off of Railroad Street in Great Barrington. Its chairs and tables spill out on to the concrete patio of the building, immediately endearing patrons to the casual feel of the place, like a small café in Naples that’s been there for decades. Inside is a museum of mason jars and glass bottles, all filled with wildflowers and herbs and liquids at varying stages of “tincturing” and fermentation. A bowl overflowing with rose petals adorns a large center table.
We order tea. My husband and partner in almost all culinary crimes orders chilled pomegranate; I choose green Moroccan mint. And we wait, making small talk. A table of women is clearly having a girls’ night out. A man in a linen shirt is waiting for a date that is standing him up. Amazing, familiar, but not-from-this-continent smells are coming from the tiny kitchen area.
It’s when the tea arrives, on a silver tray, in a Turkish tea pot, pre-sweetened with honey and perfectly minted; that’s when the healing begins.
“God, this tea is good,” I say, reveling in the refreshing fresh mint and the ornate blue shot glass that I continually pour my tea into. I’m already starting to get that weird feeling of being in another place.
Elixir has only been open for four weeks and for now (and I hope forever), owner/chef/herbalist Nancy Lee is keeping the menu simple and the flavors complex. On this humid summer night, we set our gaze on hummus and vegetables —labelled simply as “snacks” — and potato leek soup. The hummus is a surprise. It’s creamy, and has a heat to it that is authentic. The soup is green, not overrun by the potato starch.
“This soup is different,” says my vegetable-reticent companion. He holds the spoon for me to taste. “Those leeks will not be ignored,” I say. “Not this time.”
We clean our bowl/plate, anticipating the entrees. The server (a really fabulous, kind of shy young woman who is learning the ropes about all the tinctures and herbal ingredients) brings our food…it wafts from the interior out into the street. He dives into his tempeh Reuben, I take a minute to smell my jasmine rice with Thai butternut-curry. There are plenty of crisp vegetables in just the right amount of sauce. The dish is piquant yet light, and colorful. It has not taken on the blandness of color that can sometimes befall anything with zucchini. It is, in essence, perfect. I am not hungry anymore, which is often my chief complaint besides being tired from rigorous physical activity sans meat.
The mosquitoes take interest in our revitalized blood so we move the party inside, as there is still dessert to be eaten. Please trust me when I say that this is the kind of café where you do not ask for the check after the main course is eaten. Stick around for the dessert. Seriously.
Strawberry short cake with maple whipped cream — all totally fresh. Fudge made with currants, almonds, coconut sugar and drizzled with a honey lavender sauce. It is dizzying but so good. While lapping up the honey with the textured rich fudge and breathing in the lavender, I realize that there is no other name for that café.
“I feel good,” says my husband.
“I think that’s the point,” I say.
