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Steve and Julie Browning, co-owners of No Comply Foods in Great Barrington, have built a restaurant that reflects their skate-punk spirit and love of globally inspired comfort food.
Sara S. Wallach
At No Comply Foods in Great Barrington, skate culture, punk music and globally inspired comfort food collide in a pink frame house on Stockbridge Road where community matters as much as what’s on the plate. Opened in 2024 and named for a skateboarding trick, the restaurant hums with eclectic music while its walls double as a gallery of patron-gifted art — brightly colored skateboard cartoons, portraits of the owners’ pug, Honeybun, and offbeat collages.
High school sweethearts Julie and chef Steve Browning both loved skateboarding and punk music, especially the 90s California ska-punk band, Skankin’ Pickle. They also share a love for good food and a strong sense of community and fairness. After stints at Lutèce and the 21 Club in New York City, Steve helped open Prairie Whale in Great Barrington as the inaugural chef and worked there for 10 years. His partner, Julie, is a full-time special education teacher at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village.
They opened No Comply Foods with their unique vision. “It’s a place that we did on our own terms,” said Julie. “Despite people trying to tell us things that we needed to do to be a successful restaurant, we do the things that we want to do.” Those things include no alcohol, no tips and no reservations. “It’s a place that anybody can come into, just sit down, eat and feel welcome. A complete reflection on who Steve and I are, and who we have been. That’s what this place is.”

Clearly, their formula is working. In its August 2025 issue, Bon Appétit Magazine named No Comply Foods one of the 14 best new breakfast spots in the U.S.
Brunch on the first warm Saturday this winter offered Turkish eggs with labneh; two sunny-side-up eggs on a Japanese sweet potato topped with chili crisp; tender soft-boiled eggs resting on steamed spinach with silky béarnaise sauce, rye toast and smoked bacon; a plate piled with buttermilk pancakes with a dollop of maple butter and circles of powdered sugar; and mugs of strong coffee. The place stayed packed for hours, every seat filled as families fresh from skiing — suspenders hanging, boots clomping -— came in for warming meals. One couple marked a post-Valentine’s moment by sharing a chocolate heart doughnut by Pastries by Hanna, a baker in Canaan, Connecticut.

Browning cooks globally influenced food with chef Dimitri Koufis, and the dinner menu changes daily. Recent offerings have included French fries with black pepper aioli; fried cauliflower with couscous, olive tapenade, orange and fenugreek yogurt; hot dogs and fries with jalapeño cheddar and special sauce; leek and mushroom pot pie with oyster mushrooms, spinach, cream and mascarpone; and rigatoni Bolognese with Grana Padano, onion soubise and herbed breadcrumbs. If you still have room for dessert, you might try an apple crostada with caramel sauce and ice cream or chocolate mascarpone mousse.
Prices are reasonable. The menu emphasizes fresh food to reduce waste, and produce is seasonally sourced from local farms. Guests can plan a party in the brightly lit upstairs space, enjoy special evening events that might include live music or comedy, or attend themed menus such as Greek Night. No Comply Foods is dog-friendly.
For hours and more information, visit: nocomplyfoods.com
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Spring arrives early at Berkshire Botanical Garden.
Provided by Berkshire Botanical Garden
The Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge is offering the perfect solution to the winter doldrums with its annual Bulb Show, beginning Feb. 20. Depending on how long the bulbs bloom, the show is estimated to run until about March 20.
Inside the Fitzpatrick Conservatory, hundreds of tulips, daffodils and grape hyacinths will be waiting to give visitors a welcome taste of spring.
Some rarer blooms to look for are the “Hoop Petticoat Daffodil” (Narcissus bulbocodium) and three from South Africa: “African Corn Flag” (Chasmanthe bicolor), “Fairy Bells” (Melasphaerula ramosa) and “Forest Lily” (Veltheimia bracteata).
Preparation for the bulb show begins in summer, when bulbs are chosen and ordered. They are planted in fall and then spend about 15 weeks at temperatures simulating winter.
Eric Ruquist, director of horticulture at BBG, explained. “We have
two small, air-conditioned rooms, or CoolBots, in the basement. We pull out our pots of bulbs in three stages. The first pull was Feb. 7, and since we didn’t get too much sun last week, they are off to a bit of a slow start, but they are all budded up and I’m sure we will have blooming bulbs for our opening day.”
A point of interest besides the blooms is the display of succulents. Ruquist said to look for “hens and chicks, aloes, agave and sedum.”
“The Bulb Show is BBG’s gift to the community,” Ruquist said. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Multiple visits are encouraged to enjoy a range of blooms.
Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 W. Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
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Garden Matters
Feb 18, 2026
Kristen Essig of Stonewood Farm.
Provided
The Millbrook Garden Club and Millbrook Library are launching a “Garden Matters” series, a free lineup of talks, walks and workshops on eco-friendly gardening presented with Stonewood Farm.Beginning Feb. 21 and running through July, the program highlights local experts sharing practical tips on soil health, regenerative growing, native plants and pollinator habitats.
Sessions include a soil-building workshop with farm managers, a creative seed-starting class led by Jessica Williams of Odd Duck Farm, a pollinator garden walkthrough with designer Andrew J. Durbridge, and a native meadow tour at the Cary Institute guided by president Joshua Ginsberg. All programs are free and open to the public at the library unless noted. Details and schedule updates: millbrooklibrary.org.

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Winter Weekend in Norfolk
Feb 18, 2026
Artist Cheryl Heller, who makes eight-foot-tall paintings of song birdswill have an open studio from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21.
Provided
The Ninth Annual Winter Weekend Festival returns to Norfolk, Feb. 21–22, offering a full slate of seasonal activities for all ages. The community celebration features outdoor adventures such as hiking, skiing and wildlife walks, alongside concerts, art shows, workshops, open studios, historic exhibits and family events. Highlights include live music, artist meet-and-greets, a pickleball tournament, stained-glass tours, craft demonstrations and a “Blizzard of Fun” kids program. Many activities are free, with select ticketed workshops. Early-bird events begin Friday evening with a pop-up gallery reception and documentary screening. Visitors can also enjoy special café and bakery offerings throughout the weekend. Organizers encourage guests to check the festival schedule at weekendinnorfolk.org for updates and return this summer for the three-day Weekend in Norfolk celebration July 31–Aug. 2.
The Grace Note speakeasy
Feb 18, 2026
Natalia Zukerman opens Stissing Center’s new speakeasy, The Grace Note.
Aly Morrissey
The Stissing Center officially opened The Grace Note on Friday, Feb. 13, a new speakeasy-style venue aimed at turning Friday nights into a weekly home for local and regional talent.
Hidden in the basement of The Stissing Center, The Grace Note certainly has the feel of a speakeasy, with its brick walls, dim lights and fully stocked bar. Executive Director Patrick Trettenero welcomed the first sold-out crowd and said the inspiration for the reimagined venue came from a desire to offer performances that connect audiences with artists in an intimate setting.
The debut performance featured Natalia Zukerman, Compass Arts & Entertainment editor and Stissing Center advisory board member, who will also co-manage booking for the space as it rolls out weekly programming. From the moment she stepped onto the stage, Zukerman held the audience in the palm of her hand, leaving concert-goers hanging on her every word. There were moments of raucous laughter and moments when you could hear a pin drop.
A storyteller at heart, Zukerman wove an introspective thread throughout the night, exploring how connection, art and beauty can exist even amid injustice and a relentless news cycle. Between songs, she offered commentary and her personal reflections, while her lyrics echoed many of the same themes.
The Grace Note will be open every Friday night. For a schedule of upcoming performances and to purchase tickets, visit thestissingcenter.org
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'This Beautiful Place'
Feb 18, 2026
'This Beautiful Place'
Photo Provided
“This Beautiful Place,” paintings by Torrington artist Suzan Scott exploring the Litchfield Hills and surrounding landscapes will be on view Feb. 12‑March 13 at the David M. Hunt Library, 63 Main St., Falls Village. Opening rception: Saturday, Feb. 21, 5 to 7 p.m. Art talk: Thursday, March 12, 5:30 p.m. Free and open to all.

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