Food

It’s always summer at Betty’s Pizza Shack (26 Housatonic St., 413/637-8171, http://bettyspizza.com [1], 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. daily, $$6–20), a tin-roof eatery with surfboards hung from the ceiling and some of the only cheap eats in town. A teenage and twentysomething crowd is drawn to the unlikely combination of burritos, pizza, and sandwiches.

A yellow-and-white striped awning overhangs the coveted outdoor patio at Café Lucia (80 Church St., 413/637-2640, www.cafelucialenox.com [2], 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m. Tue.–Sat., open Sun. during summer, $18–39), a bright and sophisticated Italian restaurant serving classics such as osso buco con risotto and veal parmigiana. The food is consistently good, and the wine list first-rate.

Bistro Zinc (56 Church St., 413/637-8800, www.bistrozinc.com [3], 11 a.m.–1 a.m. daily, $18–30) has earned a sterling reputation for unerring renditions of French bistro food, subtly tweaked for the modern palette by chef Michael Stahler. Expect dishes like organic chicken breast with crispy prosciutto or lobster with herb gnocchi and Pernod sauce, served in a dining room of blonde wood and circular marble tables.