Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield is a much-loved breakfast and lunch establishment also known for offering great live music on Sunday mornings – we list all of Dottie’s performances on our music calendar. We have been following their progress on opening a new restaurant, Dorothy’s, in the adjacent space – previously occupied by Mission Restaurant – and we were excited to learn that they will offer live music at the new restaurant.
Dorothy’s will open to the general public on Friday, February 2nd. Music in the Berkshires Featured Musician Misty Blues will perform on opening night and have a Friday night residency in February and March (see our interview with Gina Coleman of Misty Blues). The David Bartley Quartet will play on Saturday nights through February and March. Thursday nights will feature a DJ. The musicians will perform in the same spot used for music performances at Dottie’s: In the window of the middle room between Dorothy’s and Dottie’s.
Owner Jess Rufo refers to the restaurant as an Estaminet – a French word for a small cafe that sells alcoholic drinks. Jess had been unaware of the term, but after describing to her friend and graphic designer how she wants Dorothy’s to feel, smell, and sound when people are there, he created the logo and included the word Estaminet. “I immediately looked it up, and my mind was blown,” Jess said. “The French really have a word for everything.”
Jess said, “The more I researched the word, the more I saw expanded definitions. When I saw one that said, ‘a cafe that sells alcohol; an especially shabby one,’ I was like, ‘I really love that.’ We’re not shabby, I should say – we’re definitely raising the bar in many ways, but there’s something really comforting with that expectation.”
Dorothy’s will have an innovative model for their dinner service, running from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. They are offering what Jess calls a concept menu, in which each table who comes to dine will receive a platter of food with dips, spreads, sauces, roasted vegetables, and pickles as an appetizer, and then each person can choose their protein. They are starting off with several protein choices, including roasted chicken thighs, chicken kebab, ten-ounce ribeye, or roasted salmon. When they open the following week, they will add a pasta special, an entree special, and a kid’s menu. The price for a ticket to the opening weekend is $35, which includes the appetizer platter and entertainment.
Dorothy’s will offer beer, wine, and “fun signature cocktails, including, of course, an Espresso Martini,” Jess said. They will also offer non-alcoholic drinks, which Jess said will be called “Elixers, not Mocktails because, for some reason, no one in the food industry likes that name.” And like Dottie’s, they are making all of their own syrups and flavored vodkas. Service will operate similarly to Dottie’s, where patrons order food and drinks at one of the stations, and then the staff will deliver their order to the table.
We asked Jess if she felt any pressure to live up to the Mission’s reputation, which many Berkshire music enthusiasts loved. “Initially, when we bought it,” she said, “I did feel this sort of pressure to be the Mission. But I want to bring a new story to the space. And, having known the Mission, I feel Dorothy’s is a natural progression. I think it’ll feel comfortable for people who knew Mission. I think it will feel like they’re going into a version of it that is hopefully more sustainable with more options, with all of the things that people really loved about Mission, which is the coziness, the neighborhood feel, and, of course, the music.”
When asked if she had anything else to share with our Music in the Berkshires readers, Jess said, “We are excited to meet you, and I’m really proud to be a place that will offer live music. Anyone with ideas for music or entertainment, we’re open to hearing from you. That’s what makes Dottie’s so amazing and successful– it’s the stamp that so many people have left on it. So same vibe, next door.”
Limited seating is available for the opening weekend dinners, and tickets are required. Tickets for Friday, February 2nd dinner can be purchased here. Tickets for Saturday, February 3rd can be purchased here.
Musicians interested in performing at Dorothy’s can reach out to dorothysestaminet@gmail.com.