By Babs Perkins

Heading north on Route 272 out of Norfolk in search of dinner may not seem like the smartest idea, unless your plan is to continue on all the way to Great Barrington. But just across the Massachusetts line in New Marlborough, there are three great restaurant options, the newest of which is Cantina 229. Located on Route 183 almost exactly 10 miles from the center of Norfolk (take a left when you get to the green in New Marlborough, proceed another 200 yards and it’s on the left), the cantina occupies a low-slung barn just a few feet from the road.

The name is a nod to both the restaurant’s address and the New Marlborough equivalent of Norfolk’s 542 telephone exchange. The unassuming street side of the structure belies the simply decorated yet spectacular glass-walled, 1,500-square-foot, post-and-beam barn, with its open kitchen, its warmly lit bar made of locally milled Douglas Fir and its garden with seasonal seating beyond.

Cantina 229 first opened its doors in the summer of 2015 with a weekly Taco Tuesday event. The seasonal pop-up eatery was such a success that owners Emily Rachel and Josh Irwin reopened for the 2016 season, not only keeping Taco Tuesday but expanding the menu and the schedule.

The concept for the restaurant arose from the couple’s passion for the freshest and best quality ingredients, their distinctly global palates and the belief that dinner should be a shared experience. Cantina 229 sources much of its meat and produce locally, so the menu changes with regularity. The result is farm-to-table with a decidedly international feel. Vegetarians and omnivores alike will be able to find a variety of items on the menu.

The celebrated Taco Tuesday menu is not the stuff of “Mexican” fast-food outlets, and you won’t find those hard shells from Ortega or Old El Paso. Here, every table is greeted with a basket of house-made corn chips and ramekins of tasty salsa. Starter options, all priced around $6, include freshly made guacamole with roasted corn and jalapeños; elotes, a charred corn dish with chipotle aioli; cotija, a hard white cow cheese, and lime; or a quesadilla made with jack cheese and dal makhnani, a popular lentil and red kidney bean dish from the Punjab region of India. Taco offerings, at $5 per taco, include Cantina-smoked pork with turmeric pickles, mole BBQ and melted cheddar or grilled fish with kohlrabi slaw, chipotle aioli and radishes.

The rest of the time you’ll find starter bites like the 229 Tomatoes, a tasty dish of heirloom tomatoes, wasabi mascarpone, pickled shallots, pine nuts, edible flowers and baby basil; Pa Jun, a leek, scallion and chive pancake, with kimchi from Hosta Hill Farm; or sautéed Rhode Island squid in crispy wonton shells, served with sticky rice paste and chili oil. Bigger bites include the Cantina cheeseburger and fries, a seemingly ordinary option, but they’ve added their spin by serving it on a local Berkshire Mountain Bakery bun with turmeric pickles and the house-made aioli; and the bibimbap, an amazing dish of Korean origin, with crispy rice, marinated vegetables, kimchi, a sixty-minute egg and bap hot sauce. Prices for starters are around $10, and entrées range from $15 to $25.

Cantina 229 is open for dinner Friday through Monday, and every Tuesday is Taco Tuesday. The owners strongly suggest you call for reservations as the tables book quickly. They can be reached at 413-229-3276 or at 229Food@gmail.com.