The seed for Justin and Mariah Forstmann’s new restaurant, Casita, was planted when they parked Chingón Taco Truck in the courtyard at MASS MoCA in North Adams in 2020. After Covid shuttered the restaurants where the couple had been working in Portland, Oregon, the Connecticut natives landed back on the East Coast to plan their next move.
With Justin’s 10-plus years working as a chef in Mexican restaurants and Mariah’s experience in front-of-house, the posted up as a pop-up at Bright Ideas Brewing at MASS MoCA, and Chingón’s reputation for some of the best tacos in the Berkshires took off.
In 2023, Forstmanns opened the doors to Casita—a colorful 70-seat dining room with a full bar and patio located in the museum’s Building 11. A commitment to sourcing from Berkshires farmers and suppliers runs through every dish.
At lunch, the Forstmanns are serving up fan-favorites like tacos with achiote-marinated chicken, carne asada, and carnitas and their hamburguesa (a double smash patty with iceberg, pickled jalapenos, and chipotle mayo).
At night, the menu takes an ambitious turn into more complex regional Mexican preparations. Dishes such as ceviche, whole fried snapper with coconut tamarind broth, and Mayan-style poc chuc (pork in citrus marinade) transport diners to the Yucatan, while fun riffs on classics like mushroom empanadas with pistachio mole and street corn gnocchi are ambitious and comforting too.
“Casita is a love letter to Mexico by way of the Berkshires,” says Mariah. “We respect the cuisine by taking care in our practices, thoughtfully sourcing our ingredients, and never cutting corners.”
Casita
1111 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA
This article appears in July 2025.
