PINE PLAINS — Surrounded by a friendly staff and tasty menu options inside a brightly painted space, customers will instantly connect with the warm ambiance at Rosey’s, which opened for business at 2987 Church St., home of the former Pine Plains Platter, in January.
Since then, owner Jamie Gerber, who uses the pronoun they, has been busy preparing for this summer. They said the opening of Rosey’s marked their “most formal” venture into the restaurant industry. Little do customers know that Rosey’s actually started in a trailer in the parking lot of Chaseholm Farm at 115 Chase Road last summer, as Gerber said they wanted to give their dream a test run before getting it off the ground.
It was their love for the Chase family, who own and founded Chaseholm Farm, which inspired them to name their first restaurant venture after Rosemary Lyons, the Chase family’s matriarch and a longtime Pine Plains resident.
“I think Rosey’s is a love letter to the family and community,” Gerber said. “Rosey and her twin sister always said ‘It’s always good to see you,’ which is the feeling I want to cultivate inside and outside of Rosey’s.”
While Rosey’s was celebrating its lovely first summer in the countryside that borders the towns of Ancram and Pine Plains, it was the latter that was saying goodbye to a local favorite, the Pine Plains Platter, when it closed its doors last September.
Gerber was curious about what would go into the open space on Church Street to replace the popular eatery and community hub. Gerber recognized the Platter was an important part of the community and felt it was import to try to “maintain a space that was for Pine Plains from Pine Plains.”
In speaking with the building’s landlord, Jack Banning, Gerber said he was interested in having a business on Church Street that wouldn’t be too disruptive to the town landscape. Though Gerber took over the lease where the Platter had been last October. Gerber said the goal is to “be an intentional neighbor and visitor and guest in this space.”
Rosey’s officially opened for business on Jan. 28.
Hours of operation run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays through Mondays; it’s closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to noon, and lunch is served from noon to 2 p.m.
Featured on the small, but scrumptious menu are dishes like Eggs a la Tony (a breakfast named after Rosey’s Chef Tony Bonades and comprised of two scrambled eggs, lightly dressed local greens and toast); ful medames (a Middle Eastern seasoned bean dip); torchi (Armenian pickled veggies); and the Chase Burger.
To the best of their ability, Gerber said the food is locally sourced, and as summer continues, she said the menu will see more additions as more items come into season.
To help keep Rosey’s running, the restaurant is staffed with two full-time cooks and four part-timers from the Pine Plains Central School District.
“They’re such important members of our team,” Gerber said of the teen staff, “and it feels like a real good connection to the community both to be providing jobs and a space where teens can feel ownership of and pride.”
In terms of becoming a central hub in town like The Platter had been, Gerber replied, “I think a lot of that honestly is responding to the community itself and seeing what is needed. I have my own ideas and attitudes about what Rosey’s could be, and I’m really excited for that to change in ways I maybe don’t even know.”
Looking ahead, Gerber said they’d like to continue having live music and to host more pop-ups events including bringing bakers, makers and cheesemakers to the café. Others have suggested hosting book clubs at Rosey’s. Given the popularity of their pickles, there’s been talk of holding pickling classes.
“I’m open to whatever Rosey’s needs to be,” Gerber said, adding that until then, “I think we need to be flexible and stay open.”
This article has been updated to correct the pronouns Jamie Gerber uses (they/them and not she/her).
Editor’s Note: The Millerton News would like to apologize to Jamie Gerber and anyone who was offended by the incorrect usage of she/her in this article on Rosey’s cafe in Pine Plains. We deeply regret the error and will strive to do better when reporting on all genders to represent a more inclusive society.
