Over those years, you meet a wide array of people who got into the industry for different reasons.
I’ve met the people born into it, the people who took over the restaurant from their parents, and the chef who finally wanted to make it on his own. And I’ve met the dreamers, the people who fell in love with the industry without any experience in it.
I’ve met everyone from decades-long chefs and cooks who finally got an investor and wanted to take a stab at owning a restaurant, to branch managers at local banks who loved cooking at home for friends and family and decided to pursue their dream of owning their own place.
Many years ago, I met a successful dentist who was lonely. He spent every free night or day in local bars and restaurants in the village where he lived. When I asked what possessed him to invest a few hundred thousand dollars in a new restaurant, he responded, “I just love the passion and the energy in this industry so much, and I wanted to finally be a part of it.” My guess is that he watched the movie Chef one too many times, read too many books that glamorize the industry, and listened to too many idiots who swindled him out of his money by promising high profits and plenty of customers.
In all that time, I had never once met an author turned restaurant owner, until I met the owner of the Village Tavern.
Her story was incredibly interesting to me, but I don’t know how much I’m supposed to tell you here, so I’ll include some of the points and hope she doesn’t mind.
She was living in Texas. She came back to the area for a college reunion at a local university, where she ran into an old flame. They hit it off, and the next thing you know she’s back in the Finger Lakes and they own a restaurant together. They called in a favor from a friend who is an industry expert. He spent a year with them showing them the ropes, developing the menu and recipes, and teaching them and their staff how things should be done before he vanished back out west.
Sometimes these restaurants are the most surprising. When a true outsider comes into the industry and calls the shots, it’s almost like they don’t know any better, so they do things differently than everybody else, and it just works. I’m not saying that’s the case at the Village Tavern; I just don’t know enough about it. But it was refreshing to see a Creole menu in a place like this. Again, that’s not something I would have expected.
Don’t get me wrong, I would have given my ring finger to see crawfish étouffée, crab claws, or crawfish on the menu. But I’ll happily settle for the she-crab bisque and the fresh-made beignets.
The inside of the restaurant reminds me of a Wisconsin supper club meets a Maine fish shack. Old wood, somewhat dimly lit, and a feeling that there should be an anchor and a porthole somewhere on the wall.
They have a pretty extensive wine list featuring wines from the area, and above all, they’re kind. The staff, the owner, everyone was nice. I’d even go so far as to say friendly.
It’s another restaurant where I went in not knowing what to expect, aside from judgments I made based on the name.
The Village Tavern: I expect a thick cheeseburger with applewood-smoked bacon and cheddar. I expect thick-cut french fries and a turkey club. I expect a solid wedge salad and a French onion soup to rival the best. I did not expect to walk in and find Creole food.
So if you’re like me and were going to do zero research before heading to the Village Tavern, and you’re reading this now, I hate to say I just ruined it for you. But head in there, order the she-crab bisque and the beignets and a few other things, and enjoy what I found to be a very delightful restaurant.
📍30 Mechanic St.
Hammondsport, NY
