Restaurant to open in Stowe village
Stowe village’s newest restaurant will offer California-inspired cuisine in a trendy setting.
Plate opens March 12 at 91 Main St. next to Ferro Estate & Custom Jewelers.
Owners Jamie Persky and Mark Rosman are familiar faces in Stowe. They owned Jamie’s on Main before selling the popular breakfast and lunch place two years ago.
The couple took some time off to travel and spend time with family before looking at several possible restaurant locations throughout Stowe.
“We like the village,” Persky said. “It’s a great location. It’s what we’re used to and where people are used to seeing us.”
The cozy space suits them perfectly.
“We wanted something small enough that we could enjoy it and not run a factory,” Persky said.
Both natives of Los Angeles, Persky and Rosman describe their menu as “California meets Vermont.”
“We’ll offer a lot of salads, but not wimpy salads,” said Persky, a vegetarian.
Instead, their salads will feature exotic grains like farro and other hearty ingredients.
“It’s the type of place where you can come with a meat lover and a hard-core vegan and we can offer something for everyone,” Persky said.
Chef Aaron Martin formerly worked as an executive banquet chef and sous chef at Stowe Mountain Resort. He spent last summer in California working with renowned restaurateur and chef Alice Waters.
“We met him once and we knew he was the right guy,” Persky said.
Martin plans to stick to a smaller menu of about 18 items, which will allow him to change things easily.
“I want to keep it simple and let the food speak for itself,” Martin said. “I’ll take what I saw in California and try to implement it in the best way here.”
Additionally, Martin will work to accommodate customers with food allergies and whip up kid-friendly meals on request.
The bar will offer four beers on tap — two from the West Coast, one from Lost Nation Brewery in Morrisville, and a German beer, along with 35 wines.
Persky and Rosman are carefully sourcing their ingredients to provide high-quality meals while “keeping the price point where people can come in twice a week,” Rosman said.
The restaurant will be open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m. at first. It will eventually add a lunch menu and remain open six or seven days a week.
“We want to perfect what we’re doing,” Persky said. “We don’t want to rush it.”
The restaurant’s décor — a palette of charcoal grey, chrome and white with dark wood and brick accents and industrial-inspired fixtures — lends a modern feel with rustic touches.
The beer tap was created from a mix of black industrial piping and old gauges. Artwork created by children of the couple’s friends decorates the walls.
A large window with counter seating below it allows diners to peer into the open kitchen.
“I like to perform,” Martin said.
The space last housed Stafford’s Funeral Home, which closed in 2006 and was in disrepair when Persky and Rosman purchased it.
“It was trashed,” Persky said. “We started from the ground up.”
The interior design by Tania Kratt of Armstrong Designs makes use of every inch of space. The seating is a mix of small built-in booths and custom-built tables that can slide together to accommodate larger parties.
There’s additional seating at the spacious bar.
“We’re going to promote bar eating,” Persky said. “We’re a 50-seat restaurant. Every seat counts.”
She and Rosman plan to have a soft opening before their official opening on March 12.
They want customers to feel welcome and become regulars.
“This is everyone’s home; that’s how we feel,” Rosman said.
“It’s what we miss most about Jamie’s; it was our social life,” Persky said. “We’re so excited.”
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