'Hops & Chops' right at home in Sherburne
SHERBURNE – In its first month of operation, recently-opened bar and restaurant Hops & Chops has found itself right at home in downtown Sherburne.
Formerly the location of Nina's Italian Grill and more notably Lewis' restaurant, which was once a fixture in the Sherburne community, lifelong Sherburne-resident and Hops n Chops Owner/Operator Erin Shapley-Blenis says it has been her mission at Hops & Chops to provide local families within the community a 'destination.'
“Since we've opened, I've had a lot of people come in and say, 'Thank you, thank you for doing this for us. Thank you for bringing a place back where people used to go every Friday night, and can still go back now,'” Shapley-Blenis said.
Shapley-Blenis says that the vibe at Hops & Chops is that of a 'casual kitchen' where local residents can take their family to get higher-end food––“but you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for it.”
“We have gourmet burgers, and if you don't want my weird stuff on it, you can build your own,” said Shapley-Blenis. “Everything's homemade, made from scratch: I smoke my own meat here, I make all of my appetizers in-house, everything is made here––nothing frozen or bought from the stores.”
The result, says Shapley-Blenis, is a family-friendly environment that has something to offer for people of all ages.
“When you come into Hops & Chops, it's like hanging out with your family,” Shapley-Blenis said. “Your kids are coloring on the table, your grandmother is loving the food that we serve, dad is maybe enjoying a beer he's never seen before––It's cool things like that that make me love what I do. It's cool to see that everyday.”
The tables at Hops & Chops are all made of chalkboard, which Shapley-Blenis alone says has kids raving about the new restaurant. Shapley-Blenis says the original idea was to use butcher's paper as table cloths that doubled as canvases for kids, but it wasn't sustainable.
“I'm not a hippie by any means but I do think about the environment,” Shapley-Blenis. “We realized we were going to go through way too much paper. And so I came up with the chalkboard tables.”
While the kids love it, Shapley-Blenis says the bar and restaurant has something to offer for people of all tastes. Shapley-Blenis went on to note that the restaurant has two separate bars: One serving beer and liquor, and a quieter bar out back serving wine. Hops & Chops also plays venue to live entertainment every Saturday night.
“That's what makes me feel like I made it: When I sit back and see all kinds of local people – people I grew up with, people whose kids I went to school with – here at my restaurant having a good time,” said Shapley-Blenis.
Asked what makes things run so smoothly at the new bar and restaurant, Shapley-Blenis said, "Hands-down, the staff. I will put my serving staff up against any serving staff in Chenango County."
Although nothing is set in stone yet, Shapley-Blenis says Hops & Chops is reserving its Grand Opening event for the next full-moon, so that a 'block-party' of sorts may ensue on the Hops n Chops property.
Hops & Chops is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to close with the kitchen closing at 11 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Hops & Chops is located at 93 North Main Street in Sherburne.
Grady Thompson Photo
Formerly the location of Nina's Italian Grill and more notably Lewis' restaurant, which was once a fixture in the Sherburne community, lifelong Sherburne-resident and Hops n Chops Owner/Operator Erin Shapley-Blenis says it has been her mission at Hops & Chops to provide local families within the community a 'destination.'
“Since we've opened, I've had a lot of people come in and say, 'Thank you, thank you for doing this for us. Thank you for bringing a place back where people used to go every Friday night, and can still go back now,'” Shapley-Blenis said.
Shapley-Blenis says that the vibe at Hops & Chops is that of a 'casual kitchen' where local residents can take their family to get higher-end food––“but you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for it.”
“We have gourmet burgers, and if you don't want my weird stuff on it, you can build your own,” said Shapley-Blenis. “Everything's homemade, made from scratch: I smoke my own meat here, I make all of my appetizers in-house, everything is made here––nothing frozen or bought from the stores.”
The result, says Shapley-Blenis, is a family-friendly environment that has something to offer for people of all ages.
“When you come into Hops & Chops, it's like hanging out with your family,” Shapley-Blenis said. “Your kids are coloring on the table, your grandmother is loving the food that we serve, dad is maybe enjoying a beer he's never seen before––It's cool things like that that make me love what I do. It's cool to see that everyday.”
The tables at Hops & Chops are all made of chalkboard, which Shapley-Blenis alone says has kids raving about the new restaurant. Shapley-Blenis says the original idea was to use butcher's paper as table cloths that doubled as canvases for kids, but it wasn't sustainable.
“I'm not a hippie by any means but I do think about the environment,” Shapley-Blenis. “We realized we were going to go through way too much paper. And so I came up with the chalkboard tables.”
While the kids love it, Shapley-Blenis says the bar and restaurant has something to offer for people of all tastes. Shapley-Blenis went on to note that the restaurant has two separate bars: One serving beer and liquor, and a quieter bar out back serving wine. Hops & Chops also plays venue to live entertainment every Saturday night.
“That's what makes me feel like I made it: When I sit back and see all kinds of local people – people I grew up with, people whose kids I went to school with – here at my restaurant having a good time,” said Shapley-Blenis.
Asked what makes things run so smoothly at the new bar and restaurant, Shapley-Blenis said, "Hands-down, the staff. I will put my serving staff up against any serving staff in Chenango County."
Although nothing is set in stone yet, Shapley-Blenis says Hops & Chops is reserving its Grand Opening event for the next full-moon, so that a 'block-party' of sorts may ensue on the Hops n Chops property.
Hops & Chops is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to close with the kitchen closing at 11 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Hops & Chops is located at 93 North Main Street in Sherburne.
Grady Thompson Photo
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