Featured photo Adobe Stock | Vitaliy. All other photos by Allison Shipper
At Rosie General, the classic Italian general store meets the iconic Jewish deli in the heart of Kingston’s historic district.
It’s hard not to be blown away by the sandwiches at Rosie General. There are breakfast versions and afternoon options, all made with bread and bagels that are baked daily, and spiced up with pickles, mayo, and other homemade condiments. There are also fresh baked cookies and cakes—so many in fact that it’s hard to choose.
But that’s not all you’ll find at this eclectic spot. Browse the shelves, and you’ll discover homemade pickles, marinated peppers, pearled olives, plus condiments like spicy mayo. There’s also local pasta and cheeses, and baskets full of local produce. And there’s even a shelf devoted to sundries, like confectioner’s sugar and cleaning products.
The best way to think of this newcomer is corner Italian grocery store meets Jewish deli, with a bit of a Brooklyn vibe tossed in. The restaurant is run by the Sasso family—Anthony, who is the chef, bread baker, and maker of condiments and pickles; sister Nicole, who bakes the cookies and other sweets; and sisters Andrea and Ashley, whom you’ll find behind the counter. The siblings grew up in the hamlet of Glasco, though Anthony and Nicole spent many years working in restaurants in Manhattan before moving back to the Hudson Valley.
Rosie General, which opened in mid-May, sits on the corner of Broadway and Abeel in the heart of historic Kingston. Formerly the site of Skillypot Antiques, the store has morphed into an eatery that features big picture windows, a marble counter, banquettes made from old floorboards, and second-hand fixtures and dishware scored from various spots around the Valley. The entire family—including their parents, husbands, and boyfriends—worked on the renovation.
The inspiration behind the restaurant came from a road trip that Anthony took from NYC to Los Angeles three years ago to open a restaurant. The project fell through, but along the way he learned how to bake bread at Gjusta, a bakery and café in Venice, California. “Something just clicked and I knew I wanted to do a bakery. I really liked the hands on feeling of it,” he recalls.
Another source of inspo? Stopping at various roadside stores across the country. “They have a little bit of everything—toys, fishing bait, groceries, sandwiches, prepared food. I loved that,” he explains. Once he was back in the HV, Anthony wanted to open something with “that kind of philosophy and mentality.” Then, in his words, “I dragged my sisters along for the ride.”
DON’T MISS: Everything is delicious. “We really do kill ourselves by making it all fresh and from scratch. That’s how I was trained,” says Anthony. Try the pastrami and chicken salad sandwiches. The pastrami is served on fresh caraway rye with pickles and homemade mustard. The chicken salad tops a sourdough that is to die for. If breakfast is more your thing, try the jam toast with local whipped ricotta. The best-selling sweets are the salted chocolate chip cookies and the olive oil lemon cake.
OTHER GOOD-TO-KNOWS: There are specials, usually built around seasonal ingredients, like a scrambled egg sandwich with squash blossoms or strawberry shortcake (or jam). The produce on sale comes from area farms as well as the Sassos’ own garden.
WHAT’S NEXT: Soon you can have a glass of rosé with that smoked trout sandwich. There will also be dinners, at least twice a week. The menu will be limited to two or three options to be shared among whoever is sitting at your table. “The dish will always be paired with fresh vegetables prepared simply, a lot of dips for bread,” says Anthony. “I want to share what this place looks like at sunset. It’s just a gorgeous corner, and the way that the sun hits, it’s a special place at night, that’s for sure.”
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