As Amy tells it, “It all began on a hungry Monday!” Or as Plato would put it, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Either way, we have a delightful new member of our business family – the Monday Tuesday Grill.
For several years now, most of the area restaurants have been closing on Mondays and Tuesdays to rest and restock for the busier days of the week. And we don’t blame them one bit! They work HARD and feed hundreds of hungry hikers and travelers every day.
The problem was that there were STILL hungry hikers and travelers on Mondays and Tuesdays and on more than one occasion, they became “hangry” as we explained the limited options.
Then one Monday, the issue struck even closer to home. At the end of a long work day, Amy was hangry! After scarfing down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she called Wayne who was working at our sister inn, the ADK Trail Inn, (make this a link www.adktrailinn.com) and announced, “We are opening a restaurant!”
He laughed!
(On a side note, one should never laugh at a woman who just ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner.) The short version of the story is that two weeks later, the Monday Tuesday Grill opened!
The original vision was to “flip a few burgers” for our guests and whoever else might straggle in. But the Universe had other plans.
As car after car pulled in, we stared at each other in amazement. Locals and tourists mingled around the tables in the cozy dining room. Others sat outside around the campfire and visited for hours! Within two weeks, we were serving 50-60 customers a night – quite a few for two people! So we drafted one of our evening staff members to help fill plates in the kitchen.
We were surprised by the success but even more surprised by how much FUN we were having! Pulling out our favorite family recipes and serving them to our town was extremely fulfilling. There is nothing like good food to bring people together.
So what can you expect when you visit the Monday Tuesday Grill?
- Well … for starters, don’t come on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday! We really are only open on Mondays and Tuesdays. We even embroidered it on our aprons so we won’t be tempted to change our minds!
- Don’t expect a “real” restaurants with waitresses and fancy dishes. Think friendly food truck with indoor seating. Actually it’s more like a food truck, the Cheers bar (without alcohol), and a backyard BBQ at your moms all combined. In other words, come prepared for a simple, fun, and affordable experience like none other. (Most of our meals are $10!)
- Our menu changes seasonally. During the summer/fall, we fire up the grill and serve flame-grilled burgers, Peach Whisky BBQ chicken, and a variety of cookout-style sides. You might enjoy ordering Amish Broccoli Salad (a favorite at our family cookouts for over 30 years) or our open-fire camping dish – Cowboy Supper. Don’t forget to save room for the locally famous Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches.
- At the end of October, we close for a few weeks. When we reopen for the winter season, we fire up the indoor griddle and the menu changes to hearty comfort foods like gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, savory soups, and our family favorites specialties like lasagna and shepherd’s pie.
- For weekly menus and behind the scenes fun, follow the Monday Tuesday Grill on Instagram or Facebook (please make links for both –
Facebook link: (4) Monday Tuesday Grill | Upper Jay NY | Facebook
Instagram link: Monday Tuesday Grill – Start the Week Right! (@mondaytuesdaygrill) | Instagram
Our spontaneous “hungry Monday” idea has turned into one of our grandest adventures. And isn’t that just the way life works? When you see a need and offer your gifts to fill it, you find purpose and joy.
We hope to see you at the Monday Tuesday Grill on your next visit to Keene Valley! The Grill is located at our sister inn, the ADK Trail Inn, 11757 State Route 9N – Between Keene and Upper Jay, NY. We are open from 5-8pm on Monday and Tuesday nights ONLY.
