From dishwashers to restaurant owners: Brothers to open new Rockland eatery Stevie G's
ROCKLAND – Butterfield's Restaurant, a staple in Rockland for more than 40 years, will be replaced by a new restaurant that will serve many of the same dishes, with brunch-themed cocktails on the side.
Butterfield's shut down in October after it was sold to brothers Andrew and Matt Loconsolo and Andrew's wife, Shannon. The Loconsolo brothers first worked at Butterfield's as dishwashers when they were in high school, and will put their own spin on the eatery.
The restaurant, called Stevie G's, will serve breakfast, lunch and brunch, along with cocktails, wine and beer, Andrew Loconsolo said.
"Someone reached out to us and said the former owners were interested in selling to us, and it has a great location, so things came full circle," Andrew said. "We're back where we got our start as dishwashers. It's cool to come back and be the owners."
"We're keeping Butterfield's staples, but putting our own culinary twists on them," he said.
One of those twists will be cannoli pancake tacos, paired with a Korean fried chicken and waffles dish they're calling "Far East Coast chicken."
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"My brother and I have been cooking for close to 20 years, from comfort food to breakfast to fine dining, and we're trying to do a little bit of both here," he said.
To set themselves apart from other restaurants, they will be offering a walk-up coffee bar area where people can stop by to order a cappuccino or a latte.
"We're still keeping it traditional," he said. "We want people to know we're not taking away anything Butterfield's was offering. We just want to give them some more options."
One of those options will be acai bowls as the brothers work toward more gluten-free options.
"Another big thing we're doing is a house-smoked brisket hash, which will be smoked in our smoker for 12 hours. It's a Texas-style barbecue brisket hash," Loconsolo said.
Andrew Loconsolo said he learned about innovation in the breakfast realm while working at Yaz's Table in Abington.
Renovated and renamed, Stevie G's is set to open Jan. 25.
Andrew Loconsolo said the name, Stevie G's, is a tribute to his daughter, Stevie Grace, who is named after his father-in-law, the late Stephen Gerrish, of Hanover.
"He was a huge help for us," he said. "He helped us look for a bunch of locations. He suddenly passed away three years ago, and he was a big part of us starting our own business."
Brunch cocktails
While Butterfield's had a beer and wine license, Loconsolo applied for a new license to sell beer, wine and spirits.
The Rockland Board of Selectmen and the zoning board have signed off on the permit but the restaurant is still waiting for final approval from the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
Some ideas for brunch-inspired cocktails came easily, including Bloody Marys and mimosas, but others are still in works, the Loconsolos said, such as the French toast martini, which will be rimmed with cinnamon and nutmeg.
"Financially, it's a no-brainer," Andrew Loconsolo said. "It gives a little twist on the dining experience and kind of makes it a place to celebrate, to have a toast."
Colorful décor marks renovated interior
The outside of the restaurant has a new sign and the inside has been splashed with color. The booths were reupholstered and the new owners built a seven-seat bar and sanded the tables. A fresh coat of paint, new floors and a music system were added and the bathrooms were brought into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In the kitchen, everything is new.
"A big part of what we did here was bring everything up to the current time," Andrew Loconsolo said.
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Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@patriotledger.com.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Stevie G's, replacing Butterfields, set to open in Rockland for brunch