For four decades, Sweet Sue’s was a beloved breakfast spot in Phoenicia serving namesake owner Sue’s legendary pancakes to hungry patrons from near and far. When Sue retired a few years ago, the new owners of the building tried to keep it going, but the venture was short-lived. Enter Rebecca Shim, a fine-dining chef with a love of all things local, who aims to honor the reputation and quality of food and service that Sue’s established in the small hamlet, but in her own way through a new cafe and marketplace Bettina.
Open since April, Bettina specializes in breakfast and lunch, with a small market featuring seasonally focused products with an emphasis on women-owned brands. “My intention for the cafe is to create a place where both residents of and visitors to Phoenicia know they’ll get healthy, fresh food in a comfortable setting, at a great value,” Shim says. “Not having Sweet Sue’s here has left a small hole in the community for many, so it was important for me to create a space to gather with coffee and pastry, comforting lunches, and a welcoming atmosphere.”
As a graduate of the former French Culinary Institute, Shim trained with French master Jacques Pepin, with a goal of learning how to make healthy meals inspired by French techniques. She helmed the kitchen at a restaurant in Brooklyn prior to opening Bettina.
“I ended up in fine dining but always wanted a gourmet market and cafe where I could play more with specials and offer a relaxed setting,” Shim explains. “I came up here because I was mostly burnt out from the city restaurant industry. I was serving a lot of product from the Hudson Valley, so I wanted to come up to learn about farming and where that food came from. I originally planned to work at an organic farm, but ended up with a cafe, living in Mt. Tremper, and now I just love it here.”
The cafe is set up so that you can either pop in for a coffee and pastry, or sit and stay with a hearty breakfast or lunch from Bettina’s menu of highly curated ingredients and purveyors. Shim tries to use local and seasonal products as often as possible, like Mt. Tremper-based coffee roaster Heavyfeather, who roasts beans a week before they’re delivered, or produce from Vale Catskills and Catskill Natural Farm, both located in Phoenicia.
In the marketplace, you’ll find items like Crown Maple Syrup, Fruition Chocolate, Hudson Valley Marshmallow Co., and other brands from both the region and surrounding areas. You’ll also find a selection of pastries made in-house: croissants, pan au chocolate, scones, muffins, cookies, brownies: “Familiar things with a twist,” Shim says.
On the cafe menu, popular picks include the taco skillet, made with blue corn masa cake, black beans, sunny-side-up eggs, queso fresco, and avocado salsa ($15) and baked French toast made with croissant, so it’s fluffy like a souffle, with a creme brulee bottom, mascarpone cheese, and changing fruit toppings—currently bosc pears ($16). But you can also grab an egg and cheese with tomato jam on ciabatta for $9.
Most lunch items range $14 to $15 and include a variety of options, like a mozzarella panini, housemade roast beef with brie, spicy fried chicken, and a few mixed-green salads with seasonal add-ins like butternut squash or toasted pecans. The daily vegan Bettina Bowl is among top sellers and features a changing selection of veggies ($15). “That’s another benefit of working with small farms,” Shim says, “sometimes I’ll get a box of eggplants, and it gives me the opportunity to be creative with what I can come up with, especially when updating our vegan bowl, which is surprisingly very popular. Committing to use local and small farms does add some challenges with low price points, but in the end it supports everyone.”
But of course, buttermilk pancakes are still a hot commodity in Phoenicia. “We’ve got Sue’s pancake recipe!” Shim says. “There are lots of new people in town these days, but others tell us they’ve been coming out here for 30 years and appreciate that we have it on our menu. And I love being able to honor what she did for the community by offering her recipe to people who miss their favorite place.”
That nod to sentimentality runs deep in Bettina’s philosophy. “Bettina is my grandmother, who had a store further upstate in Auburn—that old-fashioned type that’s part of the house you live in, and when someone walked in a bell would ring so she knew to come by and check on a customer,” Shim explains. “She was a huge inspiration to me and has a great backstory—she came over from Italy at 15 by herself—and it was very empowering for me to see her at the store. So now, that’s the feeling I want when people come to the cafe, like they’re coming to my home, where I can serve them in comfort.”
Extending on that notion, Shim has plans to expand Bettina’s hours startin in November to be open evenings a couple times a week to create a happy-hour community spot. “I think a place to meet up in the evening is needed in town, and the cafe has served as such a welcoming community spot in the daytime that we’re hoping that feeling will carry over at night,” she says.
Starting early November, she plans to have a menu with elevated bar food, plus wine, beer, and cocktails. “I want to serve high-quality food that’s approachable and at an affordable price; something for those who just want a night out with good food, but without spending too much.”
Expect shared platters, steak frites, a simple roast chicken, and a seared salmon dish. “It’s a focused menu with an emphasis on clean ingredients and careful preparation,” she says. “Even though I come from a fine dining background, I don’t like pretentiousness, and I want to make sure it feels approachable to everyone, not just visitors. Tourists are great, but they come and go, so I want locals to also feel like this is a place for all.”
Bettina is currently open Thursday through Monday from 8am until 3pm. Evening hours are anticipated to start in early November on Friday and Saturday from 5-8pm.
Bettina Cafe & Market
49 Main Street, Phoenicia, NY
