By Jerrica Andrews • Photos by Jessica McCafferty
Anton “Toni” Axelsson has been cooking all his life. The Icelandic native grew up learning from his father, who was a master chef. As a young man, he worked in his family’s restaurants before branching out on his own. In 1988, Axelsson and his family immigrated to the U.S., settling in California. Chrystal Kelly, a Seattle native, relocated to the Golden State where the two met. Now, nearly two decades and two successful restaurants later, the couple and their family of eight is here in New York and taking the region by storm.
During their time together in California, Axelsson and Kelly operated two successful restaurant ventures. They first opened the Old Barn Kitchen, in Paradise in 2018, which was sadly lost to the wild fires that ravaged the region. They reopened under the same name a few months later, at a new location in Chico, California. That location was claimed by COVID. Discouraged and lacking a sense of safety from the natural disasters plaguing the state, the couple started toying with the idea of moving as far from the fires as possible.
They found themselves focusing on small town life and a sense of community. Kelly, always looking for a challenge and loving old homes, found a small cottage in Essex, New York and purchased the 1860’s home sight unseen. They spent their first East Coast year restoring the cottage and running a small ice cream shop that served breakfast and lunch.
The family quickly discovered the cottage was just too small for all of them and began looking for larger homes and restaurant space in the region. They were considering Keeseville — which has certainly seen its share of new businesses in recent years — when, with perfect timing, Green Acres restaurant in Peru went on the market. The space reminded them of what they had with the Old Barn Kitchen, and the town also offered a house that met Kelly’s love of restoration. The 1800’s stone farm house was big enough for their growing family and with land they could homestead on.
In July of 2023 they purchased the former Green Acres 1800 square foot building on just under an acre lot in the center of the village of Peru, gave it a quick freshening up and opened the doors on August 8th as Rove Café & Kitchen.
Axelsson started with a six day a week breakfast and lunch menu. Rove’s specialty — Eggs Benedict — is offered in ten sensational combinations like smoked salmon and spinach on their Icelandic Benny or Corned beef hash on the Irish version. Each is a wonderful blend of fresh ingredients served with three perfectly poached eggs on an open-faced English muffin, smothered in one of Axelsson’s own Hollandaise sauce creations. “I bring the food to the next level,” he commented. The Santa Fe version has a spicy Hollandaise, while the California version with avocado has a more traditional subdued sauce.
Ingredients make the difference, and fresh and local is key. Some of Rove’s locally sourced items come from Pray’s Market, Red Oak Bakery and Larder and Driscoll Foods. The juice served with breakfast is fresh squeezed in the kitchen. Everything served is made from scratch, whether it be at the restaurant or where it is sourced. Their baked goods are made in-house by a friend. (While Kelly loves to bake, it’s one of the items she has learned to delegate in order to accomplish all she wants in a day.)
Both breakfast and lunch are available throughout their service hours, allowing you a burger for breakfast or a “Benny” for lunch. Rove’s burger selection rivals that of their Eggs Benedict, boasting combinations like the Viking Burger, with bacon and egg or the Avocado Jack Burger with creamy avocado and Monterey jack cheese. (While I was interviewing Toni and Chrystal, I overheard a patron saying his burger was, “Out of this world, cooked to perfection and with amazing flavor.”)
Rove Cafe and Kitchen has quickly become popular in Peru and word continues to spread. It is not surprising to find a line at the door on weekends. In their ten-table dining room, they can average about 180 guests on both Saturday and Sunday with weekday traffic closer to 50 people a day. Despite an occasional delay, diners find the fabulous food worth waiting for.
With five full size picnic tables added along the side of the restaurant, Rove will be able to almost double its seating in good weather. A converted trailer on the beautiful grassy area behind the restaurant will be serving ice cream. One could easily see this little area becoming a town favorite.
With many of Rove’s patrons inquiring about evening hours, the couple decided to dip their toe into the dinner waters a few nights a week. Starting in late May, Rove expanded hours to include dinner services on Friday and Saturday evenings. Highlights from the menu include the raved-about Rove Mushrooms — a mushroom medley served on a grilled baguette topped with a creamy white wine sauce. Their Cajun Chicken Pasta, a New York Strip or Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut are just a few of the featured entrees. For something a little more low key, they offer “Handhelds,” burgers made with lamb or brisket served with a side of French fries.
Clearly Rove is a whole lot of variety in one little package and the community will continue to see interesting offerings from both Axelsson and Kelly. As the business evolves, the couple strives to find a better balance of work and family life, allowing them time with their family and maybe a little self-care. Life is all about sustainability and that requires balance.
Rove Cafe & Kitchen
3065 Main Street
Peru, NY 12972
518-643-5152
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