New restaurant serving breakfast and lunch set to open Oct. 4 near rail trail in Rockland

Two sisters with an affinity toward vintage and a love for Rockland are behind the new Rail Trail Cafe & Mercantile, a breakfast and lunch spot opening Oct. 4 in Blauvelt.

The 34-seat eatery, which will most likely softly open a few days earlier, is owned by Pearl River native and chef Kerri Horgan. Area foodies may know Horgan from her stints at Nanuet Restaurant in Nanuet, D'Vine Bar in Sparkill, Morgan's Publick House in Tappan and Cafe Diem in Pearl River. Horgan owns the eatery with her sister Coleen Dahlem, a former second-grade teacher in the Bronx who was ready for a change and happy to work closer to home (she lives in Orangeburg).

"The opportunity presented itself and we took it," said Horgan of the space that had sat empty for 10 years. Previously, it was Backstreet Bar & Grill. Plus, the location, right off Blauvelt's rail trail, helped cinch the deal. "How great it is to have a cafe right next to where people walk, bike and run?" said Horgan. Customers can expect dog bowls outside as well as dog bowls in their mercantile section.

It also helped that the two wanted to do something together. "We'd been kicking around an idea for a while," said Horgan. "So this worked out."

Coffee, candles and lanterns

The sisters kept the footprint of the spot the same, with the original bar (now cleaned up!), and added tin siding on the side. They also put in new floors, painted, added cushioned seating along the far wall and, with the help of Samantha Goldsack of Pearl River's Main Street Interiors, brought their vision to life.

The result is a combo cafe/mercantile with a shopping area in the corner featuring candles, candies, dish towels, honey, dog bowls, ceramics, coffee mugs, T-shirts and train stickers. There's even wooden kitchen spoons decorated with the faces of the characters from "The Golden Girls." Many of the candies include old-timey stuff like candy necklaces, licorice, oversized lollipops and wax bottles.

"We both love general stores and felt there wasn't anything like this in the area, so we wanted to include that," said Dahlem. Everything they've curated has a story behind it and the two hope to add more as they grow, including from local vendors.

More: Catch up with Rockland's new eateries and those opening soon

The theme, as the name implies, is trains and old railroad tracks. A wall of lanterns lines the hallway to the kitchen, and there are assorted railroad crossing signs and pictures in the bathroom. There are also black and white photos of the Blauvelt and Orangeburg train stations on the wall, along with a traffic light in the corner flanked by comfy chairs with pillows imprinted with trains. Horgan will also have a whistle in the restaurant that will sound like a train, which she thinks will be fun for kids.

Adding to the cozy vibe: a Frame TV featuring a cabin with a blazing fire.

The food

Horgan wants to bring a little bit of everything to the menu, from her fine-dining experience to her elevated comfort food, to create refined but approachable plates for breakfast and lunch. That means plenty of salads, sandwiches, chili, stews, soup, flatbreads (available gluten-free), burgers (including vegan) and mac and cheese. There are also pastries, flapjacks, smoothies, toasts and corned beef hash, as well as doughnuts from Northvale, N.J.'s D'Ercole Donuts and house-made baked goods.

Sample items include berry and ricotta toast with homemade berry coulis, creamy ricotta, lemon zest, local honey drizzle and French country toast; mount Reuben, thinly sliced beer-braised corned beef piled high on sourdough toast topped with kraut, melted Swiss and Thousand Island dressing; and the chopped Italian combo salad with ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, shredded iceberg, chopped Jersey tomatoes, sliced red onion, pickled cherry and banana peppers, garlic croutons and a red wine vinaigrette.

More: How to find the best food in Westchester, Rockland and see what new spots are opening soon

Diners will also find Horgan's famous wings — 10 for $10 all day! — served in varieties such as Buffalo, barbecue, Thai chili, Carolina tangy, honey garlic, garlic parmesan, garlic pistachio, Korean barbecue, Alabama White, fire (cherry pepper) and Chipotle lime.

Whether you're there for coffee or a burger, the Americana rail trail theme continues with signage above the door that reads: "Happy Trails to you, until we meet again!"

If you go

Address: 543 Western Highway, Blauvelt, 845-613-7639

Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and to 3 p.m. Sunday

Good to know: The cafe features a Coffee Club with unlimited drip coffee each month and a complimentary Rail Trail travel mug to the first 10 people that sign up each month. The cafe is located behind the Blauvelt Library near Blauvelt's rail trail.

Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @lohud_food or via the lohudfood newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Blauvelt NY new restaurant offers vintage finds, elevated comfort food