10/25/2025
Hello friends. This is Alison. I have something to share with you.
After several years and lots of contemplation, David and I have come to the place, and found the people, to pass on the Silverwater. We waited years for the right fit. But now the time has come. And it with a full heart that I can write these words.
When we opened on October 16, 1989, we had a funky kitchen, a beautiful espresso machine, a wood-fire heated dining room, and twelve unmatched tables with unmatched wooden chairs. No two forks matched. We had wobbly stools at the counter to serve our daily "boatbuilders specials", for $3.95, greeting the likes of Russell Brown and Ed Louchard and the gang, with a warm meal and a smile. Our budget was so tight that when I would call Sunny Farms (the nearest high volume produce farm at that time) I would say "I would like 4 red peppers, 4 cucumbers, 1 case of romaine, no, better make that 3 cucumbers...). We had very little working capital. Thankfully David was still a commercial fisherman. He would head up to Alaska for the summers and then fish the sound in the fall, and help to support the tiny cafe. We knew every face that came in. If someone new came along, we would get to know who they were pretty quickly. We had just enough business to keep our tiny staff of ten employed. We had our little fish and chips stand on the dock in the summers, dropping piles of fries and fish in a basket on a rope down to the boaters below. (Thank you Theresa Fitzgerald for single handedly cutting up tons of cod back then. You are the best friend ever.) It was a much simpler time. We had plenty of time to make lasting friendships with our guests, because there were times that one or two of them might be the only ones in the room. We probably made it through those first five years because of Donn Tretheway and Joe Wheeler eating soup with us every single day, Joe Breskin every night, helping us do the closing routine. We bought endless giant bags of the most beautiful basil from Steve Habbersetzer, plump bay scallops brought in every week from the West end, chantrelles from young poets living in vw vans, trading incredible paintings from Jim Alden for stir fried vegetables and rice to keep him fed and painting....all these amazing foods and artists to work with from right here. David, being a potter as well as a fisherman, hand made all of plates and bowls. Life was good.
Five years later we bought the old Elks building with two friends and started the largest renovation of a downtown historic building to date at that time. (Thank you Bob Little) (Also uggh! Don't do that if you are thinking about it lol). We moved into our new location with the walls still wet with paint. Immediately our lives jumped into fourth gear, our staff eventually rising to 50 people by the time Covid came along. We got through 9/11, the crash of 2008, the bridge going down, the sidewalks being replaced, the streets around us being replaced, and covid...during which time we opened the Mezzaluna in 2004, and the Starlight Theatre with Rocky in 2012. Catered 300 weddings, 21 Film Festivals, memorials, anniversaries and baby showers. We were blessed with amazing farms, dairies, (the Creamery), bakeries, fishermen, wine makers, brewers, candle makers, artists ( thank you Jesse Watson and Jason Squire for adorning our walls with your stunning creations)...top notch, all. We have had the most amazing people work for us! Thank you to every one. We employed over 1000 people, many of them being your beautiful children, venturing out into the world as a dishwasher or busser, leaving the nest in the evenings, you trusting us with them! What an honor. That was probably the most rewarding part of being in business, if there is a way to determine something like that.
I could write volumes about what an incredible life you have given us by supporting these two dreamers. We wanted a place where the community could come together and connect. But what we got was so far beyond that. It was a life. It has been an incredible journey. I was 24 years old when we started. I am turning 61 tomorrow. Its been an entire life. And I can't imagine a better one.
It will continue, with these new owners that we were blessed with finding that truly understand what we have always tried to provide. I ask that you continue to support them.
I am the wordy, emotional, never stop dreaming one, David is the stable anchor one. I can say for both us of us, though, thank you. Really, Thank You. From the deepest part of our hearts. We have loved this community with everything we've got. And will continue to do so. We will look for you in the the streets and stores and public events. I look forward to being able to finish conversations with you that I started 36 years ago and never had the time to finish.
I will miss you. It's been tremendous.
Now, as David greeted us every day as he was pouring his coffee, for decades,
"Are you ready for a bold and innocent new day?"
Thank you David Hero, for every single day.
Love. Love love love. Alison
