Out to Eat . . . at Erie Station in Fort Plain

For many, the Fort Plain venue is exactly that.

“It’s a mom-and-pop place with a down-home feel. But I have people that come in and say, ‘I feel like I’ve been transported to Saratoga,” Frederick said.

Located on Canal Street, the restaurant serves everything from steak to seafood. The menu also includes a sizable list of sandwiches and salads but perhaps the real attraction is the specials that Frederick makes, which people come back to request again sometimes months later.

Beyond the food, the atmosphere is something akin to “Cheers,” Frederick noted. There are games to keep kids entertained and some evenings feature live music from local songwriters.

Frederick, who said she comes from a long line of good cooks, opened the place with her husband David in 2013 after catering events for friends and family for years.

“Everybody would tell me, ‘You need brick and mortar, you need brick and mortar.’ And so I was like, ‘Well, why not? Let’s try it,’” Frederick said.

Eleven years in and it seems to be working out. Next week, The Station will be part of Take a Bite of Montgomery, the county’s restaurant week that runs from Wednesday through Sunday. It’s one of more than 20 eateries involved in the event, which offers deals on meals throughout the week.

Frederick wants The Station to be a place where people can take a breath.

“I want you to enjoy your experience because this world is crazy. We’re all really busy and I want you just to slow it down for a moment. Listen to some good music, laugh, play some games and enjoy yourself,” Frederick said.

The Gazette recently caught up with Frederick about The Station’s most popular dishes and the atmosphere she aims to cultivate there.

Q: How has the place changed since you first opened?

A: Obviously, starting as a new business, there’s such uncertainty, right? Now, it’s just really become a staple in the area. People don’t call it Erie Station, they call it The Station. It gives it some credibility and familiarity and a sense of home for folks. People that knew about it, now going on 11 years ago, they come back home, they make sure they come to The Station and see everybody.

It’s that sense of familiarity, friends getting together, families having special events there. I went from people getting engaged there to now coming in with one or two children and having a family dinner. There’s been such growth in the place and real stability. I think the locals know, it’s — in a sense — their watering hole. They take ownership of it as much as I do.

One of the things that we do that is unique — when I first started I was being really strict to my menu, and now — customers come in and will see something that I did a special maybe even a year ago, and will ask for me by name, and I come out — I’m the owner, but I’m also the chef — and I will come out and someone will be like, ‘Hey, you made this for me’ and they’ll show me the picture. And I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, I know what that is.’ And I’ll make it.

My philosophy is when you come to my home, I want you to feel loved. I want you to feel supported and the way I show that is through my food and how I treat you. I want to know, was it good? Are you happy with it? If you weren’t, what do you want me to do differently for you?

Q: What have been some of your most popular dishes?

A: It ranges. I think people really like that they can get seafood here and not pay such an astronomical price, especially in this day and age. Our prime rib, I sell my prime rib every week. I have an array of unique chicken wing sauces that we make. Our Erie greens are completely different from anybody’s around.

With a lot of my stuff, I use local resources but I also use local beers, wines and liquors. So in my greens, I use some liquor in there. My alfredo, I put pinot grigio in it. With my barbecue, it’s a Jack Daniels barbecue sauce. Two of my biggest selling burgers are the Erie burger, which has a Jager sauce, and Drunken Aloha, which has Jim Beam honey sauce that I make.

Q: On average, what would a dinner cost?

A: If somebody wants to come in for dinner, get a burger, and let’s say you want a soda or even a beer, it’s well under $20. The alfredo is again going to feed two people, it’s $15 and you get the salad bar already with it.

Q: What sort of atmosphere do you want to cultivate at The Station?

A: I want to ensure that it’s a very eclectic atmosphere and an inclusive one. We have all walks of life [coming in] and they really commingle and get along. Everybody knows they’re welcome and that they will be treated with the most love and respect.

It’s a safe environment for all and it’s fun. I always got credits in the jukebox for people playing music. We’re always busting chops at the bar.

Q: Is there anything you want people to know about The Station that they might not?

A: There’s a misconception that it’s a bar. That prevents people from coming in.

I want people to understand that this is family-owned, with a long history of good cooks. It’s an inclusive establishment. Our prices range from all sorts of stuff, and we work with any budget.

Q: What are your plans for Take a Bite of Montgomery?

A: We’re doing $15 pasta dishes and then any military gets a 5% discount and anybody that’s active gets a free signature starter. My son and my daughter-in-law are in the Navy so military’s very special to me.

Images: Erie Station Bar & Grill in Fort Plain (13 photos)