The Creek House Grill, a woman-owned bar and restaurant on Main Street in the hamlet of Callicoon, made its grand debut on May 27.

Owner Karen Dettori and her husband John, alongside employee Sara Kelly, have since brought a fresh scene to Main Street, complete with a full menu, drinks, and the pursuit of that comfortable feeling of dining with friends and family.

The building has changed hands a number of times throughout recent history, going from Matthew’s on Main, to the Raleigh and now finally the Creek House Grill.

“We definitely want to be part of the community,” John said. “The community’s ever-widening here, there’s a lot of people coming up from the city, we want them to feel welcome, as well as the locals.”

When asked why they chose Callicoon for the location for their newest eatery, they mentioned that the surrounding area holds great personal significance for the two.

The Dettori’s have been in the area together for around 10 years, but scenes from John’s childhood were spent in Roscoe, as his father owned property in Callicoon, while Karen’s lineage links to the town of Kells in the county of Meath in Ireland.

Karen noted that her journey to America began in 1996 when she desired to live alongside her best friend in the US and moved to New York, gaining experience in the bartending and the restaurant business in Queens, NY. She said she plans on using that experience to enhance that of the Creek House Grill.

John graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, and gained experience in the kitchen as a chef in New York City for 25 years. John also worked as a Food Service Director for Tiffany and Co. for 10 years.

With the help of their employee Sara Kelly, who also hails from Ireland, the Creek House Grill is fully open and ready to go. The Dettori’s also said that the other businesses in Callicoon have been welcoming and supportive.

The Dettori’s goal for the Creek House Grill is to provide good service and become a hub for locals and visitors to the Catskills alike, but also keep the original spirit of the location authentic, and create an atmosphere that welcomes guests and provides for a good time. John and Karen said that they love the Catskills region and all it has to offer, and that they “want to be the place to go to.”

“We are not trying to change the Catskills, we are just trying to add to it,” Karen said. “And when you walk in [to the Creek House Grill], we want you to feel like you’re in the Catskills, and that you want to sit at our table and have dinner with us.”

Although their website is not currently active, the Dettori’s stated their intent for a new website they hope to be operational within the coming future.

As for their hours, dinner is available on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 5 pm to 9 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 9 pm.