Gigi’s Place, located at 568 Main St. in Apalachin, N.Y., at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue, is celebrating its first anniversary. Open Monday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Gigi’s Place boasts the “best breakfast in town” and offers an impressive lunch menu, too. Take-out orders are welcomed. For more information, call (607) 625-2212 or visit their Facebook page. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)
Natalie Richetti, owner of Gigi’s Place, located at 568 Main St. in Apalachin, N.Y. poses inside the restaurant next to paintings by featured artist of the month, Jean Krawczyk. Open Monday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., there is something for every appetite at Gigi’s Place, which serves breakfast and lunch. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)
Gigi’s Place, located at 568 Main St. in Apalachin, N.Y., will celebrate its first anniversary on Tuesday, April 7. A fresh new look and inviting atmosphere greets customers at this charming small-town diner, which offers “great food and great company” seven days a week. Don’t let the old “Top of the Hill” sign fool you; it will be updated. The “Gigi’s Place” logo welcomes customers at the front door.
Open Monday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Gigi’s Place boasts the “best breakfast in town” and serves the breakfast menu all day until closing. With old fashioned breakfast entrees that feature a variety of egg dishes, big breakfasts like “The Bomb” and the “Hungry Man,” French toast and pancakes, and a large selection of omelets and breakfast sandwiches as well as ala-carte items, there is something for every appetite at Gigi’s Place. All menu items are prepared from scratch, always fresh and made-to-order.
Gigi’s Place owner Natalie Richetti shared, “One of our famous breakfast items is freshly made sweet potato home fries.” A customer favorite, Richetti believes it is a unique side dish not offered elsewhere.
The lunch menu at Gigi’s Place is impressive, too. For burger fans, crafted burgers like the “Cowboy Burger” and “Bacon Jalapeno Blue Burger” are just two of many, and hot sandwiches and sandwich melts are comfort food at its finest. From traditional choices like grilled cheese and Philly cheese-steak, there are many other tempting selections like the “Loaded Roast Beef Melt” and the “Florida Rueben.” Cold sandwiches and clubs, salads, and a host of sides are also available.
Boasting the “best breakfast in town,” pictured is a berries and cream waffle with a choice of meat, served on a recent “Sunday Funday,” and one of the many special breakfast entrees served at Gigi’s Place, located at 568 Main St. in Apalachin, N.Y. The restaurant is open Monday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and serves breakfast and lunch. (Provided photo)
And don’t forget Gigi’s extraordinary homemade soup to complement your lunch or to eat as a meal, such as “Manhattan Clam Chowder,” “Zuppa Tuscana” and “Bacon Cheese Burger,” to name just a few. Chili is served, too, during the chilly seasons.
Natalie Richetti, a Waverly, N.Y. resident and graduate of Waverly High School, worked as a server for the previous owner, what was “Top of the Hill” restaurant. When that owner announced the business was for sale, Richetti stepped up to the owner’s plate to add her own entrepreneurial style. Working alongside Natalie is her mother, Donna Richetti, affectionately known as “Gigi,” who, according to Natalie, is the “most amazing cook.”
When Natalie was about eight or nine years old, she recalls participating in a “bring your daughter to work day” and announced at that event, “I want to be a chef someday, and have my own restaurant.” Fast-forward to 2014 when Gigi’s Place officially opened, and that childhood memory is now a reality.
Natalie is also a very talented baker, creating specialty cakes, cupcakes, cookies and other treats, many of which are served at the restaurant.
“We offer homemade cinnamon buns on the weekends,” Natalie shared, “And we also have special desserts on Friday’s.”
On holidays, customers will enjoy exclusive confections, like the recent St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes with added flair.
Gigi’s Place offers a kids menu for ages 10 and under, and take-out and call-ahead orders are welcomed. Beer-battered haddock is a diner special each Friday and all daily specials are posted on Facebook as well as in the restaurant.
For the coffee lover, there is a “flavored coffee of the day,” like Jamaican Me Crazy or Vanilla Almond Crunch, among others.
Customers who dine on Monday at Gigi’s Place receive a breakfast or lunch at half price after a full-price entrée is ordered. And, in addition, if customers sign up for “More Monday’s” before they leave, they are entered into an end-of-the-month drawing for a $25 gift certificate to spend at the diner.
Not surprisingly, there are a few customers who walk into Gigi’s Place and ask for “a couple of slices to go!” Linking the property to the well-known restaurant, “Angelo’s Pizza,” which was a community favorite for decades, Natalie has had to explain numerous times, “I’m sorry we don’t have pizza, but we have awesome burgers!”
The sentimental attachment to Angelo’s Pizza has benefited Gigi’s Place since some of those “slice to go” visitors are now part of Gigi’s regular loyal customer base.
Across the road from Gigi’s Place is the soon-to-be Ransom Steele Tavern. Both establishments, located just a short distance from the Route 434 and Pennsylvania Avenue intersection in Apalachin, will help breathe new life back into two longstanding buildings at the corner of Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
For more information about Gigi’s Place, call (607) 625-2212 or visit their Facebook page.
