Business flowing at Butch's River Rock Cafe

OAKLAND MILLS ? Butch Bittle, new owner of and head chef at Butch's River Rock Cafe, formerly the Oakland Mills Store, is offering home-cooked meals that his mother, Shirley Bittle-Farley, originally taught him to make.

Bittle plans to keep much of the menu consistent while working toward offering healthier foods as well. For now, he's "working off both menus," so if more healthy food is not seen on the menu, people should ask for it, he said. For example, Thursday's lunch special is a tuna salad platter with fresh-cut fruit.

"We're working towards bagels, granola?" Bittle noted, "but it's still going to be a ham and egger." In short, he hopes to offer the best of both worlds.

A group of guys comes in with Bill Wilson to shoot the breeze between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. - a time Bittle dubs the "Bill Wilson hour."

Do they come in every day?

"We try not to," Wilson deadpans, "but we all wind up here."

As for the atmosphere, Bittle has redecorated a bit already, hung some photos, and he plans to take advantage of the outdoor seating available under the overhang, adding more tables.

"It's going to be more family-oriented, like a family diner," Bittle said Wednesday evening. For longtime locals, Bittle compared the place to Van's Lunch Box, adding that lunch and dinner specials would be "my twist on it. I'm not changing the menu that much." Tenderloins, hamburgers and homemade desserts will remain menu staples. He also has a special lemonade chilled with orange slices, he says, "for flavor."

His mother and a friend compliment him on the blackberry pie and the potato salad, as do Hettie and Jim Maschmann on the tenderloins. The only fish they have Wednesday is cod, but Bittle promises catfish on Thursday.

Bittle is "doing my own take" on the famous French onion soup he cooked for 10 years at the former Iris Restaurant. The soup will return as a specialty item "when it gets a little cooler," Bittle said.

The former Iris Restaurant chef has brought over three Iris colleagues - Kay Coleman, Michele Cecchini, Sue Krystofiak, and is adding Iris patron Jeannie Olson to the team.

With their help, Bittle hopes to keep the River Rock Cafe staffed from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., as published in Tuesday's issue. Sunday, they close early at 5:30 p.m.

"Sunday it's really nice because you can come to breakfast (before or after church)," Bittle noted.

Local demand prompted the extended hours. Bittle said, "It's because there's a lot of people that live down here (in Oakland Mills), there's a big community."

Two days in, business, like the river, is flowing. Bittle and staff took 50 orders for noon dinner Tuesday and 50 again on Wednesday. He mentioned his River Rock Cafe also does carry out, noting that option has been popular among Oakland Mills campers and hikers. "They stop in, take a walk across the bridge," Bittle observed.

The River Rock Cafe; can be reached at 319-986-6865.