Breakfast, lunch and dinner at Twin Oaks Cafe

SHARON — Quietly, and without much fanfare, Sharon’s newest restaurant opened on Tuesday morning, after a test drive on Monday night. Special guests at the preopening dinner included Claire Hotaling and her husband, Rick, who owns the liquor store two doors down, at the Sharon shopping plaza.

It wasn’t just their proximity that made them honored invitees. It was Claire who came up with the new name for the eatery: Twin Oaks Cafe, in honor of the town’s beloved oak trees and the vista, off Route 41 near the Salisbury town line, that is named for them. The trees have been a Sharon landmark for decades (maybe even centuries).

And it was Rick who purchased two photographs that hold a place of honor on one wall: They are by Sharon resident Jenny Hansell and show the oaks at different times of the year.

The Hotalings and a few other people helped inaugurate the restaurant, with a special menu that included chicken piccatta, tilapia, seafood pasta and flank steak. Each dish came with a side of succulent roasted vegetables, and white rice with vegetables that had been shaped in a timbale mold and garnished with a sprig of fresh flat-leaf parsley.

Manning the massive new stoves in the completely refurbished kitchen is chef Pablo Espinal, formerly of the Silo Ridge country club in Amenia.

Also new in the kitchen were enormous refrigerators, giant sinks, gleaming white walls and bright industrial lights. The whole place, in fact, is gleaming,thanks to the ministrations of owners Bennie Rivera and John Liggio, who have been doing much of the interior work themselves.

The partners have high hopes and expectations for the restaurant. They said it’s clear that area residents are "hungry" for a place that will serve fresh well-made food at reasonable prices.

Breakfast will, of course, be the main event. Rivera said that landscapers from Upcountry and Monroe stopped in periodically while renovations were underway, reminding the new owners that they like to come in for coffee at 5:30 a.m.

"I’m going to have wraps and things ‘to go’ for them, too, so they can get a good breakfast without having to drive back again later in the morning," Rivera said.

In addition to eggs any style ($3.75, with home fries and toast) and breakfast sandwiches ($1.25 to $3.25) the morning menu also includes omelettes, a variety of breakfast burritos ($5.25 to $6.50), eggs benedict ($7.75) and steak benedict ($10.75). There are pancakes (blueberry, chocolate chip and the delectable-sounding "golden brown" pancakes) and muffins ($2).

And there will be good coffee, in assorted flavors, Rivera promised. There might even be espresso drinks in the future.

At lunch, choices will include an 8-ounce chophouse burger ($7.75, or $8.75 if topped with one of five cheeses including bleu cheese and mozzarella); "Pablo’s quesadilla" with chicken, onions, peppers and more ($7.95); steak sandwiches with chili mayo and onion rings ($9.95) and flank steak with mushroom gravy ($9.95). There will be chicken or steak fiesta wraps ($7.95) and a panko-breaded chicken sandwich ($6.75).

The centerpiece of the lunch and dinner menus will be Rivera’s own crabcakes, described as "Bennie’s best: fresh lump crabmeat pan fried with tartar and cajun remoulade" ($9.50).

The Twin Oaks Cafe will be open seven days a week at 5:30 a.m. On Monday, Wednesday and Sunday it will remain open until 3:30 p.m. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, dinner will be served until 8 p.m. For information, call 860-364-7002.