For the Love of Food

Opening a restaurant takes courage and dedication. Mother-daughter duo Renee and Rebekah Alford had both when they bought Rainbow Shores, an upscale eatery along the eastern shore of Lake Ontario.

As part of a family dairy farm, the two know about hard work. Rebekah grew up helping on the family’s dairy, Locust Hill Dairy in Mannsville, N.Y., and Renee worked on dairies all her married life. Like a true entrepreneur family, the dairy is managed and operated today by Renee’s husband, Timothy, and two of their daughters Jessica and Amanda, and their husbands, Bruce and Brian.

 

“Dairy farming teaches you really good work ethic,” Renee says. “I’m sure that’s why Rebekah was able to apply herself to the restaurant business. She already knew it was seven days a week, nighttime, weekends and holidays.”

Ready to prepare food the way she wanted after years working in restaurants and catering in the Adirondack area, Rebekah didn’t expect to return home to take on restaurant ownership. But after an evening eating together at Rainbow Shores and taking note of the for-sale sign, her mom convinced her to go for it.

When the two took over ownership in 2010, they continued the legacy of this favorite local spot. Built in the 1920s, several different purveyors have owned the white clapboard building and the restaurant has served delicious food long enough for Renee to remember bringing her children, including now head chef Rebekah, to eat there. “It’s been open a long time and has a great history of being a good place to eat,” she says.

Hidden down a dirt road that opens onto stunning waterfront views, the charming fine dining space begs you to linger. “We don’t want you to just eat and leave. Make going out to dinner an event,” Renee says. “Order appetizers. Take your time. Wait for the next course. Have dessert. Enjoy the experience.” She recommends the bacon-wrapped scallops in a maple mustard sauce. “You may have tried bacon-wrapped scallops in a lot of places, but if you have ours, there’s a big difference.” And she knows. She orders them whenever she sees them on a menu. The restaurant also serves up mouthwatering filets and seafood favorites paired with fresh, artful salads and homemade bread.

“Dairy farming teaches you really good work ethic. I’m sure that’s why Rebekah was able to apply herself to the restaurant business. She already knew it was seven days a week, nighttime, weekends and holidays.”

— Renee Alford

Like her chef-daughter, Renee appreciates food. Even as a restauranteur, she enjoys going out to eat. “I hate to be rushed when I go to a restaurant. I want lots of time between my courses,” she says.

Open May through October to take advantage of the mild summer days in upper New York, Rainbow Shores features once-a-week crab nights and live music every Thursday through Sunday. On most evenings, you’ll find locals and summer residents with cottages and second homes along the lake dining at the Shores or enjoying a glass of wine on the deck and watching the sunset. “There’s also the tourists that find us by accident,” Renee says. “They’re just traveling through and fall in love with it like we did.”

There’s a lot to love. Planters overflowing with flowers frame the deck. String lights twinkle overhead and curl around trees. A crisp breeze rolls in off the lake.

As a true family affair, the restaurant and dairy complement each other. Renee’s son-in-law, who works on the dairy, hung the string lights at the restaurant and built the stage for the band. Whenever a piece of equipment is needed from the farm, they’re only too happy to share with the restaurant. “Even though the other children are not involved in the restaurant, they love to come here,” Renee says. “It all works together.”