A Return to CNY to Feed Hamilton

RFH 2010, Featured Articles, News

Sun, Aug 28, 2011

Clay Skinner is back from Colorado and opening the Hamilton Eatery in former Roger's Market.

Clay Skinner stands in the middle of the wood structure at the corner of Maple and Lebanon streets, a place thousands of local residents have stood over the years, and explains the future.

The affable former Fabius resident, who moved to Hamilton after years in Colorado, points out where the beer cooler will be, and the locations of the salad station, where you can get sandwiches and the kitchen where he plans to prepare soups and several hot entrees each day. And, he explains some history of the place, pointing out the locations of various operations from the building's days as a blacksmith's shop.

Skinner is the new owner of what used to be Roger's Market and what soon will be the Hamilton Eatery. He plans to provide a variety of dishes, all to go.

The Hamilton Eatery will be the latest of several food services businesses Skinner has operated since graduating from the professional chef program ay SUNY Cobleskill in 1989. With diploma in hand, Skinner says he headed to Colorado where over the years he ran four different restaurants.

Skinner operated restaurants at a golf course and then at the Telluride ski area. ("We were at 12,000 feet, so in the winter we had all of our supplies delivered by snow cat.") He also operated a barbecue place and his last restaurant was the Cornerhouse Grille, the city's most popular sports bar.

He wants the Hamilton Eatery to be known for good food at good prices; he's a hands-on operator who plans to deliver real value. And, to cater to local residents as well as Colgate students and their visitors. He likened this outlook to serving Telluride's year-round residents and the tourists who visited, especially for the region's skiing.

And, Skinner wants to be part of the community.

"We're in this for the long haul," said Skinner, who has family in Cazenovia and Rochester. "This is out 20-year plan."

He also says locating in Hamilton came after a lot of looking around.

"We had a punch list of things we were looking for," said Skinner. "We wanted a healthy economy, cultural activities, good schools, the right-size community, be close to family and a hockey program. My one son is a hockey player."

Skinner said he also found this area attractive because the Hamilton Eatery can find many of its ingredients locally. He expects to have a large selection of salads -- including a "build your own" option -- and expects to use as many local suppliers as possible for those ingredients."

Skinner says the remodeling of the building is taking longer and is more extensive than he first planned, but expects to be open Oct. 1. However, he is quick to add: "We'll open when we are ready. This is our 20-year plan and we want to get everything right."