Margi Neary prepares a meal at the front counter, while her sister, Barbara, mans the griddle in the background preparing for the lunch crowd at My Sisters’ Place Cafe. (Photo by Janine Giordano)

SHARON SPRINGS – What do you get when you take a magical bond only sisters can share, a wealth of creativity and...food?

You get a really cool restaurant with lots of class and an unbelievably awesome menu.

Take the “turbo-charged” Grilled Cheese Peabody Style. No really, order it, take a bite and see for yourself. This thing is amazing.

Oh, by the way, the really cool restaurant has a name, My Sisters’ Place, and yes, it is owned by three sisters.

Margi Neary is the frontman, well, frontwoman, with her sister, Barbara, right there to see her through. Kathi is their silent partner who gives them the space to do what they do best, make absolutely delicious food.

“All of our food is made with fresh ingredients and, when possible, local produce and products – Parsons Produce, Sharon’s Orchards. Denali Farms,” said Neary, rattling off a list of local vendors she uses.

It’s the kind of place you walk in and can’t stop looking around. There’s all this really cool stuff hanging up and placed on little shelves here and there. You wish all the vases and knick-knacks were for sale because you want that exact thing – one just like it – in your home.

“A lot of the decor comes from our own homes, or is done by local artists or bought in the local shops,” Neary explained. Even their floor, which looks like slate or stone, is actually painted by a local shop, Chartwell Studios. Very cool.

They have these really cool family photographs all over the place that make you wish these people were in your family. They all look so happy and interesting. Neary pointed out a picture of her mom and dad, young and in love, happy and hugging, smiling into the camera. Both of them have passed on now, but the memories remain.

But it’s the smell of whatever they are cooking up that really gets you wishing. Wishing you knew what it was, wishing you were already seated and about to be served whatever it is they are cooking; wishing you knew the name of it so you could order it.

And even the names of their dishes are really cool, and have really cool stories behind them.

The “Queenie’s Panini” is a concoction Neary, the eldest of the three sisters, thought up herself. “That’s why it’s called Queenie’s because, being the oldest, I am the queen. You won’t understand unless you are the oldest,” she said with a laugh. It’s their hottest seller, consisting of slices of brie, a mix of blue cheese, walnuts, and dried cranberries, melted on a panini roll.

Then there is “Garth’s Breakfast,” named after a local resident who runs marathons. After rigorous training sessions he comes in and orders breakfast. “He’s so thin, I don’t know where he puts it,” Neary said.

But if you’re not hungry enough to down two eggs, pancakes, home fries, bacon or sausage and toast, there are other yummy things to choose from, like the wheat berry nut bread, French toast, pancakes, omelets or souffles.

There is a special item named “The Ladies That Do Lunch Special” which includes it all, soup or salad, quiche, dessert and a beverage, all for one cool price.

They also offer a catering menu and have been named the house caterer for The American Hotel, also in Sharon Springs.

While the restaurant dining area is not overly large, they have plenty of room to accommodate parties, like showers or birthday or office parties, and have even held fundraising events.

A Katrina effort has turned into an annual event, which draws a great crowd. Even rainy weather did not stop the masses from packing the house with last year’s event. “We raised over $2,500,” Neary said.

“We are a little off the beaten track,” Neary said of their cafe, located in a converted barn on the same property as their 135-year-old Victorian home, just off Route 20 on Beechwood Road in Sharon Springs. “But once you find us, you will be hooked and will keep coming back for more.”