Restaurant is a gathering place for many local food lovers
Published on Page 6 of the August 21, 2013 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Marty Cheek
Rosy Bergin in front of her downtown restaurant.
(Photo by Marty Cheek.)
For many local residents, the name of downtown Morgan Hill restaurant Rosy’s at the Beach is a bit of a puzzle. The closest beach is many miles away over the mountains by the Pacific Ocean. The mystery is solved when people learn the story of restaurant owner Rosy Bergin.
In the early 1980s, Bergin was a student at the University of Santa Clara and captain of the women’s volleyball team. She enjoyed playing beach volleyball. During this time she met and later married Rich Bergin, also an avid volleyball player when not working as a fish monger in his San Jose-based wholesale and retail seafood business.
The Bergins soon got into the restaurant business in San Jose, building up two eateries: Rosy’s Fish City and, in San Pedro Square, the Shark and Rose. Despite the long hours, Rosy kept on with professional beach volleyball tournaments in her limited spare time. Whenever someone asked where Rosy was, invariably the answer would be: “Rosy’s at the beach.” Thus, the name.
Living in Morgan Hill, the Bergins grew tired of the commute into San Jose. When a downtown restaurant called the Original Idas came on the real estate market, they decided to give Morgan Hill a quality fish and seafood dining establishment.
“We fell in love with it right away,” Rosy recalled of her and Rich’s initial reaction. “It was in a great location and had a following already and we decided to take the plunge.”
The two did a major remodel of the restaurant, creating a warm and friendly dining area. The expanded bar has grown into a popular late afternoon and evening watering hole for Morgan Hill.
Opened in December 1998, “Rosy’s,” as it is often called by locals, is a favorite get-together restaurant and bar for many Morgan Hill residents. Specializing in fresh fish and seafood from the Moss Landing area, the restaurant has a casual ambiance where everyone is always welcome.
“We just want to make people feel comfortable,” Rosy said. “Our goal when we opened the place was to fill a need for family dining in Morgan Hill – but a little bit more than just pizzas. What we tried to do is make our place comfortable so you can bring your kids but you know it’s not like a pizza parlor.”
On weekends, many families attending soccer tournaments at the Outdoor Sports Center come to Rosy’s because of its child-friendly ambiance. “Kids are welcomed here, but it’s not like we have vending machine and video games,” Rosy said. “The parents appreciate the good food and our relaxed atmosphere and they can have their kids in a uniform and that’s OK.”
Rosy’s holds a series of special dining adventure events every month. Tickets for its wine-pairing evenings sell out quickly with people who want to try exceptional wines from a selected vintner specially paired with a full-course meal. “The social aspect is something that makes it really popular because you meet people you generally wouldn’t meet,” Rosy said. “You sit at long tables and meet different people. A lot of friendships have developed over the years from people meeting at the wine dinners.”
On the third Wednesday of every month, Rosy’s holds its popular Spirit Night where people try various labels of high-end scotch, tequila, and rum.
On Aug. 21, Rosy’s will hold a special Bacardi Night where the restaurant will serve a four-course Cuban dinner accompanied with rare rum cocktails that are nearly impossible to find in stores.
Throughout every week, Rosy’s at the Beach offers various specials for its customers. On Taco Tuesday, salmon tacos are $2 a piece. Half-pint Wednesday, the restaurant offers beer at $2. And No-corkage Sunday brings in the wine-loving crowd.
“That’s turning out to be really nice because we have so many great wineries in our area and so many of our customers and neighbors belong to wine clubs with all of our wineries,” Rosy said. “So you see them coming in on Sundays with their bottles of wine from the wine club. They enjoy their wine here with their friends on Sunday and there’s no corkage fee.”
INFORMATION
Rosy’s At the Beach
Location: 17320 Monterey St.
Hours: Sunday through Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. 10 p.m.
Contact: (408) 778-0551 or www.rosysatthebeach.com
