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Bop and Nana’s
A Success Story as Sweet as They Come The Urbanics are happy to be back on the farm, cooking the things they love to cook for the people who love to eat them. written by steven keith photographed by carla witt ford As far as success stories go, they don’t get much sweeter than this: Back on Valentine’s Day in 1999, with the
But good food wasn’t the only appeal. Hostess Melody welcomed guests with hugs and smiles, like she was having her own family over to dinner. Chef Tim would emerge from the kitchen to chat with folks about how this dish or that sauce was inspired by his grandmother’s recipe. Their warmth was so baked into the business that it’s no surprise where they’ve landed next. Harmony on the Farm After recently selling the inn to enjoy the fruits of their labor on the family farm in Chloe, the Urbanics are now making magic with fruit—and veggies, meats, cheeses, and more—once again with the launch of Bop & Nana’s Bakery & Catering, a venture that allows them to work only as much as they want to. They take orders for pickup, cater small gatherings, and host intimate events on the farm’s lovely grounds. The key word here being “small.” “We definitely right-sized ourselves,” Melody Urbanic says with a laugh. “We can still do what we love, but at a more relaxing pace.” So Tim Urbanic, who devoted his COVD quarantine to transforming the farmhouse’s former canning room into a new commercial
farm,” Melody Urbanic says. “So we took a leap of faith.” And leap, they did. They not only survived, but thrived, with positive reviews spreading like garlic butter on toast. Cafe Cimino quickly became one of the state’s top restaurants, expanding eight years later when the Urbanics purchased the 1800s P.J. Berry Estate a few doors down on the banks of the Elk River. They moved the restaurant there to anchor Cafe Cimino Country Inn which, to no one’s surprise at this point, also became one of the state’s most sought-after getaways for foodies.
odds stacked against them, Tim and Melody Urbanic opened a little Italian restaurant in a restored storefront in Sutton. With no previous experience owning a restaurant. In a town of less than 1,000. On a street where boarded-up businesses were the norm. What were they thinking, many asked? How would they ever survive there? “We just wanted a place to share all the fresh food we grew on our
44 wvliving.com • fall 2021
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