By RAELYNN RICARTE
News staff writer
August 25, 2008

Amy Bosse and Jennifer Bloom are excited about finally realizing their long-time “pipe dream” to own a restaurant.

They are also proud that Rails End Café has already earned a perfect score for food handling practices. They opened the doors of their diner in downtown Parkdale, 4956 Baseline Drive, just three months ago.

“We’ve already had a few people come in because they heard we got a 100-percent rating,” said Bosse, the chef.

“It was pretty awesome to get that recognition, especially since this is the first time that we’ve owned a restaurant,” said Bloom, the hostess and server.

“It’s a good incentive program but I think keeping everything nice is really just a courtesy to your customers.”

The two women grew up in the rural community that has Mount Hood as a backdrop. They talked now and then for 10 years about starting their own business — but not that seriously.

Their big break came when Mt. Hood Railroad sold and the new owners wanted to part with the café. The train had been unable to come to town after flooding in 2006 washed out the section of line from Odell to Parkdale.

Bosse and Bloom saw the possibilities of refurbishing the quaint dining area. They pulled up the carpet and put in a wood floor. Then they painted to lighten up the interior and hung cheery curtains at the windows.

The result of their labor was an eatery with the look and feel of a bygone era. Bloom and Bosse then turned to the menu and made barbecued foods one of the specialties; from a tender pork sandwich to the Friday night rib dinner.

The Famous Amos burger is not only huge; it is flavored with a “super secret sauce” of Bosse’s creation.

“We decided on the menu at 12:30 a.m. the night before we opened and we thought ‘super secret’ sounded funny,” she explained.

She makes homemade pies from local fruits and serves them fresh out of the oven every Wednesday.

“We must be doing okay because people keep coming back and bringing other people,” said Bosse. “Word of mouth is going to be our best advertisement.”

Bloom added, “We try to make everything of really good quality.”

Bloom and Bosse have been very appreciative of the strong support for their endeavor from the community. They are grateful that their husbands, Mike Bosse and Jeremy Bloom, are also quick to lend a hand when needed, as do other family members.

“It’s nice having our families step up so we don’t have to hire employees right now,” said Jennifer.

“Will we all still be friends after this? We hope so,” said Amy, who is known for her quick retorts.

She enjoys cracking jokes with the customers from behind the counter of an open kitchen.

“We giggle our way through the day,” said Bosse.

“We have a lot of people who come in now and eat their dinner and then just sit and visit,” said Bloom.

They enjoy being entrepreneurs so much that neither Bloom nor Bosse see the 60-hour work week as exhausting.

“We haven’t even had the urge yet to do each other in — and that’s a good sign,” said Bosse.

She said the railroad is expected to restart its runs to Parkdale in the fall and the café will then once again live up to its name. Meanwhile, she said tourists driving to Mount Hood stop in frequently — but local trade remains the business’ bread and butter.

Rails End is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.