Some career choices seem to run in a family’s DNA, including working in restaurants. A new choice in Jaffrey suggests as much, as Tiffany Tatro offers seasonal fare at 21B on Main St. 

Tatro’s parents own and run the Monadnock Country Cafe in town, serving breakfast and lunch, and their daughter is serving up offerings at the other end of the day. 21B is open 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. 

“I studied engineering, but I’ve always been a foodie,” said Tatro on a recent afternoon before opening. The New Ipswich native is very familiar with the history of her location. 

“An older gentleman was in here recently and recalled when it was a hardware store,” she said. “The Rusty Bucket and Sunflowers were restaurants after that. We opened in October.”

Tatro didn’t want to change too much on site, but tweaked the physical space a bit.

“I’ve tried to open it up a bit with the placement of tables, and the mirrors behind the bar,” she said, noting a touch which provides the illusion of more space. 

One feature of 21B is the seasonal nature of its menus. Tatro produces a fall and winter menu side-by-side to explain.

“In the fall, our dishes will be a bit earthier; perhaps more of them will have mushrooms. One fall favorite is French hunters’ chicken,” she said. Heartier, spicier food will appear after Thanksgiving, such as vegetable risotto. 

If a patron wishes a dish that is not quite in season, Tatro suggests calling in advance to see if it could be prepared. The preparing is done by Jeff Hebert, a veteran of kitchens in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Hebert’s laurels include setting up the kitchen at the Forge & Vine in Groton, Mass. 

In addition to seasonal menus, some timely offerings can be had at the bar. On a recent Friday, Tatro mixed up a “Glinda,” a pink cocktail based on the current “Wicked” craze, and she has a non-alcoholic mocktail version of it as well. 

“It goes especially well with the vodka ravioli,” Tatro said as a patron sipped the alcoholic version in a martini glass.

The biggest challenge so far is staffing, Tatro said, but she is loyal to her employees. 

“I don’t want to replace someone just because he or she is out for a week,” she said.

Tatro describes her approach to staffing as “I hire people based on personality, not a resume.”

Tatro adds that when things get busy to the point that seating is an issue, she responds to patrons facing a wait for a table.  “What can we do to make you happy? We want you to come again,” is her mantra in such situations. She added that if people are headed to a show next door at The Park Theatre and let their server know, they can get them there on time. 

“Depending on what someone orders, we might say ‘That might take a bit longer, and if you have a show to catch, think about this instead,’” she said. 

Don O’Neil and Bobby O’Keefe of Winchendon, Mass. had noticed the change in ownership and dropped in at the start of the dinner hour. 

“We’ve been waiting to try it,” said O’Keefe. After libations, one of them being a Glinda, they started with steak tips and rice balls, then ordered carbonara with an egg and winter chicken. 

Tatro beamed at their enjoyment of the dishes.

“I’m grateful for our customers,” she said. “What I enjoy most is seeing people enjoy themselves.”