Barado’s on the Water Still a Top Destination, Despite Loss
Partner Cheryl Barsom says she was not certain she could run the restaurant after her partner’s death in 2022
By Margaret McCormick
When Cheryl Barsom upgraded the outdoor seating at Barado’s on the Water with lush landscaping and an enlarged patio, she made sure to carve the initials of her business partner and best friend, Donna J. DiRaddo, in the cement.
DiRaddo died in 2022 after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was the restaurant’s executive chef and menu guru. “She’s still our guiding star,’’ Barsom said.
That’s evident on the menu, which often features dishes and specials DiRaddo developed, including her customer-favorite lobster bisque, served Friday and Saturday.
Barsom cared for her friend as her cancer progressed and her loss still leaves a void. But Barsom knows DiRaddo would be proud of what she has accomplished as a solo owner. She’d also be proud of the imaginative food, the dedicated bar, service and kitchen staff, and the restaurant’s commitment to the Brewerton-Oneida Lake community.
It’s a recipe for success that has helped Barado’s become one of the most popular outdoor dining destinations in Central New York.
“At first, I didn’t think I could do this crazy restaurant life without her,’’ Barsom recalled recently. “But we had all the systems in place: the scheduling, the food, the ordering, the recipes and so much more. We’re also very thankful that our core staff are also so invested — and amazing people. You have to surround yourself with great people. That’s what we’ve done here.’’
Barsom, 62, grew up in Massachusetts and moved to Central New York when she met and married her husband, Jeffrey. She worked for 22 years as a dental hygienist, but she always worked in restaurants, too, from an early age. “It’s in my blood,’’ she said.
She met DiRaddo when they worked together at Lakeshore Country Club. Barsom was bartending and DiRaddo was the executive chef. They later worked part-time at the former Williams Sonoma store at Destiny USA.
After a couple summers working at Lakeshore and Beaver Meadows Golf Club, Barsom and DiRaddo launched their own catering business. They needed a free-standing kitchen and found one in Brewerton, where they introduced a small restaurant and gave it a combination of their two last names: Barado’s Cafe.
In 2014, Nolan Bradbury, owner of Bradbury’s Boatel, asked the partners to open a restaurant at the marina. “We can rock this kitchen,’’ Barsom recalled DiRaddo saying when they went to look at the place. They ran the café and Barado’s on the Water for more than a year before closing the café to focus their attention on the thriving marina location.
That work has paid off.
Today, Barado’s on the Water is a lively restaurant with a casual “tiki bar” vibe. The restaurant earned top honors for both outdoor dining and waterfront dining and second place for best signature cocktails in The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com annual Readers’ Choice Awards in 2024.
“I can see why this place is so popular,’’ diner Fred Kuepper wrote on Facebook after visiting in October. “Our table of four chose haddock, fish tacos, calamari, lobster rolls and red Argentine shrimp. Everything was perfect. Glad we got there early because it was packed by 7 p.m.’’
Barado’s doesn’t take reservations during the warm weather months, and it’s common for guests — some of whom arrive by boat — to wait for tables. It’s so busy at times, Barsom said, that three people are needed to staff the host station. Enjoy a cocktail or mocktail by bartender Ericka Burns while you wait. She makes her own simple syrups and has developed a following for her espresso martinis, seasonal sangrias, cosmopolitans and other drinks.
The kitchen is home to a trio of chefs who pull old favorites out of chef Donna’s recipe file but also bring their own creative flair to the menus and daily specials. Popular dishes include fried calamari with house marinara sauce, “firecracker” shrimp, lobster rolls, grilled mahi-mahi tacos with cilantro-lime slaw, baked haddock with butter crumb topping and pasta dishes, including some with head chef Anthony Campolito’s trademark meatballs. Cakes, pies, cheesecakes and other desserts are made by Shawna Vollmer, a longtime friend and co-worker of Barsom.
Barsom works long days and loves that every day is different. Mornings are spent at home with her husband and some days she fits in a workout with her daughter before heading to the restaurant. You might be greeted by her at the host station, or she might pour your wine or deliver your food.
“I’m wherever I’m needed,’’ Barsom explained. “I’m hostess, server, dishwasher and bartender. You have to do it all as an owner. You have to flow where you’re needed.’’
Prior to DiRaddo’s passing, Barado’s on the Water closed for the season in late fall. The restaurant is now open year-round, with comfort food front and center on the fall and winter menus and the warmth of a woodstove replacing summer’s warm breezes. “It’s nice to carry on her legacy and passion,’’ Barsom said.
After a winter where snow was measured in feet rather than inches in Oswego County, Barsom and her team are looking forward to warm days and planning fresh menus for the summer crowd.
“In the summer we’re running — sprinting — from the time we get here until time we leave,’’ Barsom said. “It keeps me young.’’
Barado’s on the Water is at 57 Bradbury Road, Central Square. For more information, visit the restaurant’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Barados.on.the.Water