“I will be back as fast as my short legs can take me,” Melissa Gamer says as she breezes out the door, strings from her apron fluttering behind her and a bulging bag of take-out containers in each hand.
Gamer, better known as “Shorty” to almost everyone around her, is a one-woman show at her South Beloit restaurant, Shorty’s Kitchen. The Rock Energy Cooperative member is the chef, baker, server, cashier, janitor and social media manager — and that’s not a complete list of her responsibilities. With her dedication to sourcing local, fresh ingredients, Gamer brings both comfort food and community connection to her restaurant.
“I don’t know my real name anymore,” Gamer jokes. Originating from her bartending and waitressing days at the local American Legion, the patrons there dubbed her “Shorty,” and the name stuck. In her home state of Wisconsin, she’s known as “Little Cookie.” She has embraced her nicknames, but she does have one request. “Just don’t call me late for dinner,” she laughs.
Running her restaurant solo, Gamer’s day starts early. Each morning, she decides on the day’s specials, preps social media ads, gathers her grocery list, shops and begins preparing for the day. Her restaurant is open Monday through Friday, with Saturday reserved for lunch service and cooking classes. She even works Sundays, but only to tackle equipment cleaning and paperwork.
“I sleep really well at night,” Gamer says. “I’m usually sleeping before my head hits the pillow. … I actually have a notepad and pen next to my bed, because that’s where I seem to get my best ideas. That’s where I dream up stuff.”
She sources her ingredients locally whenever possible, buying meats from local butcher Prairie Hill Meats and produce from local farmers. She also has her own small garden and cans ingredients for her soups.
Shorty’s menu reflects her passion for homemade, farm-to-table-style food. From homemade stroganoff to her popular jalapeno bacon cheeseburger, Gamer’s dishes bring regulars back week after week. Her specialties include bacon-wrapped barbecue meatloaf, chicken and dumplings on Tuesday nights and her Friday fish fry.
She’s known for her unique “Fried Stuffed Football Potatoes,” which she serves during football season — baked, deep-fried potatoes stuffed with a variety of fillings, like pot roast, sloppy joe, bacon-egg-cheese or buffalo chicken. She has 50 gourmet hamburgers that she rotates on special. Desserts are also close to her heart. She specializes in pies and cheesecakes, often taking custom orders as a “personal chef” for her customers.
Gamer credits her parents for her love of cooking and serving others. As a child, she helped her mother in the kitchen, while her father taught her about business. By age 16, she was creating menus, with dreams of owning her own place one day.
When she moved to Illinois over a decade ago, she brought that knowledge with her. From working multiple roles at restaurants to her job as a cook at the American Legion, Gamer’s journey led her to where she is today. Despite challenges, including opening her business shortly before a global pandemic, she has persevered.
In addition to everything else, Gamer decided to launch Saturday cooking classes. She came up with the idea after a customer asked, “Can you teach me [how] to cook this?” “I’m like, ding, ding, ding, I will give it a try. So, I started doing cooking classes,” Gamer explains.
These classes became her creative outlet and a way to engage with the community in a more personal setting. From making comfort food favorites to organizing Christmas cookie sessions, she found that these classes weren’t just a source of income — they were a social activity where people could bond with each other.
With the holiday season in full swing, she has two special cookie-making classes planned for Dec. 7 and 14. These sessions promise to be both festive and family-friendly, allowing people to create seasonal treats while learning something new. Call the restaurant if you would like to register for an upcoming class.
During the holidays, Gamer also offers “take and bake” catering options for Thanksgiving and Christmas. From mashed potatoes to green bean casseroles, she prepares traditional holiday sides that customers can take home and heat up at their convenience. While she doesn’t have the capacity for large meat dishes, her trays of cheese balls, party dips and deli salads have become holiday staples for many families.
“This doesn’t feel like work. I think that’s where I get the energy [to do this]. I’m passionate about cooking, and I love what I do,” Gamer says. “When you walk in the store, you’re my family.”
Shorty’s Kitchen
