Our Terroir

Chef Eli Kulp

Fork
Buttermilk Skin
A byproduct of making butter, buttermilk became a big part of Pennsylvania Dutch
cookery. Here, we reduce the milk slowly until its
completely crispy and then fill with herbs and a spiced pear butter.
Oysters
A staple for the Native Americans long before settlers arrived,
oysters are the quintessential Mid-Atlantic start to any great meal.
Tonight theyre served with pickled celery that is proudly grown by Merv Shenk in
Manheim PA, who blanches the celery under straw through the cold winter months.
Amish Chicken
An ode to Amish Chickens, which are synonymous with
the quality for which our region is known. We serve them on old granite shingles
from a dilapidated farmhouse.
Potato Tea
This is a nod to the importance of the potato in our region. Whether turned to flour
or stored in the cellar, this humble tuber was vital to sustaining families through the
harsh and barren winters.
Live Clam
With the cold, abundant, ocean waters to the East providing us with these amazing
clams, and the earthiness & spiciness of radishes from fertile soils to our West, this
dish is a celebration of Winter in our area.
Delaware River Eel
Once a very significant fish for the aboriginals in this area, each fall these amazing
creatures return from the Sargasso Sea en masse, swimming back to their place of
origin. Curing and smoking has been in practice for centuries as a way to preserve
them.
Onions & Cream
This dish was inspired by a recipe found in an early 20th century Penn Dutch
cookbook. With the house-made cream blended with the soil-baked onions, we hope
to recreate this recipe using these very same ingredients.
Vollkornbrot
Using 100% local rye and spelt, this bread represents the history of milling in this
region. At one point PA was known as the bread basket of the country with over
800 mills dotting the countryside. Castle Valley Mill, in Doylestown, is one of the
only ones still in existence, owned and operated by our friend, Mark Fischer. We are
working hard to support this nearly forgotten trade.

Buckwheat
Supplied by the tireless hands at Brooke-Lee Farm in Berks County, this historical
grain is turned into buckwheat gnocchetti and served with a ragu made from rabbits
which roam the same fields. Buckwheat was a grain familiar to early settlers, and it
became very important in their cuisine.
The Pine Barrens
Inspired by the unique, local terroir known as The Pine Barrens, NJ, this dish
combines venison grown by Highbourne Deer Farm in Dallastown PA, young spruce
shoots and pine mushrooms. The Pine Barrens, rich with folklore and intrigue,
remains largely untouched due to the highly distinct ecosystem.
To the Grindstone
At Yellow Springs Farm in Chester County, cheeses reflect the flock of Nubian goats
diet and the stone walls in which they mature. Their goat cheese is served on a
shortbread made of Castle Valleys freshly milled red corn for a perfect bite of our
local terroir.
Chocolate, Roots & Stems
Soda fountains dotted the Pennsylvania landscape decades ago. Sarsaparilla,
sassafras, birch bark and chocolate taste like road trips and history museums. Dirty
knobs of Lancaster County sunchokes and Pennsylvania maple are the caramel
topping for a tangled mess of roots and stems.