Inspired by family, traditions and Sunday dinners, Chef AnnMarie Nelms has created a warm, welcoming atmosphere at Thea. Tranquil colors, hand-crafted tables and a fine-tuned menu infused with family heritage all work in gracious harmony—as if Nelms is inviting you directly into her home.
Located in Mechanicsburg’s Arcona development, the restaurant is named for Nelms’ long line of female restaurateurs in the Harrisburg area. Thea, Greek for “aunt,” refers to Nelms’ role models—her Aunt Olga, Aunt Joanna and mother—all of whom she worked for or with. Her mother Sophia owns Sophia’s on Market, Camp Hill, and Sophia’s at Walden, Mechanicsburg (another Charter Homes community). Thea’s framed photographs pay homage to Nelms’ aunts and grandmothers, as well as her nieces—because she too is a “thea” now.
You could say Nelms was born into the restaurant business and destined to open her own restaurant. “Since I was a little girl, this is what I’ve always wanted to do. My happiest time is when I’m here cooking,” she says.
Thea opened its doors in December of 2016—Nelms’ vision brought to life by an incredible opportunity. “Rob Bowman, the owner of Charter Homes, was building another neighborhood and wanted to know if I wanted to be a part of it. He asked what I envisioned. I wanted people to feel like they were coming into my home to have their favorite meal with friends and family. That’s why Thea is designed to look like a beautiful home,” says Nelms.
Thea’s lunch and dinner menu reads like a family tree, blended with Nelms’ training at the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh. “I’ve been planning this menu in my head forever. My grandma Faye Nelms was PA Dutch/German, so my winter menu has a lot of her influence. On mom's Greek side, my spring and summer menu goes with her [taste for] lemon and fresh herbs,” Nelms explains. “Both grandmothers taught me how to love their different styles of food.”
Nelms’ family also taught her the importance of using fresh, quality ingredients. Thea’s incredible calamari fritte off the appetizer menu provides the perfect example. “Very few other restaurants make calamari fresh, in-house,” Nelms says. “I have 50 pounds delivered at a time, and I cut it myself. I also use rice flour, which most people don’t use, and I finish it with Fife N Good Hotchi hot sauce, a spin on Asian sauce made by a family member. I cut it with honey-lemon vinaigrette, so it’s a cross between hot and sesame—just delicious.”
Another unique appetizer is arancini—Italian rice balls made with prosciutto, peas and fontina cheese; rolled in panko; fried and served with Nelms’ chunky, house-made marinara sauce. Nelms created the dish from a childhood memory. “I can remember being five or six, eating at an Italian restaurant on Harrisburg’s Eisenhower Boulevard—I was in love with this rice ball. Most little kids wouldn't eat it, but it was one of my favorites. No one else around here makes them.”
The beet and arugula salad is one of Thea’s most popular salads, thanks in great part to the unique polenta croutons that Nelms incorporates. They provide a textural complement to the peppery arugula, sweet red and golden beets, creamy goat cheese, herb crème fraiche and crunchy pistachios—all tied together by tangy honey-lemon vinaigrette.
“It’s extremely important to me to use natural, fresh ingredients. Our turkey and roast beef are roasted here, so there are no chemicals, no GMOs,” says Nelms. “I know every ingredient in everything I make.” Produce is gleaned from local sources such as Annville’s Garden Meadow Farms and a family farm located in the Walden community off Woods Drive, Mechanicsburg. Beverages include Appalachian Brewing Company’s all-natural fountain drinks.
Lunch entrees include Wagyu burgers, including the bacon, brie and roasted pear burger. Plus the unique Thea upside-down pizza featuring a melted, crispy mozzarella cheese crust is a must-try. A seasonal summer lunch entree includes an open-faced scallop BLT with homemade tomato jam on top.
One of the mainstays of Thea’s dinner menu is the lemon-roasted chicken. Think family-style Sunday dinners, featuring tried-and-true heirloom recipes and chicken that’s so moist and tender it falls apart at the slightest touch of a fork. Nelms says guests constantly rave about the chicken’s fresh herb pesto, which combines seven herbs, lemon and extra virgin olive oil—a flavorful mixture she researched in numerous cookbooks, then tweaked and honed.
“I’ve kept my menu small,” Nelms explains, “because when you try to do too many things, it’s hard to maintain quality. Everything needs to be fresh, and I like to sell out of everything. Do what you know and what you love to do, and make it perfect; don’t compromise.”
Nelms says community reaction has been “amazing”—and she should know, because she strives to greet guests at every table as if they’re family. Speaking of which, she says both of her grandmothers are very proud, and she credits her strong family ties for supporting her life’s journey. Additionally, all of Thea’s original staff members are still in place. Her motto? “Team work makes the dream work,” she says.
Thea
1303 Saxon Way, Mechanicsburg, PA / thea-dining.com / 717-759-4654
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