What would you consider to be your “signature dish”? Is there a story behind it?
Our hand-cured bacon is definitely one of the signature dishes at the Penn Square Grille, and it carries through, of course, into other dishes. We take a beautiful thick cut of local pork provided by Leidy’s of Harleysville, and we cure it for two weeks with a dry rub of brown sugar and spices. It’s mouthwatering and very distinctive.
What would you suggest first-time visitors to Penn Square Grille order and why?
Generally speaking, look for the specific dishes highlighting fresh local ingredients. Of particular note are our house-made ice creams. We use some unique flavors that you won’t see anywhere else that really surprise people. Recent examples include fresh local corn with lemon, mint and almond meal. Another is vanilla chamomile with raw honey swirl.
Is there any one ingredient that you constantly find yourself cooking with?
I’ve been using smoked paprika frequently, thinking along the lines of Mediterranean and specifically Spanish influence. That paprika fragrance reminds me of walking down the streets in Spain, so the ingredient appeared in several recent dishes.
If you could cook for any one person—alive or not—who would it be and what would you serve them?
I would cook for my father. He recently passed away and didn’t get a chance to visit here at the Penn Square Grille. I would make him our pan seared local Kansas City strip—he would enjoy that.
If tomorrow ended your career as a chef, what new career would you choose?
I would probably become a horticulturist or farmer. I love growing things, and that care of growing the products is just as important as cooking them. I dabble in growing flowers and tomatoes, and a few other things that the rabbits have enjoyed eating.
Why should people who’ve never eaten at Penn Square Grille come to dine with you?
It’s an opportunity to really indulge in the food culture that’s being established here in Lancaster. We’re moving toward a metropolitan feel while using these beautiful local products available right at their peak. It’s a privilege to be part of [that culture].
