Gettysburg’s place in history was cemented due to its location—at “the crossroads of America.” During the Civil War era, all major routes running north and south, east and west, met in Gettysburg. Today, just a block from Lincoln Square where those crossroads still collide, a downtown Gettysburg restaurant is gaining a reputation for its creative American fusion menu—bringing traditional American flavors together from the north, south, west and east in fun new ways.
The menu at Christine’s Café reads like a roadmap of chef/owner Keith Lowman’s journey across America. “American fusion is a combination or fusion of ethnicities combined into one workable dish,” Lowman explains. “Kind of like the way our country is, a melting pot. Having a sense of adventure about new flavors is what American fusion is all about.”
From his birth in Pensacola, Florida, Lowman spent much of his childhood in the South, including Charleston, South Carolina, as the family moved with his Navy-based father. During his high school years, the family returned to their roots in Hagerstown, Maryland. After a short stint in the military himself, Lowman established an 18-year culinary career throughout the mid-Atlantic region, beginning with training under Chef Paul Suplee in Ocean City, Maryland.
Lowman established himself in South Central Pennsylvania by spending six years as executive sous chef at Liberty Mountain Resort, Adams County. Then, about six years ago, Lowman was presented with the opportunity to open a restaurant and design a menu for Christine’s Café, Waynesboro, for owners Scott and Sheree Green.
With the Greens’ blessing, Lowman opened Gettysburg’s franchise location in the summer of 2016. “Tourism makes Gettysburg a fun place to be—we have world travelers from England and Australia, along with regional visitors like two ladies from Lancaster who have come specifically to eat here about five times…plus we have established good friendships with a good local following,” says Lowman.
“I love colorful food—I can’t stand neutral or the mundane,” Lowman says with a smile. “Creating a colorful dish is a high priority, because people eat with their eyes first. Every plate is like a blank canvas.”
Colorful breakfast options, providing incentive to rise and shine, include farmer’s Benedict and vegan eggs Benedict.
In each case, a potato pancake anchors the dish, featuring cornmeal for a touch of crispness. “In the farmer’s Benedict, ham gives it a smoky flavor, with house-made bacon jam bringing the salty but sweet [flavors], then poached eggs are topped off with a house-made hollandaise featuring sundried tomato pesto for a herbaceous element,” says Lowman. “The vegan eggs Benedict comes with seared tempeh, a creamy avocado ‘hollandaise,’ and baby heirloom tomatoes,” he says. Both dishes are served with a side of potatoes—a colorful blend of sweet, purple Peruvian and Yukon Gold.
Crepes have quickly become a signature dish at Christine’s Café, says Lowman. “They have almost a custard-like texture—soft and slightly sweet with a touch of vanilla, which works well with both sweet and savory flavors,” he says. Options range from traditional fruit crepes to garden vegetable, salmon, Spanish chicken and crepes Lorraine.
Christine’s Café serves breakfast and lunch, and Lowman says he enjoys blurring the lines between the two. “I’m always looking for creative ways to fuse breakfast and lunch items together. For example, everybody loves sliders. So why not do them for breakfast? Our new breakfast sliders start with marinated ribeye steak, topped with a fried egg, garlic pepper aioli, arugula and fresh-made pico de gallo on two mini croissants,” Lowman says.
“My most popular lunch dish for the past year is the lobster roll,” Lowman says. “It’s more of a New England-style, butter-poached lobster, with a lemon tarragon aioli, served on a bed of arugula for a kick, on a traditional New England split-top roll.”
A hearty lunch option is the Italian parmesan crusted chicken alfredo served with fresh pasta. “I worked on my pasta recipe for eight years. It feels like an accomplishment—it’s not easy to knead pasta dough, and you’ll give up if you don't love it,” Lowman says with a smile.
The restaurant is not open for dinner, so the staff is available for special events catering. Lowman says he enjoys developing unique menus for each client to suit each occasion—weddings, business events, and vegan or gluten-free menus. He just catered the Gettysburg Cancer Center’s open house in Hanover and is developing a menu for State Farm’s national executives this fall.
The ambiance at Christine’s Café is friendly and comfortable. “I grew up with a strong family atmosphere, and relating that to the business practice is working out well,” Lowman says. “The more my employees smile, the happier my guests will be.”
“I’ve worked in at least 10 restaurants, but honestly this is the best job I’ve ever had,” says Candice DeLancey, front of house manager. “I hear the compliments from guests. They love that everything is homemade, cooked to order, beautifully and artistically displayed—people love that. I’m really proud of be part of the team and the fact that we’re becoming a destination restaurant.”
Christine’s Café
48 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA / christines-cafe.com / 717-398-2056 / BYOB
