COLONIAL DINING IN A CIVIL WAR TOWN

By the time Lincoln gave his address Dobbin House had already been in Gettysburg for 87 years.  Colonial history often gets over looked in this Civil War town.  So walking down the narrow stairs into the Springhouse Tavern can be a refreshing change.  Built in 1776 by the Reverend Alexander Dobbin, the house appears virtually the same as it did over 200 years ago. In the mid 1800s the building contained a secret crawl space used to hide runaway slaves traveling the Underground Railroad.

Upstairs at Dobbin House is the fine dining restaurant.  I prefer to sit at the long, well-worn, wooden bar downstairs in the Springhouse Tavern.  The tavern has the decor and feel of an 18^th century roadhouse and in the cool weather the two fireplaces are usually going.  If the unflappable Joyce is your bartender, you will always get great service, even on a busy night during tourist season.  Several regional beers are available on tap, along with colonial-era cocktails like Rum Bellies Vengeance.  If Joyce isn’t busy, she’s well- versed on the interesting history of the antique wooden bar and the building.

My favorite dish is the Spit-Roasted Chicken (served after 5 pm weekdays and all day on weekends).  The spit-roasting makes the well-spiced skin crisp and keeps the chicken moist and juicy. It’s a big portion. When it comes out of the kitchen I always think “I will never finish all that, I’ll have to take some home with me.” I haven’t left with a doggie bag yet.

Another specialty is the Baked King’s Onion Soup, which is really a classic French onion soup, but also contains chunks of beef. (Not for the vegetarian in your party.)  The Spinach Salad is served with a warm bacon dressing.  It is a nice combination; the smoky flavor of the bacon, balanced with sweetness from the dressing.  House-baked desserts include a Warm Colonial Gingerbread which I think is even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Colonial charm, friendly service and consistently good food make Springhouse Tavern at Dobbin House a smart choice for dinner or lunch in Gettysburg.

EL COSTENO HELPS BEAT THE WINTER BLUES

Single digit wind chill, middle of the week, middle of the winter, in a summer tourist town.  And still EL COSTENO at 39 York Street in Gettysburg is jumpin‘.  A restaurant in a tourist town that’s busy… and full of locals on a bitter cold Thursday night in February… is a good sign of quality. Chef Arturo Guinto, and the service of his staff, have taken Mexican cuisine from the realm of   family/take-out restaurant to the level of fine dining. And they could easily be on the short list for best restaurant in town.

I ordered the “ENCHILADAS COSTENAS”(spicy): “Two corn tortillas filled with ground beef topped with Costena sauce, mozzarella cheese and sour cream.”  The  sauce, which can make or break any dish, was quite spicy as advertised , but not overbearing.  The cheese and sour cream were in perfect proportion not to overshadow, but to complement, the spiciness of the sauce and ground beef of the enchilada.

On another visit to EL COSTENO I had the ENCHILADAS VERDES : “ Two corn tortillas, filled with chicken, topped with green sauce, mozzarella cheese and sour cream.” This dish also had nicely balanced flavors, but without the heat of the COSTENAS sauce.

Chef Guinto and Carlos Pineda, the owners of EL COSTENO,  have taken the first floor of a historic house and converted the space into an elegant yet comfortable and welcoming dining room.  Although not a good idea the night of my visit, they have space for patio dinning, which I am looking forward to this spring.

The service, along with the food at EL COSTENO, give a

‘fine dining’ level of excellence, while keeping the prices and friendly atmosphere of a neighborhood family restaurant. EL COSTENO does not have a liquor license, but they welcome BYOB.

Eat there now…tonight… because I’m afraid we might have trouble getting a table when tourist season arrives.