Put Some Hop in that Buggy—Elk Creek Café

This Thanksgiving brought me to family in State College, PA. The game-day feast was fabulous, with contributions from all my culinarily-gifted family members. The day after, we felt like roaming further afield than the fridge (and far away from the 50" flatscreen marauders at Best Buy), so my uncle took us on a tour of the surrounding countryside. After a tour of an old flour mill turned pottery studio, we were ready for some refreshment.

Nestled in the middle of Amish country (definitely, choose a window-facing seat for prime buggy watching), Elk Creek Café + Aleworks in Millheim, PA, is a cozy village hotspot and brewpub with a creative bent. 

Little Village MFA--one tall pint of hoppiness

My first beer, Little Village MFA, was made with some local Chinook and Cascade hops. The owner, Tim Yarrington, would like to use local grain as well (with farm fields as far as the eye can see, it certainly is abundant!), but local malters are sorely lacking (I may have just googled "how to start a large-scale grain malting business"). Back to the beer, it was a zingy hop-forward "fine ale." I’m not sure where fine ale fits into the BJCP guidelines, but the adjective fits to a T. This beer produced bolts of grapefruit and zesty citrus with each sip. I could have easily downed another, but couldn't justify a repeat with a host of new brews to sample.

My second beer, and also second favorite, was Hairy John’s India Pale Ale, an IPA with a strong malt backbone, which helped ameliorate the steeper alcohol level (9%). While I tend toward the camp of aggressive hopping (see above), I appreciated the fine balance of this beer. When you're not distracted by such dominant hop flavors, you're free to focus more on the beer as a whole.

I also sampled the Elk Creek Copper ale--a classic copper with an appealing bitter edge--that would sit well with almost any food option, and especially partner well with a hearty loaf of home-baked bread. The Winkleblink Ale, a clear winner in the beer names race, was a buoyant lighter ale—good for a palate cleanser or an evening of lighter drinking.

The food well fulfilled the "eat fresh and local" maxim. We dined from the specials list, from which a cream of cremini mushroom soup restored warmth to my marrow. My fried oyster sandwich main was topped with jalapeno aioli and butter lettuce, providing a tangy counterpoint to the plump, rich oysters. I was impressed that the restaurant applied care to even secondary details. I'm probably going to dive into whatever pile of chips accompanies my sandwich, but it certainly helps if they are freshly fried and look as delicious as this.

I love when my chips have crispy brown edges and traces of skin.

Last, we got a special preview of Elk Creek anniversary ale. Though not yet fully carbonated, the rich harvesty notes were there. Pick this baby up when it arrives on tap.

Accustomed to (admittedly reasonable) Philly prices, I was bowled over anew by the beer prices here. Pints (all beers are produced on premise) were on average $4.00, with the specialty selections topping out at $4.50. Samplers are available for $8.00, so unless you have anywhere to go soon, there’s really no excuse for not sampling the entire tap list. (Taps will rotate, but find our weekend menu below.)

So even if you don’t have agriculturally-versed relatives to give you an insight-studded tour of Amish country, it is well worth the car trip. The cafe is also known for its music program, so sit, sip, and stay a while!