One thing I wanted to do for sure during our visit to Lancaster County was to pull up a chair at a dinner table spread with Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. Years ago, I had attended such a feast and I was ready to eat my way through one again.
There are dozens of dozens of genuine Amish-style restaurants in Lancaster County, but we chose one near our cottage – Miller’s at 11 Lincoln Highway East in Ronks, PA.
When you think of a “smorgasbord”, this is it. They have two rooms of buffet tables spread with Fried Chicken, Roast Beef, Hams, Dumplings, and Sausages. There is a carving station with every possible type of meat. There are scads of homemade and locally grown vegetables along with multiple salad combinations. Enjoy locally baked breads, luscious soups, authentic German potato salad and a dessert section boasting homemade pies and cakes along with cobblers, puddings, and other savory sweets.
This is the kind of place where tour busses stop, and reservations are demanded. We made ours for the 6:45 seating and we were there on time and hungry. But not for long.
I went immediately for the Fried Chicken. We fry pretty good chicken in the South, but the Amish take it to the next level. I devoured several piping hot chicken thighs along with some local sausages and steamed shrimp. I enjoyed some stewed tomatoes and other homemade veggies before making my way to the pies. One of my favorites is Shoo Fly pie and I asked for an extra-large piece with two scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream. I ate it all and suffered mightily – but with great joy.
You can diet when you get home, but while in Lancaster, you simply must make a huge pig of yourself and enjoy some of the best food and cooking known to mankind.
