05/19/04

Classic Lancaster County cuisine served up in an old farmhouse with a country-club feel.

by Contributor

The Scene
The 35-year-old farmhouse has a country-club feel, with floral fabrics in mauves and soft greens and a new 18-hole golf course with a two-room bed-and-breakfast at the first tee. Betty Groff, a discovery of food icon Craig Claiborne, is the author of numerous Pennsylvania Dutch cookbooks, and she'll greet you in her dining room to tell you of her latest achievements and appearances.

The Food
Betty Groff's traditional Pennsylvania Dutch menu has been spruced up with contemporary selections, such as lobster bruschetta, care of her son, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America. Still, you can find Groff classics, like barbecued pork chops and ham loaf, on the a la carte menu, served with impossibly fine mashed potatoes. For the true old-school experience, go family-style with house specialty chicken Stoltzfus (a loose interpretation of chicken potpie) served alongside German chocolate cake, cracker pudding and assorted relishes.

• Pros: traditional Dutch menu