Out and About in Abbottstown

by Jane Adams

This is only half-a restaurant review.

Or perhaps to be fair, a full review of half a restaurant. That being, the Altland House in Abbottstown, PA. 

After my husband attended an event which was catered by the Altland House Hospitality Group, which also owns the Altland

House, the establishment was at the forefront of our minds. So on the first day of Summer, we headed out for an anniversary dinner with our daughter to celebrate 16 years together.
To be frank, we didn’t have the heart to leave the 14-year old foodie at home, since she is a food connoisseur in her own right with a palate equal in status and enthusiasm to our own. 
So we headed out on a long summer night to under the super-moon to the sleepy village of Abbottstown. 

We pulled up to the mansion and looked for parking amongst the many Mercedes and Jaguars which donned Virginia and DC plates. A man ushered us into an informal parking lot on what looked like the neighbor’s lawn, but which I assume must have been supplemental parking lot.

The town is quite charming and includes quaint back alleys, long yards, old homes and ornate flower gardens. Walking up to the restaurant, there were people spilling out onto the grand steps of the majestic building and sitting at tables covered with dignified umbrellas on the porch.

Now if you knew my husband, you would understand his immediate inclination to avoid such a seemingly formal atmosphere.

And in keeping true to his nature, he immediately slipped down the concrete stairs off the entrance into the cool dark part of the restaurant named The Underside.

Entering the Underside, we found it to be comfy, cool and hospitable. 

The somewhat outdated lounge decorations made us feel like we were at home, or perhaps, in a friend's basement bar, particularly when we were ushered to a booth alongside the bar.

There was a good selection of beers on tap, including Troeg’s Hopback and Sam Adams.   We ordered a beer and were immediately served a cone shaped container of the most tempting and addictive chips drizzled in a balsamic glaze. In the corner of the room there was a duo of guitar players strumming songs from the 60's and 70's. 

For appetizers, my husband ordered house-made turtle soup, which was served with sherry and was delicious. I ordered an ice berg wedge with blue cheese.

For dinner, we ordered fish tacos and a veggie wrap. The restaurant also offers wings, burgers, flatbread pizzas, steaks, seafood and pasta.   

As we dug into our appetizers, some of the 50-something regulars rose up from the bar and and started doing the jitterbug, which was amusing to say the least. As we finished, we were promptly served another basket of chips.

As I listened to the people behind us talking about their grandkids, I marveled at the woman dancing in white high heels and a polka dot mini-skirt. The atmosphere was warm, cordial, and casual, and it was a great fit for a family anniversary dinner. 

Ice Beg Wedge with Blue Cheese

Another interesting thing about Abbottstown is that it is also located on the Lincoln Highway. I am ashamed to say that I always thought that the Lincoln Highway was a local scenic route that was confined to local counties and the area around Gettysburg. But upon further research, I learned that the Lincoln Highway, which was originally dedicated in 1913, was the first National Memorial to President Lincoln, and its creation predates the Lincoln Memorial by nine years.

Hubby and our 14-year old Foodie.

It spans from Times Square in New York City through Lincoln Park in San Francisco and was one of the first transcontinental highways. Its creation inspired other routes such as the Yellowstone Trail, the Jefferson Highway and the Dixie Highway.

In 2013, the Lincoln Highway Association will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the highway with two tours of the road.

The tours will include almost three hundred people traveling the route to meet in the center point in Nebraska in the last week of June. I hope to visit other locations on this historic highway soon.

We emerged from the Underside onto the Lincoln Highway after dinner and I snapped a few remaining pictures of the outside of restaurant as the last of the summer day’s light faded. 
I fully intended on touring the dignified upstairs of the grand old building, perhaps feigning status as one of the well-dressed customers occupying a corner table there and then reporting back on the grandeur of the place.

But by the time we marveled at the super-moon and took a few anniversary pictures together, we were tired and the moment was over.
It was time to go home and we slid into the car to enjoy a ride home amongst the twilight and the fireflies.

Fish Tacos