STRASBURG, Pa. — Editor's Note: The video above is from June 28.
The Strasburg Railroad, a popular tourist attraction in Lancaster County, announced Monday the imminent opening of a new restaurantn on its historic property.
Café 1832 will have its grand opening Saturday, Strasburg Railroad said in a press release. Led by former Disney chef Phillip Ponticelli, the restaurant will provide "an elevated dining experience by offering a scratch-made menu for on-site and on-train dining."
The restaurant will also have family-style options for online ordering and curbside pickup, including pre-orders for Thanksgiving DInner for pickup on Thanksgiving Day, the press release said.
The restaurant will add 15 new jobs at the Strasburg attraction, the press release added.
Ponticelli brings more than 30 years of cooking experience ,including 24 years at the Walt Disney Resort, the Strasburg Railroad said. Under his direction, Café 1832 guests will dine on "freshly prepared dishes like homemade soups and salads, pulled BBQ sliders, scalloped turkey, baked mountain trout, roasted salmon, beef bourguignon, and more."
The Café will also offer a selection of grab-and-go menu items for customers, the press release said.
“My culinary approach for Café 1832 at Strasburg Rail Road is based on a Scratch Cooking method of menu design," Ponticelli said in the press release. "My meals are all freshly made, but I keep them simple by focusing onthree to four key ingredients. And, because my menu is built from a vegetarian base, Café 1832 is better able to cater to our Guests’ meal preferences."
Café 1832 has a state-of-the-art kitchen, new equipment, and table, window, and countertop seating, the press release said. It will be open year-round, offering indoor and outdoor dining options, on-train lunch and dinner, and special events.
“This is an exciting chapter for Strasburg Rail Road,” said Tony Gebbia, President of Strasburg Rail Road. “Chef Ponticelli’s expertise and experience at top-tier restaurants run by Walt Disney instantly brings a level of culinary quality and excellence that has never existed at Strasburg Rail Road.
"Whether our guests choose to dine in-house, order take-out, or have the ultimate experience of dining while enjoying our 45-minute steam train excursion, the food will be exceptional.”
The opening of Café 1832 marks the first time in the railroad’s 188-year history that it has internalized the food and beverage operation. The new model has created as many as 15 new jobs, including salary, full- and part-time opportunities ranging from sous chef and bartenders to servers, line cooks, stewards, and cashiers.
Founded in 1832, Strasburg Rail Road is one of Pennsylvania’s leading family attractions and is home to museum quality, working, turn-of-the century steam locomotives, freight cars, dining cars, private cars, and one of the largest fleets of historic wooden passenger cars in the world.