Culinary Quest

Chef Mark Pawlowski, began his kitchen career while in  high school working as a dishwasher at a country club.  He says that ice carvings piqued his interest, "...and the chefs let me use my creativity to decorate salads.  I was always interested in using my creativity and artistic abilities."  Truly, it is not such a far step from an art studio to a kitchen.  "When I look at a blank plate, it is like art and painting.  We use colors, shapes, sculptures to design tastes, textures, and present plates."

Mark  graduated college as a sous chef in 1982 with his Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts from Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He has exposed himself to a wide variety of cuisines, including Asian, French, and that of the American southwest.  This offers him a well-rounded approach to menu design and food preparation.   Mark has used these skills as the Executive Sous Chef at Sedona, Arizona's Enchantment Resort.  Rated among the "World's Top 100 Resorts" by Travel & Leisure Magazine, Mark oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Yavapai Restaurant, a Mobil Four-Star-Rated dining room.

Mark has attained the level of Certified Executive Chef through the American Culinary Foundation, the nation's largest association of professional cooks and chefs, and is currently working toward the level of Certified Master Chef.

Mark has won numerous awards in culinary competitions.  In September 2005, he received the coveted "People's Choice" award at the 9th annual "Art of Food" culinary competition at the Art Association of Harrisburg.  More recently, Mark received the prestigious title of "Iron Chef Pennsylvania" at the First Annual Pennsylvania Food & Beverage Conference held in Harrisburg earlier in 2007. 

When I asked Mark what his approach to cooking has been while at The OffCenter Grill, he was very quick to respond, "The approach is:  we use only the finest ingredients in a contemporary style with taste, color, texture, and the 'Wow' factor when the customer sees the plate.  We are cuisine with no boundaries.  We don't want to limit ourselves."

Along this line of no limits, Mark pointed out that The OffCenter Grill changes the menu with the seasons.  All of the chefs are involved in the changes so that the whole process is a team effort.  Some weekly specials help with that as they may be included in later menus.  Regardless, a great deal of research goes into creating a new menu.

The OffCenter Grill does not boast any house specials, however they do have some award winning dishes, as does The Commonwealth Room.  It is worth experiencing the whole menu to find out which dish is your favorite.

"I am honored to be involved with The Yorktowne.  I hope to attract new and old customers to The OffCenter Grill with our menu."   There's always something changing on the menu with the specials, so there's always something new to experience.

Born in Fedville, N.C., Sous Chef Ed Pate started his restaurant career as a dishwasher, as do many great culinary minds.  Ed worked his way up the ranks in the restaurant world because of a personal desire to learn more about cooking.  This all began 28 years ago.  Since then, Ed has gained experience in a great variety of cuisines, including French, Italian, Chinese, Korean, American, or, as he puts it, "A little bit of everything.  This allows me to prepare anything that the customer wants."  Ed has been Sous Chef at the Yorktowne Hotel for the past 6 years.  Prior to his tenure here, he served as the Executive Chef at the Roosevelt Tavern for 11 years and spent 4 years as Sous Chef at Windows on the Green. 

Nevertheless, Ed finds that American cuisine is his favorite.  He finds that Emerill can be an inspiration since he is basic and shows that you can cook great dishes at home, and really enjoys Alton Brown.  "He's the best food connoisseur out there," Ed notes.

The menus at the Yorktowne's restaurants are a collaborative effort; however the specials are another thing altogether.  Here, Chef Pate is given the freedom to create and even bring in recipes from other restaurants where he has worked.  "Mark (Pawlowski) gives me lots of opportunities to stretch out and get exposure that way.  He lets me make up recipes and go with it.  We have our 5:00, 4-course tastings to make for the staff and the guests of the hotel.  They all love it," he tells me.  A 4-course tasting?  With that kind of offering, I may have to stay at the Yorktowne for an evening....

I let Ed know how much I admire the presentation of all the dishes at the Yorktowne's restaurants.  Where does he get his artistic inspiration?  "I see pictures, get thoughts, other chefs, get different ideas, and put them all together.  I think things should look good.  People eat with their eyes before they eat with their hands and it influences how things taste," he explains.  Ah, a thinking man's chef. 

But don't take my word for it.  Dine at OffCenter, or make your reservations at The Commonwealth Room and let Sous Chef Ed Pate WOW! you with his creations.

Not many people are aware that The Yorktown Business Institute, located in York, PA, has a School of Culinary Arts.  Fewer still are aware that The Yorktowne Hotel is the beneficiary of the skills of one of this school's finer graduates, Pastry Chef Robert Faucette, class of 2003.

Robert, a native of York, PA, says that he decided to attend the School of Culinary Arts because he "...didn't want to go to a real college and figured if I hated it, at least I'd know how to cook at home.  I got into it and went from there." 

Stating that that his position at The Yorktowne Hotel is his first with a restaurant, he explains that he was first hired to work with salads and pastries.  "When the pastry chef left, I took it and ran with it.  I like to keep at different things and work with different things.  Sort of be all over the place with desserts, so I don't have a favorite medium to work with," he tells me.

Chef Faucette creates the dessert menu as a separate entity from the restaurants' menus so that the sweets may be seen as creations all their own.  Each can cap off almost any given meal, however. 

I ask Robert where he gets his inspiration for the vast variety of desserts he creates.  "A lot of things influence me.  Stuff I've had before; things I've had and can mold together.  Things I've had that make me think of other things.  I'll look at other restaurants and cookbooks and will turn what they have or what I see and will turn it into my own thing," he says, expressing his creative side.

I wonder what Chef Faucette has not tried yet that he may have in store in the future.  "I haven't tried soufflés here yet because they're very difficult to do correctly, and I haven't done very many cakes here yet," he says with a grin.  Perhaps we can look forward to these delectable items.

On the dessert menu, you will find flavored crème Brule, imaginative cheese cakes, signature desserts, and so much more.  So when you are sitting around the house and get a craving for something sweet, think about going out to a restaurant for dessert.  And when you are in York, PA, visit the revitalized downtown and stop at The Yorktowne Hotel to sample Pastry Chef Robert Faucette's magnificent creations.

I arrive at 5:30 so that I can check out the bar.  I believe it is a good idea to always give the bars a good once over.  The OffCenter Grill's bar and lounge area seats approximately 20 people, with plenty of space to mingle.  The bar itself is stocked with a nice assortment of spirits, and the mixologists are quite professional, being able to answer a wide variety of questions that I put to them.  (I used to work as a bartender, so I am curious to learn about their Scotches, Vodkas, and beer.)  The Commonwealth Room and The OffCenter Grill offer a selection of more than 200 wines from all over the world to complement your meal, or to enjoy with a friend.  I am very impressed that a non-alcoholic beer is offered here at The OffCenter Grill.  Oh, but there are ashtrays located on the bar and tables.  I would have hoped that the whole restaurant would have gotten ahead of the curve and become a non-smoking establishment.  Given that the bar is only separated from the restaurant by some empty space and some long planters, even the best ventilation systems will not be able to contain the smoke from a larger crowd of smokers.  I'll have to take off a point for that later. 

I order a club soda and make small talk with a couple seated at the bar.  The atmosphere here is warm and friendly.  The clientele is of a mixed crowd; some dressed very casually, others in semi-formal evening attire.  This reinforces my previous impressions that The OffCenter Grill is a meeting place for all occasions.  The background music is a mixture of genres.  On one level this is very nice in that it provides everyone with a chance to hear something that he or she may like.  On another level, it is distracting.  I would like to have a mood set when I go out to eat.  The occasional hip hop or country song disturbs my concentration.  I may have to consider this. 

At 5:45, I notice that the restaurant is gradually filling up, so I ask to be seated.  I am escorted to a table by the window, and asked if I would prefer to have Saratoga Spring water or tap water.  I choose tap water, not being sure if I could survive drinking something healthy.  Nevertheless, I am impressed that the choice has been offered.  I am quite impressed by the menu.  Taking into consideration that the specials are for this week only, I am tempted to try one of these choices.  Then again, the Vegetable Capellini of artichoke hearts, fresh tomatoes, green and yellow zucchini, garlic, wine, and basil makes my mouth water.  I am caught in a conundrum!  I shall ask the server for her suggestions.

When the server arrives at my table, she is carrying a plate with roasted red pepper hummus and seeded crackers.  I first ask her if I can order the snapper soup from The Commonwealth Room's menu here.  She responds that I may order anything from The Commonwealth Room's menu here and vice versa.  I order the soup.  Next, I let her know that I have never eaten dinner at the OffCenter Grill, and I ask her what I should have to make my experience unforgettable.  Without blinking an eye, she responds, "You should follow the soup with the Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna.  For  your entree, the Garlic Crusted Breast of Chicken is delicious.  And for dessert, I would order either the Peppermint Patty or the Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee."  Thrilled to have found a server who not only knows the menu, but who can comment knowledgeably upon the choices, I order her suggestions and choose the Creme Brulee.  And hope that I can eat all of the food that I have ordered.

I have tried the hummus before and have decided that I could make a meal out of it; just a quart of hummus and a fresh baguette.  The subtle layering of flavors is a joy to the palate.  Definitely a nice hors' douvre.  I eat this and am soon greeted with the snapper soup.  Served in a large bowl with sherry, this does not appear to be like any turtle soup I have tasted before.  It almost looks to be a cream based soup.  I taste it tentatively and find that what I thought was cream broth is egg!  This is fabulous!  It's a turtle soup with beef broth, though I also taste vegetables in the broth, and fresh snapper meat, and eggs!  This is quite the treat.  Something to definitely order again.  The server verifies for me that what I tasted in the soup was eggs which are used to "create a cream-like base" she informs me.  She clears my empty soup bowl and refills my water glass, asking if I would like more club soda. 

The Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna arrives after a comfortable wait.  This is quite a presentation!  Perched atop a beautifully pan-seared piece of Ahi Tuna is a mixture of greens and seaweed salad drizzled with sesame-wasabi vinaigrette.  To one end of the tuna, I find a decorative arrangement of carrot slaw, while at the other end of the tuna is a layering of pickled ginger.    First, I try the carrot slaw.  This is a nice presentation of the vegetable.  Both decorative and tasty, the carrot slaw is a sweet but tangy use of the carrots that also serves to add color to the plate.  I next taste the pickled ginger.  These are thinly sliced pieces of a spicy oriental root that accents the dish fabulously when eaten either by themselves or when combined with any other item on the plate.  Drizzled along the edge of the plate is some wasabi--the marvelous spicy green sauce made from a Japanese radish.   I taste the mixed greens and seaweed salad.  It is nothing short of tremendous!  The tangy flavors of the vegetables and the spice of the vinaigrette play well off of each other.  The tuna is cooked perfectly--seared on the outside, rare on the inside.  I find that mixing the various flavors on the plate is both interesting and complementary.  The spicy wasabi goes well with everything, especially the tuna.  The salad mixture augments the tuna nicely.  The carrots and the tuna are a curious, but fun combination of textures and tastes.  And the pckled ginger brings out the flavors of each of the other elements, augmenting their finest points upon my palate.  This dish would make a great light entree and would go well with any of the restaurant's fabulous soup's.  I finish this dish with gusto and anxiously await my entree.

I am suddenly aware of the "Wow" factor that Chef Mark spoke of during our interview as I am served the Garlic Crusted Breast of Chicken.   Surrounded by a grilled vegetable ratatouille of tomatoes and zucchini, is a slice of toasted sun dried tomato polenta.  The garlic crusted chicken breast sits atop this, crowned with micro greens, and topped with a balsamic drizzle.  The aroma is tremendous!  The portion size, as with everything so far, is much larger than expected.  The boneless chicken breast is cooked perfectly, with no fat apparent on the meat.  The drizzle adds a tang that plays well off of the natural sweetness of the chicken.  I also notice that there has been no excess salt used in  any of the cooking today, and this stands out here since I would have expected the seasonings to be a bit salty.  I am impressed that they are not and am pleased that they do not need to be.  The micro greens have been steamed so that they still have a crisp finish to them.  This is so superior to the soggy boiled vegetables I am greeted by in so many restaurants.  The ratatouille is a delicious concoction, providing an interesting combination of flavors that goes well with the chicken or the polenta.  (I prefer the greens with either the chicken or by themselves; a personal choice.)  The sun dried tomato polenta is a real treat for me.  This serves as an excellent base to this dish since the starch base is a refreshing change of pace from pasta, potatoes, or rice.  It holds the sauce nicely, carries the flavors to the palate well, and complements all of the other elements of this dish nicely.  I would not be surprised to learn that this is one of Chef Mark's award winning dishes.

My server clears my plate when I am finished, refills my water glass, and asks if I would like some more club soda.  She gives me a few moments and returns to find out if I have given any further thought to dessert, obviously not convinced that I want the Creme Brulee.  I ask her to describe the Peppermint Patty and the Creme Brulee for me so that I may make an informed decision.  She not only describes them for me, but also is able to tell me about her personal experiences with them.  Both sound marvelous, so I choose the Creme Brulee. 

I have a few moments to relax and note that I have been dining for a little more than an hour and a half.  During this time, I have not seen any of the tables leave.  This is a good sign.  Customers feel comfortable dining here.  The atmosphere is calm and gives itself to quiet conversations.  I notice that some tables who did not appear to know each other when they were seated have begun discussions between tables, so a certain camaraderie develops here.  The restaurant  is able to seat roughly 100 people, and, according to Chef Mark, could accommodate groups of up to 50.  I note that the artwork on the walls is made possible by a joint effort with YorkArts.  Although these may not be pieces by Monet and Rodin, they are attractive and add to the friendliness of the room.  There is a sign noting that The OffCenter Grill has become part of the York Revolution baseball team, showing their involvement with the community.  

My dessert arrives and I must put my note pad away.  There's the "Wow" again!  The Creme Brulee is in a small souffle dish.   Standing in this dish is a crisp cookie spoon, and sitting beside the dish are two crunchy brownie like affairs beneath which is a pool of raspberry syrup.  I can barely  hold myself back!  First I eat the spoon.  If you recall the wafer cookies of your childhood, the round, brown around the edges cookies, you know exactly what this spoon tastes like.  Delicious!  And it's even better when dipped in the raspberry syrup.  Next I eat the crunchy brownies.  These have a vanilla-nutty flavor, again augmented nicely with the raspberry syrup.  Finally, I eat the Creme Brulee.  I have never experienced such elation!  This dessert is mouthgasmic!  The vanilla is evident in each and every bite.  The creamy texture is fun for my tongue.  My only regret is that there is not more to enjoy.  Chef Robert Faucette, the pastry chef, trained at the Yorktowne Business Institute School of Culinary Arts, can be credited with the pastry menu.  I want to give him a medal!

I ask for my check and cannot believe how reasonable my meal was considering that I ate enough food to feed a small third world nation!  Even with drinks and/or wine, a couple could go out for dinner for a four course meal without having to break the bank. 

Here is where I get to grade my dining experience.  I grade on 5 factors:  Atmosphere, Service, Presentation, Taste, and Value.  These areas are scored on a 0 to 10 scale with 0 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.

Atmosphere:  8.7     All in all, the atmosphere was fabulous; however, the smoking at the bar and the inconsistent music rubbed me the wrong way.  I know that may seem overly picky, but if I notice these things, other diners are sure to as well.

Service:  10     The service was second to none!  The server made sure that I had things without my having to ask for them.  She knew the menu inside and out, and when I basically asked her to order me my meal, she was up to the challenge, making my experience a memorable one.  She is a professional.  I compliment her, and I commend The OffCenter Grill for finding such qualified servers.  It heightens the dining experience.

Presentation:  10     Chef Mark and his staff truly are artists in the kitchen.  Everything was enticing as it was served to me.  The dishes were just as appealing to the eyes as they were to the  palate and the stomach.   The combination of colors, shapes, textures, sculptures, and flavors was like a tour through a culinary museum where I had the opportunity to eat the displays.  Chef Mark, this was unbeatable!

Taste:  10     I cannot say enough about the food that I ate tonight.  Each dish that I enjoyed was a culinary adventure in and of itself.  I would have been happy with any one of my dishes, but to  have had them all in a meal?  Oh my!  Fortunately, I did not eat anything else all day; otherwise, I would not be able to walk out of the restaurant!  I cannot urge you to try this restaurant enough.  You are missing a most phenomenal experience if  you do not stop in to join The OffCenter Grill for a meal.

Value:  9.5     My meal was a tremendous value.  If I had wanted to enjoy a few drinks, or a bottle of wine with a date, though, I am afraid that the cost of the meal would have become a bit exorbitant for two people, unless they were  celebrating a special occasion.  Nevertheless, the food is a great value.  So, on my dining experience alone, I would have to award a 10.

The OffCenter Grill is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 6:30 am to 10:00 pm, serving breakfast from 6:30 am to 11:00 am, lunch from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, and dinner from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm.  Dinner reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are always welcome. 

Ph:  717.848.1111 |  Web:  www.Offcentergrill.com

24 March 2007                                                          

During the Revolutionary War, York, PA, was named "Yorktowne."  Thus, when a "Community Hotel" was planned for the nation's first capital in 1925, this name was chosen for the establishment. 

Opening its doors on October 17, 1925, The Yorktowne was said to be "the best Hotel between New York and Pittsburgh, costing over one million dollars to build."  Thanks to the support of hundreds of Yorkers who backed the project as stockholders in the project, the Hotel was able to open debt free--quite a feat, even in the 1920's.  The Yorktowne has always boasted "rich decor and modern facilities," making it York's standard bearer as Community Hotel, Business Meeting Facility, and Social Center for well over 70 years.

Easily recognizable by its exterior architecture done in a Renaissance style of red tapestry brick with ornamental terra-cotta.  The interior is absolutely breath taking, transporting you back to the elegance of 1925.  Everything from the rich wood panels, tot he twenty foot high ceilings, to the brass and crystal chandeliers in the ballroom speaks of a bygone era when eloquence and charm were everything.

The Yorktowne has played host to Presidents, First Ladies, comedians, Hall of Famers, and Governors from all across the United States:  Eleanor Roosevelt, Mickey Mantle, Lucille Ball, Richard Nixon, Johnny Cash, Red Skelton, and Glenn Miller stayed at The Yorktowne in years gone by.  This list continues to grow as York still plays host to important visitors.  President Clinton stayed at The Yorktowne on his triumphal bus tour following his nomination by the Democratic National Convention in 1992. 

The Yorktowne has also become known as the home of two of the finer restaurants in York:  The Commonwealth Room and of The OffCenter Grill.  I have had the opportunity to dine on a number of occasions at The OffCenter Grill for breakfast and lunch.  Tonight I am going to experience my first dinner at the restaurant after I have the opportunity to interview the Executive Chef, Chef Mark Pawlowski.  Come, let's talk with Chef Mark.  Then, I invite you along for dinner where we can find out if the evening fare is as delicious as the breakfast and lunch offerings.  I have never been disappointed by those two meals.  Fabulous does not begin to describe the experiences.  However, dinner may be an entirely different story.

         The Yorktowne Hotel | 48 East Market Street | York, PA  17401 

             Reservations 800.233.9324 | Ph: 717.848.1111 | Fax: 717.845.4707                    

             Email: Service@Yorktowne.com | Web: www.Yorktowne.com