Restaurant, shop offer taste of the Amish life

Imagine made-from-scratch cooking. Think about what it would be like to have the chance to learn more about Amish life.

Then think about where you might expect to find such things.

If you mind's answer is a peaceful country road, get in your car and head to Armstrong County.

By following such a track about one-half mile off Route 839, you'll find Stockdale's Amish House and Restaurant.

Situated on a 55-acre farm near Dayton, it attracts hungry and curious travelers to a simple way of life. Owned and operated by Sherry Stockdale, the rural farmhouse and barn were built exclusively by Amish carpenters three years ago.

The business opened to the public on Mother's Day 1999.

Stockdale said she designed the new adventure to represent a typical Amish home and farmland.

"We moved out here in order to provide an atmosphere that better lends itself to the Amish way of life," said Stockdale, whose family operates a general store and Amish restaurant in downtown Dayton. "I just wanted it to be plain and simple, back to basics. They (Amish) have a totally different way of life with no frivolities."

Stockdale's Amish House and Restaurant offers house tours, bed and breakfast accommodations, a gift shop, bakery, homemade chocolates and Amish-crafted furniture.

In addition, barnyard, gardening and craft-making activities associated with the Amish are also featured on the grounds.

Stockdale's Amish House and Restaurant is located just a few miles southwest of Smicksburg, home to the largest concentration of Amish in western Pennsylvania.

The restaurant features Amish home-style cooking and daily specials from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except for Sundays, when doors open at 8 a.m.

Soups, rolls, breads and pies are made daily from scratch and vegetables and meats are farm-grown and processed locally.

On the weekends, an Amish-style buffet is served from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The menu includes old-fashion maple sugar cured ham, old country Swiss steak, stuffing and noodles, fresh vegetables, Amish fried chicken and coleslaw with sweet and sour German dressing.

For dessert, cakes include such treats as grandma's oatmeal, old-fashioned banana nut, Pennsylvania Dutch six-cup apple and double brown sugar chocolate fudge.

"We don't try to fool anybody here," said Stockdale. "If it's Amish-style we say Amish-style. A lot of businesses try to represent their products as Amish, but they are actually Amish-style."

Stockdale said she makes every effort to feature as many Amish-made products as possible, from the food in the restaurant to the crafts in the gift shop to the workmanship throughout the farm.

That is not always possible because of the time involved. According to Stockdale, Amish women do not work outside the home, so all product orders must be placed at the house, then picked up and delivered to the store.

"It's very time-consuming," said Stockdale. "But you know the minute you taste it (food), whether or not it is Amish made."

While Stockdale is not Amish, she enjoys sharing with others the unique way of life carried out by the religious sect.

"Amish children are brought up in a tradition and recognize their God-given skills at an early age," she said. "There is a lot of effort that goes into their work. They expound on their talents and become masters of their crafts. None is expected to do less than their best."

That was reason enough for Stockdale to employ the Amish to build the homestead.

The eight-room Amish farmhouse with wrap-around porch was crafted by an Amish neighbor and his sons. It is furnished with an oak dining set, oak kitchen cabinets, hutches and china cabinets, all crafted by members of the Amish group.

Upstairs, four bedrooms were built for bed and breakfast guests. The handmade quilts are the work of Amish neighbor ladies.

All the furniture is available for sale.

Along the house tour, the guide not only describes the home and furnishings, but offers visitors a look at the interesting and different people. The guide answers such questions as: Where did the Amish originate• Why do Amish men wear beards, but never mustaches• Why do Amish women not wear a wedding ring, yet there is no divorce in their community• Why are all the buggy's black• Or Is it true dolls for girls have no faces?"

One of the most popular events at the restaurant is the Amish wedding feast, which accommodates between 15 and 65 guests.

"We actually serve the actual meal of a typical Amish wedding, prepared from scratch," said Stockdale of the event traditionally celebrated in the bride's home. "It might be the only meal served in abundance in the Amish home. They all look so much forward to it for that reason."

At the mock feast, a narrator explains the Amish history, traditions and customs as the guests enjoy the family-style meal.

"Our goal is to nourish the body and renew the spirit as we learn about the people who are to be respected for their deep faith and commitment to God," said Stockdale.

At the end of the ceremony, the guests are served ice cream, a special dessert for the Amish.

"When they (Amish) get ice cream, their eyes just light up," said Stockdale. "They don't have ice cream often because they don't have refrigeration."

Also at the farmhouse, tourists can watch bread being baked from scratch, soup-making, candle-making and other back-to-basic activities, appropriate for the season.

At the Helping Hands Quilt Room, they can try their hand at a stitch or two.

The garden and barnyard at Stockdale's are named after Sherry's two daughters - Rachel and Rebecca - while the bakery is named Emma, in honor of the woman who inspired Stockdale to open the business.

At Rachel's Barnyard, visitors can interact with a variety of barnyard animals, such as horses, pigs, sheep, goats and bunnies, depending on the time of year.

"I bring a lot of school groups out here," said Stockdale. "I explain to them the history, traditions and customs. I feed the children and explain the life of an Amish child."

Amish children, she explained, speak a German dialect until they enter school.

"At Easter time, we'll have chicks and bunnies and the kids can go about the farm and feed and pet them," she said.

In Rebecca's Garden, vegetables include tomatoes, peppers, squash, green beans, "anything you would find in a basic garden," said Stockdale.

And visitors are free to pick a fresh vegetable.

"Many of our travelers are from the city and never get the opportunity to grow a huge squash or cucumber," said Stockdale. "If they walk through and see a nice big plump cucumber, we say 'Sure, go ahead and pick it.'"

"It's a simple garden," said Stockdale. "I even put up a clothes line that runs from the barn to the house."

From the oven of Emma's Bakery come homemade pies, breads and cookies baked fresh daily in a wood-fired oven. Stockdale said one of her two goals is to offer all Amish-made bakery products.

The other goal, she said, is to open an authentic smoke house stocked with pure Amish meats and cheeses.

Handmade crafts and accessories, furniture, soaps, relishes, syrup, preserves and much more are available at the Amish Heartland Gift Shop located at the farmhouse.

Stockdale's Amish House and Restaurant
Dayton, Pa.
Armstrong County
(814) 257-8651
www.smicksburg-dayton.com