When Elise Wells entered a Whole Foods Market for the first time several years ago, she left with a changed palate.
“I had never heard of it and I became a convert,” Wells, 34, of Ligonier Township said, recalling snatching up every sample in the organic grocery store.
From that moment, Wells cultivated an appreciation for good-for-you ingredients and a love for cooking for others.
Wigle Sisters Kitchen is now open for business at 321 W. Main St. in Ligonier Borough. Wells serves up healthy “Southern comfort food with a twist” for takeout and dine-in meals on weekends from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with extended hours to come in the summer.
“I know I cook organic, but I don't want people to be like, ‘Oh I can only get salads there,'” she said. “I want there to be good, hearty food for everyone.”
The mother of two grew up around quality, homemade food.
“My mom and grandma are both really good cooks,” she said. “It was always a big part of our life.”
After graduating from Ligonier Valley High School, Wells joined the Army and was stationed in Colorado. A few years later she moved back to the area and gravitated toward cooking for her family members, who started inviting their friends over for dinner.
“Then it started becoming a big thing and they said, ‘Why don't you just cook at the Ligonier Country Market,'” she said.
For the past four years, Wells has been a food vendor at the market. She has also worked at the Main Street Wine Bar.
The name Wigle Sisters Kitchen was born when Wells and her sister, Reda Wigle, 28, of Ligonier Township started cooking a limited menu once a week at Connections Cafe.
Cafe owner Sharon Detar said she knew everybody loved Wells' food because they would order everything from their menu, regardless of what was on it.
“It was always super fresh with lots of organic ingredients and interesting combinations she put together,” Detar said.
Wigle said she loves the ingredients her sister puts into her dishes and appreciates her use of local, organic products.
“I love that (Wells) is adventurous in personal and culinary pursuits,” Wigle said. “It's never a boring day when you're having dinner with (Wells). She would rather try something really exotic and crazy and fail than go with the standard.”
Wigle said she will be pitching in as the front of house staff at the restaurant, adding that she's happy to let her sister “be the captain of the ship in the kitchen.”
Wells wants to create a “down home” dining experience, like a farmstand where customers get “a lot of food for a little bit of money.”
She is still experimenting with the menu, but some of its items include iron skillet-fried chicken and waffles, sweet tea wings, freestyle ramen noodles, black-eyed pea and corn bread salad, a “nice normal breakfast,” and “the pilgrim,” a turkey sandwich with cranberry chutney. Sides include rice and beans, green beans with a mint vinaigrette, purple potato salad and buttermilk banana bread.
“There is stuff for vegans on here,” Wells said. “There is vegetarian stuff, but there's also stuff for just like a hungry carnivore.”
One of Wells' favorite dishes is the “Caveman,” a slow-cooked, Dr. Pepper sirloin with a shredded potato scallion pancake and a fried egg.
“I don't subscribe to paleo or any of those diets or anything like that, but it is paleo,” she said.
Health tonics and “juices with a boost” are also served. Wells' fire cider packs a punch with fermented horseradish, garlic, ginger, onion, honey, lemon and apple cider vinegar.
The majority of Wells' dishes begin with local produce, eggs, poultry or meat. She buys supplies from several farms, including Ligonier's Towns Edge Farm, Rush Around Farm, Jamboree Farm, Kananga Farm and Moondoc Farm.
Bill Snyder, who operates Towns Edge Farm with his wife, thinks it's wonderful that Wells is working with area farmers.
“Any customer is a blessing to us,” he said.
Wells, who served in Iraq for a year in 2005, is a member of Homegrown by Heroes, an organization that supports veterans who farm. Similar to how the USDA has a sticker to label organic foods, the organization has its own sticker to label foods grown by veterans.
“It's really awesome because it puts you in touch with this farming community that has the same background as you,” Wells said. “It's so supportive.”
When she isn't cooking, Wells is teaching second grade at Holy Trinity Catholic School. She is also an artist and has exhibited work at Allegory Gallery.
Someday Wells' hopes to have her own farm, where she could host veterans for therapeutic farming experiences.
“The goal is definitely to get land and grow it,” she said.
For now, Wells will make the most of her home garden, where she fancies growing “everything,” from artichokes and beets to watermelons and pumpkins.
“I just think life is short,” she said. “You gotta eat what you want.”
Nicole Chynoweth is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-850-2862 or nchynoweth@tribweb.com.
