Fine food, spirits on tap at Blue Ribbon Tavern

Expected to serve first drinks since GC went wet

By Andrew Carranza/Staff writer

The Blue Ribbon Tavern will make history in Olde Town next month as Grove City Borough’s first alcohol-serving restaurant finally opens its doors.

One year and three months after Grove City Borough residents narrowly voted to overturn its dry status, community members yearning to take that first legal sip of alcohol will have the chance when the Blue Ribbon Tavern, 131 S. Broad St., opens in mid-August.

While the tavern has not yet been granted its liquor license by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, co-owner Richard Baker said he was confident it would happen by the time the restaurant opened.

“The application could be approved at any time and I’m pretty sure we’ll get it before construction is done,” Baker said.

Even if the license is not approved by then, Baker said the Blue Ribbon Tavern will still open.

“We’ll definitely open up the restaurant without the license, it’s not that big of a problem,” he said, adding he was just excited to finally open the doors.

According to Baker, he and co-owner Ross “Jim” Nicholson have been planning the Blue Ribbon Tavern for almost 15 months, although the duo has wanted to open a restaurant for far longer than that.

“My partner, Jim, was looking to open a restaurant for several years and when Grove City went wet, it was a no-brainer,” Baker explained. “It’s Jim’s hometown so it wasn’t a very difficult decision.”

Baker, originally from West Middlesex, also said he was familiar with Grove City, as he attended nearby Slippery Rock University. In fact, his connections at SRU led him to snag one of the head cooks for the Blue Ribbon Tavern.

Co-executive chef Aaron Churchill has 11 years of culinary experience, including positions at North Country Brewery and Palmers Taproom & Grille in Slippery Rock. Baker said he met Churchill while in college and offered him an executive chef position at Blue Ribbon Tavern based on his skills.

The other executive chef, Justin Burk, also has an impressive resume.

Burk, a native of Mercer, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and his eight-year tenure includes serving as chef de partie and demo chef at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, according to a press release.

Burk also interned under nationally-renowned Chef Paul Prudhomme at K-Paul’s Restaurant in New Orleans.

“He just moved back to town from New Orleans and was looking for work,” Baker said. “He and Jim know each other, so Jim got in contact with him and offered the job.”

According to Baker, the duo of chefs have been hard at work crafting a menu.

“(Jim) and I gave the chefs an idea of what we wanted, and the two head cooks put most of the work into it,” Baker said.

While not yet finalized, the menu will include specialties such as slow-roasted shaved steak sandwiches, fresh salads, wraps, crab cakes and pastas, according to a press release. Another house specialty will be a a bacon blue ribbon burger with crumbles of bleu cheese presented with a bow-tied bacon strip.

“We wanted to create a higher-end type restaurant,” Baker explained. “You will always get a great steak at the Blue Ribbon Tavern.”

The Blue Ribbon will also offer a catering menu for daily lunch specials available for large orders.

Baker said he expected the menu to be completed shortly and planned to post the finalized menu on the wall of the restaurant next week.

Blue Ribbon Tavern will also have a full-restaurant liquor license, which means the establishment can sell beer, spirits and wine, Baker said. He added that the tavern will offer a wine and drinks list to accompany a meal.

The restaurant will also feature extensive use of oak and inlaid cherry wood, with custom detail from the owners, according to a press release. Two 50-inch big screens will be available for viewing, and entertainment – such as acoustic performers and small bands – will be featured.

As the owners continue to work on the restaurant, Baker said many interested community members have stopped by to check on their progress.

“Lots of people have been stopping by, and generally they’ve been excited,” he said. “The response we’ve received has been really positive, and I honestly thought there would be more opposition in town. But it’s been wonderful.”

According to Baker, the duo purchased the restaurant in early March and have been working on the storefront ever since. He said he and Nicholson did about 90 percent of the construction themselves, transforming the empty building into the Blue Ribbon Tavern.

“We are in the final stages of construction now,” Baker said. “We are putting tiles on floor and we’ll also paint this week. Things have been moving along quickly.”

Baker said he and Nicholson have put in more than eight hours a day since March trying to get the restaurant in order.

“We’re excited to finally open and show off our place,” he said. “We can’t wait.”

Baker said the newly revitalized Olde Town was the “perfect location” for the Blue Ribbon Tavern.

“It’s great since it’s close to so many businesses,” he said. “It’s the best site.”

The Blue Ribbon Tavern will have 30 full-time and part-time employees, Baker said. He said about half the positions were filled already, adding that they were in the process of hiring more employees.

While the restaurant will open in the next few weeks, a grand opening is planned for early fall, according to a press release. Kitchen hours for the restaurant are scheduled as Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on weekends, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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