Established in 1840, The Inn at Twin Linden, which is located along Route 23 in Churchtown, has been owned by Kyra and Mike Scalea since 2022. One Saturday a month from May through October, the inn and a notable percentage of the village’s citizenry gather to present and sample the best the local area has to offer through a six-course, farm-to-table dinner series.

Set against the backdrop of the Welsh Mountains, dinner is typically held on the lawn that overlooks rolling fields that turn golden in the evening sun. Those whose backs are to the fields are not deprived of scenic vistas, as they have a view of the inn’s gorgeous gardens. On those occasions, a long table and 40 chairs are set up beneath string lights. Adding to the ambiance are chickens who wander about searching for dropped morsels.

For the May dinner, the windy and cool weather prompted a move into the barn for a more comfortable evening. It, too, is pure Lancaster County. 

The menu changes over the course of the season, depending on specialty items available at local farm stands and producers. “Dinner is based on what [the chefs] find on Friday,” says Mike. “Beef comes from a local Amish [cattle producer] down the street, Anthony Martin Meats,” he continues.

Chef John Banes and sous chef Don Maue spend days preparing for the dinner. From planning the menu to shopping locally for ingredients, the prep work begins on Friday after sourcing ingredients at all the local stops is completed. On Saturday morning, they arrive at 10 a.m. for the 6 p.m. dinner, where they’ll be working until after 9 p.m. Because the duo have been working together in restaurants since 1998, so much of the cooking happens without a need to verbally communicate with each other. Recently, Chef Banes launched Twin Linden Catering for events away from the inn. “It’s another branch of the Twin Linden tree,” he explains. 

The ”Mayor” to the Rescue

At the Inn, as well as in Churchtown, intersecting worlds combine to create a sense of community. When Kyra and Mike took ownership of the inn, having moved there from Chester County in 2022, they immediately discovered the depth of caretaking at hand. They soon learned that anytime a specialized need arose, all they needed to do was look to their local community for solutions.

One name that kept popping up was Harvey Shirk, who lives across the field from the inn and is a “retired” farmer who knows everyone and where to go for seemingly everything. “Harvey Shirk is like the mayor around here,” says Mike. “One day he came to us, knocked on the door, and said, ‘Hi, I’m Harvey Shirk.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m supposed to meet you! Thank you for coming over,” Mike recounts. 

Harvey has a knack for connecting the inn to all the best resources and people around Churchtown (and beyond). This is the kind of wisdom acquired through a lifetime of personal connections and knowledge that can’t be obtained any other way. For example, a fan motor recently needed to be repaired for one of the rooms. Harvey unmounted the motor from the ceiling, looked it over, and handed it to Mike with a slip of paper containing an address. Trusting Harvey, Mike followed the directions to a nondescript machine shop in New Holland that Mike admits he otherwise would have never found. They were expecting Mike’s arrival and were able to repair the motor.

It Takes a Village

Officially, Churchtown doesn’t have a mayor, and technically, the inn’s address has been listed as Narvon ever since Churchtown’s post office closed. Whether you call it Churchtown or Narvon, it’s the locals who define the community whose first settlers were of Welsh heritage. 

“The people who grew up here are the kindest, most helpful people I’ve ever met,” says Kyra. “They know everybody, they know where everything is. You can get anything you need. Everyone helps each other out,” she continues. “There’s something extra special about everyone coming together to host the dinner,” she notes. “Our staff, our neighbors, it is so awesome to have them help us represent The Twin Linden and Churchtown to our guests. The farmers, the growers, the neighborhood folks, we like to welcome everybody. It’s the best of Churchtown, presented by Churchtown,” she continues.

When it comes to the inn’s success, the gracious hosts can’t help but look around at their community support system. “There are way more people who work here than just those who were here tonight,” says Kyra. “The people who help take care of the grounds, buildings, painting… It’s all local people.” 

Family is also heavily involved. Chef Banes is Kyra’s brother. Her nephew Jack is their electrician, while Jack’s girlfriend Jennie oversees the inn’s social media. They’ve had cousins, nieces and in-laws as part of the service team. For the May dinner, Mike and Kyra’s daughter, Emmie, working with Terrain and Table Designs in Elverson, took charge of the table décor, including the floral arrangements, with product procured from Legacy Acres Family Farm. 

Even children from the surrounding Plain community pitch in. Their giggles and whispers echo all the way down the steps, as they help carry plated courses to the dinner table and empty plates back to the kitchen. After dinner, they gather for their own meal shared with everyone who participated
that evening.

Eventually, the evening grows calm and quiet. Some nights, Mike will light a fire for guests to enjoy before heading home or retiring to their rooms at the inn. Conversations among guests wind down, and in the kitchen, all the dishes are washed, ready to serve another day. As to when the innkeepers get to relax, “I will start having my glasses of wine soon,” says Kyra as the evening comes to a close. It is a well-earned reward.

As for a review: You couldn’t pick a better spot. This countryside inn was made for summer.

The Menu … the Best of Summer

Twin Linden’s menu follows a six-course format, comprised of seasonally available food gathered from around the Churchtown area. Inspired by each new harvest, the menu is often edited to make room for last-minute inclusions whenever fresh delights are found. On this occasion, Harvey Shirk’s family provided five pounds of asparagus. The season’s first strawberries (picked from the inn’s strawberry patch) were also a late addition.

“We’re trying to take these ingredients and make them the best we can, with the season and setting in mind,” says Chef Banes. “We let the flavors speak for themselves. Keep it simple, keep it honest,” he theorizes. By the evening’s end, every inch of the kitchen had been utilized, and they didn’t seem to break a sweat. “[Don] tries to stay behind the scenes,” says Chef Banes. “He says he’s in witness protection, but we gotta give him props.”

Tickets

The Inn at Twin Linden’s dinners are open to the public. Cocktails are complimentary, with the option for guests to bring wine or beer. A hat is passed at the end of the night as a thank you to the staff. The next dinner will be held July 25. 

For details, visit innattwinlinden.com or call 484-319-5884.