New restaurant opens at historic Gamble Mill in Bellefonte. Here’s what you can expect
After years of the owner dreaming and planning, a new restaurant has finally opened its doors at the historic Gamble Mill in Bellefonte.
Michael Marx, the owner/head chef, announced Thursday that Creekside at the Gamble Mill would open its 60-seat dining room and nine-seat full-service bar later that day. For at least this week, the restaurant will operate under limited hours, from 5-9 p.m. every day through Sunday, due to limited staffing. Only starters, dinner, drinks and dessert will be available for now.
It’s been a long road for Marx, who thought about opening his own spot at the Gamble Mill even before brothers Jon and Chris Virgilio bought the property in June 2019. Marx — whose wife hails from Centre Hall — has extensively traveled in France, Mexico and Jamaica; owned three Baltimore-area restaurants and previously ran the local World’s Fare Catering food truck. And he’s been patiently awaiting this opportunity.
“I missed this,” Marx said, pausing. “I missed walking into the dining room. I missed putting food on plates and garnishing the plates. I missed seeing customers eat their food, not just pick it up. Ultimately, this is just fun.”
Marx’s dishes are influenced from cuisine around the world but made with locally-sourced ingredients. His goal is to be unpretentious, blending a menu with basic meat-and-potato dishes along with those a bit more adventurous. Think burgers, chicken fried steak, and chicken and waffles — along with plantain-crusted halibut and pan-seared duck breast with a fig reduction.
He also wants his food to be accessible to the community, meaning a family of four can afford to eat there more than once a month and not just on special occasions. Dinners range from $13-$25, while lunch is $15 and under. (Desserts start at $6.)
“To me, it’s not about the ‘stuffiness,’ “ Marx added, saying customers should feel comfortable if they want to eat in shorts and a T-shirt. “It’s about the presentation on the plates, the taste of the food and people leaving happy and saying, ‘Boy, we haven’t had anything like this in Centre County.’ “
When the restaurant is fully staffed — wages are advertised at $15 per hour; those interested can email chefmichael@creeksideatthegamblemill.com — Marx hopes to remain open Wednesday through Sunday. Hours would then be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on all days except Friday and Saturday, when the kitchen would remain open until 10:30 p.m. Brunch will be served on the weekends until 3:30 p.m., and dinner will be available at 5 p.m. each day.
Marx isn’t sure when those full-time hours might start but, when he does, he plans to announce them on the restaurant website and Facebook page. In the meantime, he hopes customers will be patient early on as the restaurant serves the public for the first time. Creekside at the Gamble Mill is strongly encouraging reservations by calling 814-353-4005.
The COVID-19 pandemic delayed opening by about four months due to supply-chain issues. But Marx said his kitchen is stocked with all-new, American-made equipment — “I want to do it right,” he said — and he hopes residents find his restaurant is worth the wait.
“This is the first time I’ve had a chance to say, I’m going to cook what I want, when I want,” Marx said. “And the great thing is, which I did not have in Baltimore, I have an extensive network of local farms who are just wonderful.”
His suppliers include Ardry Farms, Bee Tree Berry Farm, Bellefonte Bread Baker, Bierly’s Meat Market, Gemelli Bakers, Goot Essa, Hidden Branch Farm, Maine Bay & Berry Co., Oliver’s Path, Strong Roots Organic Farm and Twin B Farms.
More information on Creekside at the Gamble Mill can be found on facebook.com/CreeksideBellefonte and CreeksideAtTheGambleMill.com.
