Scenic farm-to-table restaurant in Centre County reborn as Fillmore Farm Cafe

Steve Haffner and his wife Amy both grew up in State College. They moved away for roughly 20 years for work, but when Steve retired three years ago, it was time for a change. They’d purchased a farm in Port Matilda and began raising pigs, cows, chickens and turkeys, but they soon began looking for opportunities to expand — and that’s just about when nearby RE Farm Café went on the market.

Prior owners Duke and Monica Gastiger purchased the property in 2016 and turned the spot into a farm-to-table dining destination. However, by 2025, the couple had begun toying with the idea of passing the property on to other entrepreneurial locals, listing it for sale.

“The property sells itself and the natural beauty is incredible,” Steve said. “The views from the back porch are amazing. The interior — everything was done really with top-notch construction. ... We just absolutely fell in love.”

Steve and Amy purchased the property and rebranded it as Fillmore Farm Café & Gardens, opening the doors to the public on March 16.

Long-time fans of RE Farm Café will notice that some aspects of this eatery have stayed the same, but others are far different. For instance, Steve noted that the restaurant previously was very much geared toward special occasions. Customers might come by one or twice a year, for a private party, anniversary or holiday.

In contrast, the new owners want to create a restaurant that establishes a community of regulars who come in once or twice a week.

In order to do so, they lowered the restaurant’s prices significantly, but while also keeping an eye on quality, retaining a commitment to local ingredients and keeping the prior chef on staff. The new restaurant also is now open for breakfast and lunch, as of June 30. Of course, guests will also continue to enjoy the restaurant’s bucolic setting.

The changes have paid off.

“Our guest count is way up, almost double what they historically had and we haven’t done any advertising at all,” Steve said. “It’s only been through word of mouth and the fact that we do know a lot of people in the community, so we get a lot of family and friends that are there — but now I think the word is starting to really spread to the rest of the community, through Facebook and other social media.”

The new breakfast menu includes typical favorites such as omelets, pancakes and French toast, but also a nice selection of both savory and sweet crepes; lunch, meanwhile, focuses on sandwiches and burgers, with a salad option. All meat products and eggs are sourced from the Haffners’ farm.

For dinner, the menu expands to include more elevated items (while still holding on to those more accessible options like the burger). Starters include a charcuterie board, prosciutto and burrata with grilled sourdough, and hummus with vegetables and naan. Entrees trend Italian, with options like chicken and eggplant parm and bolognese. For previous RE Farm patrons, the pan-seared trout is still on the menu.

“That’s really been our only fish option. We’ve kind of experimented around with a lot of other different menu items, but the steelhead trout has stayed on. That’s something that a lot of people like,” said Steve. “Also, that’s probably our highest-priced entree and … although we’ve made [the restaurant] more accessible, if you want to spend $100 for your meal, you still can. One of the things we want to make sure is, that if people spend $100 for the meal, they’re full when they leave. They don’t have to stop someplace else and eat afterwards.”

As for Steve personally, he loves the menu’s chicken and eggplant parm, inspired by his and Amy’s three years in Italy, where he noted she “became a very good Italian cook.” They, alongside the Haffner Farm burger and pulled pork sandwich, have proved popular with customers thus far.

Fillmore Farm Café & Gardens is open for breakfast and lunch, Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner Thursday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are encouraged for parties over six, but outdoor seating is first-come, first-served. Learn more at fillmorefarmcafeandgardens.com.

Holly Riddle is a freelance food, travel and lifestyle writer. She can be reached at holly.ridd@gmail.com.