Driving over the mountain from Pine Grove Mills to Studebaker House took less time than I expected. Cruising through the green of Rothrock State Forest was relaxing, and by the time I got to the bottom of those roller coaster hills, I arrived.

The Studebaker House property sits not too far from state Route 26, along Standing Stone Creek just outside of Centre County. A large, yellow, classic early-1900s Pennsylvania house is in front of the new building housing the restaurant and a large downstairs gathering space.

The owner, Christine Wenner, is a Huntingdon native whose family purchased the property in 2020, intending to renovate a large barn that stood behind the house. That plan was scrapped in favor of a new build that echoes the barn’s footprint and rustic ambience. The elegant space is well-suited for dining in front of a massive stone fireplace, with a wall of windows overlooking the backyard and the stream.

Wenner, who lives and works at her 9-to-5 job in an adjacent building, is the visionary whose big dream is getting fulfilled. She met Derek Polay at a collaboration dinner at the property in March, recognized a kindred foodie, and tapped him in June to start doing dinners at the property.

Wenner’s background includes a degree in HRIM from Penn State in 2014, followed by industry experience, starting at the Waldorf Astoria. She worked in Washington, D.C. as well, learned a lot, kept her eyes open to trends, and decided the time was right to offer an upscale dining experience deep in the Pennsylvania woods. The property has been open for two years, with Wenner hosting Supper Clubs and private events. This is an upgrade not just for Petersburg, but for all of Huntingdon County.

Her chef, found “organically,” when the time was right, was ready for a new challenge. Sometimes it’s all about being at the right place at the right time.

Case in point: I first laid eyes on Derek Polay in the spring of 2008. He was 11, bagging groceries for his mom at Giant, but doing so very carefully. He looked at my cart overflowing with fruits and vegetables and was intrigued by the wide variety I was purchasing for the Foods Lab at Penn State, where I was the instructor. I recognized the spark in his eye and asked his mom if he might be interested in attending a cooking camp in the summer. That was the beginning — and there is no end in sight.

His mom, Kristin Cox, confirmed my guess that he was a budding foodie. She took a flyer about the camp from me and enrolled him for the first of many cooking camps over the years, until he aged out of camp and moved on to the culinary program at State College High School under Chef Jeremiah Dick. After high school he attended the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park and then moved on to a stage at Jean Georges in New York City that opened back doors into the kitchens at the Llama Inn and Olmstead. From there, he moved south, way south, to Peru for another stage at Central, once dubbed the number one restaurant in the world, and other restaurants in Lima.

He met his wife Tati, who is from Peru, at the CIA, where she studied Pastry Arts and learned to make extraordinary cakes and pastries. The couple married in 2017 and live in Pleasant Gap with his mother, “30 seconds” away from their production kitchen. They spend three to four weeks every year in Peru with their son Oliver, now 18 months.

Chef Polay’s menus will make the most of our local provisions while giving them a Japanese-Peruvian twist. The Japanese element embraces beautifully executed technique, with a focus on detail, and the Peruvian element embraces bright, vibrant and intense flavors.

This year’s January trip to Peru will include the sous chef, Dylan Peterman, and the beverage director, Michael Tedesco, so the whole Studebaker team can come back fully charged to launch their new enterprise. That is, everyone except Christine, who will hold the Fort there at McAlevy.

Studebaker House plans to have a soft opening on Feb. 6 by invitation only and then open to the public the following Thursday, Feb. 12. The property will be open Thursdays for à la carte dining. Fridays and Saturdays will be reserved for the Chef’s Tasting Menu diners, who will run the gamut of a two- to two-and-a-half-hour extravaganza with eight or nine courses. Sundays will offer brunch but “leveled up.” The property has no liquor license; however, Tedesco, the beverage director who ran Happy Valley Nomadic Spirits, is an expert at crafting mocktails from ingredients that pair with the food. Guests are welcome to bring their own wine or other spirits to add to the mix.

Polay’s February menu is posted online, and reservations are open. The menu is the same for the entire month, and duck is featured prominently. Polay plans to source whole ducks locally, with the duck breast going on the dinner menu, the neck and offal used in sausage for brunch, and the legs into confit. The bones will be used to make stock and demi-glace, enhancing all the dishes. Whole animal cooking equals respect.

Polay’s menu ideas are over-the-top, and the cost ($140 per person) may be prohibitive for some, but he encourages people to come out on Thursday and try a dish from the à la carte menu and “don’t be intimidated or scared.” He is very excited to start a lacto-fermentation lab and amp up his flavor profiles. He also plans to host special dinners in collaboration with other chefs, as well as casual pop-up events featuring hot dogs and burgers with interesting sauces. Looking ahead, he is working with Hidden Branch Farms to source heirloom seeds from Peru for various potatoes and chilies.

“We want to keep things interesting and exciting for all of us. If we are not passionate about it or having fun, something’s not right,” Polay said. He also plans to continue his wholesale croissant business, which currently sells about 2,500 a week through multiple outlets in the Centre Region. His father, who is retired and lives in Pine Grove Mills, is his delivery driver. The croissants can also be ordered online and picked up at the production kitchen in Pleasant Gap.

The future looks bright for this 29-year-old who appreciates his boss’s New Age ownership ideology. Wenner wants all her employees to focus on work-life balance. According to Polay, her motto is “We want to keep you guys happy and healthy so we can provide happy and healthy food.”

Now there’s a business model worth supporting!

Studebaker House is located at 12716 Alan Seeger Road in Petersburg. For more information, visit www.studebakerhouse.com or call 814-667-9910.

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