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Why the Clarion County Amish Market is a Weekend Must

Written by Dennis Regling in Uncategorized

Timeless Flavors: The Clarion County Amish Market Opens Its Doors

by Elizabeth Montgomery, Food Editor

The scenic landscape of western Pennsylvania just welcomed a beautiful new culinary and cultural destination. Nestled right in the heart of autumn-leaf country, the Clarion County Amish Market has officially opened, bringing a wealth of authentic, scratch-made foods and old-world craftsmanship straight to the local community.

Housed in a newly constructed, timber-framed building that smells richly of fresh pine and sweet molasses, the market offers a deliberate, peaceful shopping experience. It is a place where mass production is happily traded for small-batch quality, and where every vendor greets you with a warm, genuine smile.

Fan Favorites: What to Fill Your Basket With

The market features an array of pristine, specialized stalls showcasing the very best of traditional Pennsylvania Dutch methods. While it is easy to get lost wandering among the rows of jarred preserves and handcrafted goods, several standout items have quickly become local sensations:

  • Warm, Butter-Brushed Pretzel Sticks: A market staple, these oversized pretzel sticks are twisted by hand, baked to a perfect golden-brown crisp on the outside, and immediately dipped in rich melted butter. They are often still warm when handed over the counter.
  • The Bakery’s Classic Shoofly Pie: A definitive masterpiece of heritage baking. With its signature gooey molasses bottom layer and a perfectly spiced, crumbly brown sugar topping, it is the ultimate comfort food dessert.
  • Aged Clover Honey & Apple Butter: Slow-cooked for hours in massive copper kettles, the apple butter boasts a deep, concentrated fruit sweetness with no refined sugars. Pair it with a jar of raw, local clover honey for the perfect pantry upgrade.
  • Smoked Summer Sausage & Alpine Swiss: The deli counters are packed with premium, hickory-smoked meats and cheeses. The sharp, crystal-textured Swiss and robust summer sausage make for an unforgettable afternoon charcuterie board.
  • Hand-Glazed Cinnamon Rolls: Sized to share, these massive rolls are baked fresh every single morning, pillowy soft on the inside and smothered in a rich, melting vanilla glaze.

Beyond the exceptional food stalls, visitors will also find a breathtaking selection of heirloom-quality oak rocking chairs, heavy-duty outdoor porch swings, and intricately hand-stitched quilts designed to last for generations.

Plan Your Visit

Whether you are looking to stock up on wholesome ingredients for a family feast, searching for rare bulk baking spices, or simply treating yourself to a world-class pastry, the Clarion County Amish Market is a breath of fresh air.

Location:

Clarion County Amish Market,

1148 Maple Woods Drive

Clarion, PA 16214

A Taste of Tradition: The Lehigh Valley Amish Market Debuts in Bethlehem

Written by Dennis Regling in Uncategorized

Savoring the Slow Life: The Lehigh Valley Amish Market Opens in Bethlehem

The rich, historic landscape of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, just gained a wonderful new destination for lovers of authentic, scratch-made food and traditional craftsmanship. The Lehigh Valley Amish Market has officially opened its doors, bringing the time-honored agricultural and culinary traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch country right into the heart of the Christmas City.

Housed in a beautiful, expansive facility that blends rustic timber accents with a clean, welcoming layout, the market offers a vibrant sensory escape. From the moment you walk through the entrance, the bustling, friendly energy and the unforgettable aroma of fresh yeast breads and warm sugar let you know you’ve found something truly special.

Fan Favorites: What to Taste and Take Home

The market features a meticulously curated selection of specialized vendor stalls, each operated with a commitment to quality and simplicity. While the entire market is a food lover’s paradise, a few standout items have instantly become the talk of the town:

  • Warm, Butter-Dipped Soft Pretzels: Rolled by hand and baked to a perfect golden brown throughout the day, these massive pretzels are served warm and brushed with real melted butter. They are the ultimate market snack to enjoy while you shop.
  • Traditional “Church Spread” Croissants: A genius pairing of a local tradition with a bakery favorite. Flaky, buttery croissants are generously filled or served alongside sweet, airy church spread—a nostalgic blend of marshmallow cream, peanut butter, and molasses.
  • Aged Sharp Cheddar Wheels: Sourced from traditional heritage dairies, this premium cheese is aged to perfection, offering a rich, sharp, and slightly crystalline bite that pairs beautifully with local charcuterie.
  • Small-Batch Apple Butter: Slow-cooked for hours in classic copper kettles, this rich spread captures the pure, concentrated essence of local orchards without any refined sugars or artificial preservatives.
  • The Bakery’s Signature Shoofly Pie: A true masterpiece of Pennsylvania Dutch baking, featuring a deep, gooey molasses bottom layer balanced by a perfectly spiced crumb topping that pairs wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee.

Beyond the incredible pantry staples, the market also features an array of gorgeous, hand-stitched quilted linens and heavy-duty, locally built wooden patio crafts designed to bring a touch of timeless heritage into modern homes.

Plan Your Visit

Whether you are stocking up on wholesome ingredients for a family dinner, hunting for rare bulk baking spices, or simply treating yourself to the best pastries in Northampton County, the Lehigh Valley Amish Market welcomes you with open arms and genuine hospitality.

Location: > Lehigh Valley Amish Market > 2155 Linden Street

Bethlehem, PA 18017

From Branch to Basket: The Ultimate Farm-to-Table Road Trip Through Ohio’s Amish Country

Written by Dennis Regling in Amish Market

You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to appreciate the unmatched brilliance of freshly harvested food. In fact, no culinary training is required to enjoy the simple pleasure of biting into a sun-ripened strawberry right off its stem or letting the juice of a backyard tomato run down your chin.

When you choose locally grown food, you transform from a passive consumer into an active part of the agricultural process. Instead of eating fruit that has traveled cross-country, your crisp Pink Lady apple’s longest journey is the short stretch from the orchard on the hill behind the farm stand directly to your mouth.

While Ohio’s Amish Country is famous for its hearty, all-you-can-eat dining style, you don’t have to overstuff yourself to enjoy the local bounty. Simply pack a crate, bring a cooler, and prepare to fill your home pantry. By choosing these local growers, you aren’t just treating your taste buds—you are actively sustaining small family farms.

Hospitality and Heritage at the Ashery Country Store

Meats & Treats: Winesburg and Walnut Creek

Fresh Cuts and Multi-Generational Pride at Winesburg Meats

Operating under the proud motto, “We make the meats!”, Winesburg Meats is widely considered one of Holmes County’s finest hidden gems. Family-owned and operated since 1959, this specialized shop features an impressive inventory of over 100 distinct items crafted from premium ingredients. Whether you are looking for smoked specialties, seasonal favorites, or savory cuts for a backyard gathering, their massive selection will likely require you to bring a backup cooler.

  • Location: 2182 US Route 62, Dundee (Just south of Winesburg)
  • Time Allotment: 30 minutes

Savoring Local Tradition at Troyer’s Trail Bologna

If you want to experience a true, century-old culinary tradition, make your way to the tiny village of Trail. Here, the Troyer family has been producing their legendary, all-beef wood-smoked bologna since 1912. Stepping into their historic general store feels like a literal step back in time. For the most authentic local experience, pull up a seat at the vintage luncheon counter for a classic Trail and Swiss sandwich, or sit down for a fresh burger before stocking up on ring bologna to take home.

  • Location: 6552 State Route 515, Dundee (In the village of Trail)
  • Time Allotment: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Harvest Bounty at Hillcrest Orchard

Discover the beautiful agricultural legacy of a fourth-generation family orchard. Hillcrest Orchard spans 75 scenic acres overflowing with peach, plum, and apple trees. Visitors can shop the farm’s seasonal fruit directly in their retail store, alongside regional produce, southern citrus, candied nuts, local honey, and rich apple butter. It serves as an essential autumn pilgrimage spot for crisp pumpkins, fall decor, and sweet apple cider slushies.

  • Location: 2474 Township Road 444, Sugarcreek (East side of Walnut Creek)
  • Time Allotment: 30 minutes to 1 hour

📌 Road Trip Trivia

Did you know that the average grocery store item travels roughly 1,500 miles before it ever reaches a consumer’s plate? That is equivalent to the entire driving distance between the rolling hills of Ohio Amish Country and the desert landscapes of Santa Fe, New Mexico!

Fruit, Veg, and Scratch Baking: Berlin and Millersburg

The All-In-One Bounty of Troyer’s Country Market

For an exceptional mix of premium bulk goods and farm-fresh produce, clear some space in your vehicle for Troyer’s Country Market. Located just a mile east of Berlin, this market brings the absolute best of local agricultural traditions under a single roof. Visitors can browse a vibrant selection of cheeses, meats, and seasonal produce sourced straight from area farmers. Don’t leave without browsing their shelves of Amish Wedding foods—a line of jarred preserves and pickled items that rank among the tastiest snacks you will ever experience.

  • Location: 5201 County Road 77, Millersburg (1 mile east of Berlin)
  • Time Allotment: 30 minutes to 1 hour

More than a Bakery: Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery

While the irresistible scent of a full-scale, scratch-bakery greets you the moment you arrive, Hershberger’s also offers an incredible array of healthy, home-grown farm selections. The market stalls feature fresh produce harvested throughout the local Ohio growing season. If you are visiting during the autumn months, you can hop aboard a horse-drawn wagon ride directly to the patch to pick your own pumpkin. With an on-site farm animal petting area, fresh kettle corn, and an expansive gift shop, it is a premier one-stop country destination.

  • Location: 5452 State Route 557, Millersburg (Just north of Charm)
  • Time Allotment: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Hospitality and Heritage at the Ashery Country Store

If your shopping list includes curated regional cheeses, custom-blended spices, bulk baking goods, and unique snacks, take a scenic countryside drive up to the Ashery Country Store. The store proudly showcases fresh, seasonal produce grown by local Amish farmers right in the heart of Holmes County. Come for the signature hospitality that the region is famous for, and take home a few delicious treats to share with your friends and family.

  • Location: 8922 State Route 241, Fredericksburg (Less than 3 miles north of Mt. Hope)
  • Time Allotment: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Hospitality and Heritage at the Ashery Country Store

Breathtaking Views and Bountiful Tables: Savoring Tradition at Der Dutchman

Written by Dennis Regling in Uncategorized

To experience the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country, one must travel to the rolling hills of Holmes County, where the scenic horizon is dotted with pristine farmsteads and slow-moving buggies. Perched atop a beautiful ridge in Walnut Creek, Der Dutchman Restaurant & Bakery has served as a legendary beacon of Pennsylvania Dutch hospitality and authentic comfort food for generations.

What makes dining here spectacular isn’t just the food, but the setting. The restaurant features a curving wall of expansive windows that offers a breathtaking, five-mile panoramic view of the sweeping Goose Bottom Valley below. Inside, the bustling dining room is filled with the comforting aromas of slow-simmered gravies and bread rising in the oven, creating an unhurried atmosphere where family meals are truly savored.

Der Dutchman
Der Dutchman

Fan Favorites: Time-Honored Tradition You Can Taste

The culinary team at Der Dutchman utilizes time-honored cooking methods, with many recipes passed down directly from mothers and grandmothers. The menu is a masterclass in hearty, straightforward agrarian fare. If you are looking to experience their absolute best, here are the local fan favorites:

  • Noodles over Mashed Potatoes: A true, legendary regional specialty. This dish features rich, made-from-scratch Amish egg noodles generously ladled over a mountain of creamy, real whipped mashed potatoes and smothered in savory gravy.
  • Broasted Chicken: Crispy on the outside and incredibly succulent on the inside, their chicken is meticulously marinated, breaded, and broasted under pressure to lock in its natural juices.
  • The Bountiful Salad Bar: Refreshed constantly, the salad bar is as colorful as a hand-stitched quilt, overflowing with fresh garden greens, house-made cold salads, and distinct regional specialties.
  • The Famous Bakery Creamsticks: No visit is complete without a trip to the on-site bakery. Their creamsticks—light, yeast-raised long john donuts packed with a fluffy, rich cream filling—are highly sought after by sweet-toothed travelers from across the Midwest.
  • Traditional Pies: The scratch bakery produces more than twenty varieties of pie daily. From classic shoofly and Dutch apple to rich cream pies, picking just one slice is notoriously the hardest part of the meal.

Plan Your Visit

Der Dutchman delivers attentiveness, pristine cleanliness, and a genuine window into the hardworking face of the local community. Because it is a massive destination on weekends, arriving early for dinner or pairing your meal with a morning bakery run ensures the perfect backroads excursion.

Location: > Der Dutchman Restaurant & Bakery > 4967 Walnut Street (State Route 515)

Walnut Creek, OH 46687

Der Dutchman
Der Dutchman

Southern Charm Meets Old-World Quality: 3 Must-Visit Amish and Mennonite Businesses in Georgia

Written by Dennis Regling in Amish Restaurants

While Georgia is world-renowned for its sweet peaches and classic Southern hospitality, the Peach State is also home to quiet pockets of incredible craftsmanship and traditional baking. From the rolling pasturelands of central Georgia’s largest Mennonite community to the scenic paths of the North Georgia Mountains, travelers can step away from fast-paced commercial strips and slow down with genuine heritage.

Whether you are craving a slice of scratch-made shoofly pie or searching for artisanal pantry stables, these three existing Georgia establishments bring a true taste of old-world dedication to the deep South.

1. Yoder’s Deitsch Haus (Montezuma, GA)

Nestled deep within the serene farmland of Macon County, Yoder’s Deitsch Haus is a legendary culinary destination operating in Georgia’s largest Mennonite community. This highly popular, cafeteria-style restaurant blends traditional Pennsylvania Dutch roots with classic Southern comfort foods, creating a communal dining experience that feels like gathering in a cozy family kitchen.

  • Fan Favorites: Patrons line up for their famously crispy, golden-fried chicken, savory glazed meatloaf, and shredded roast beef. The true showstoppers, however, sit in the dessert room: their heavenly, piled-high coconut cream pie, gooey authentic shoofly pie, and warm, scratch-baked cinnamon rolls drizzled with your choice of white or brown sugar icing.
  • Location: 5252 GA-26 EastMontezuma, GA 31063

2. David & Katie’s Amish Store (Homer, GA)

Established in 2005 by owner Bo Garrison, David & Katie’s Amish Store was created to bring the simple, wholesome atmosphere of an authentic northern country market straight to Banks County. Mimicking a traditional bulk food grocery layout, this charming local shop allows customers to buy premium specialty goods in convenient, budget-friendly quantities.

  • Fan Favorites: The store is a massive local favorite for its incredibly fresh, top-tier deli meats and premium aged cheeses. Regulars specifically highlight their exceptional butcher-cut filet mignons, alongside a stellar selection of unique jarred items, traditional bulk baking goods, and handcrafted wooden toys.
  • Location: 969 Historic Homer HighwayHomer, GA 30529

3. Taste of Amish & General Store (Blue Ridge, GA)

Taste of Amish & General Store
Taste of Amish & General Store

If your travels take you north into the beautiful Appalachian high country, a stop in the historic railway town of Blue Ridge is a must. Started years ago by the Rush family, the Taste of Amish & General Store is a delightful mountain shop dedicated to celebrating old-world craftsmanship and time-tested health remedies.

  • Fan Favorites: The shelves here are packed with amazing regional specialties. Top-selling items include small-batch pickled baby beets, slow-cooked fruit jams, crisp okra chips, unrefined signature nut butters, and their famous, light-as-air Amish Country popcorn which tastes fantastic even without salt or butter.
  • Location: 1412 Appalachian HighwayBlue Ridge, GA 30513
Taste of Amish

Hidden Gems of the Old Order: 3 Must-Visit Amish Businesses in Maryland

Written by Dennis Regling in Amish Market,Maryland Amish

While Maryland is globally recognized for its blue crabs and coastal waterways, the state also harbors a deeply rooted, historic population of Old Order Amish. Primarily concentrated in the rural stretches of Southern Maryland and the historic towns of the Eastern Shore, these communities maintain thriving multi-generational cottage industries.

Trading the bustling metro highways for Maryland’s quiet county backroads reveals a treasure trove of incredible scratch cooking, artisan dairy production, and hand-sewn heritage craft. If you are looking to explore authentic, traditional businesses in the Old Line State, these three existing establishments are highly recommended stops.

1. Dutch Family Restaurant (Germantown, MD)

For an unforgettable sit-down dining experience that feels like a trip to Lancaster County, the Dutch Family Restaurant is an absolute hidden gem. Tucked neatly into the back of the bustling Lancaster County Dutch Market in Montgomery County, this family-operated eatery serves hearty, scratch-made breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.

Dutch Family Restaurant
Dutch Family Restaurant
  • Fan Favorites: Crowds consistently gather early for their golden Malted Waffles, which can be piled high with fresh fruit or premium toppings. For lunch or a comforting dinner, their classic Amish-style hot platters, juicy custom burgers, and fluffy egg omelets are local favorites.
  • Location: 12613 Wisteria Drive, Germantown, MD 20874

2. Clover Hill Dairy (Mechanicsville, MD)

Located in St. Mary’s County—home to the largest and oldest continuous Amish settlement in the state—Clover Hill Dairy offers a masterclass in traditional farmstead cheese making. This authentic, Amish-owned and operated facility processes raw milk from local pastures into an exceptional lineup of artisanal dairy products.

  • Fan Favorites: The dairy is highly celebrated for its wide variety of House-Made Cheeses, crafted directly on the premises using traditional techniques. Alongside their cheese wheels, the small storefront shelves are stocked with traditional home-canned preserves, small-batch baked goods, and rustic local handcrafts.
  • Location: 27925 Woodburn Hill Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659

3. The Quilt Shop (Mechanicsville, MD)

Just a short buggy ride away in the same Mechanicsville community sits a quaint, peaceful country storefront known simply as The Quilt Shop. This stunning retail space showcases the meticulous sewing talents and structural geometry of local Amish women, offering a quiet alternative to modern, factory-produced textiles.

  • Fan Favorites: The undisputed centerpieces are the Hand-Sewn Quilts, which range in size from delicate crib blankets to massive, intricately patterned king-size masterpieces. Visitors also frequently pick up hand-stitched kitchen accessories, including custom oven mitts, table runners, and festive fabric teddy bears. Note: Because this is an authentic, traditional business, credit cards are not accepted, so be sure to bring cash or a checkbook.
  • Location: 27744 Thompson Corner Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659
From Scratch Kitchens to Farmstead Dairies: 3 Must-Visit Maryland Amish Businesses