Original Photo By Bill Schintz The Commonwealth Room is one of two restaurants in the hotel at 48 E. Market Street, York. Chef Mark Pawlowski supervises both restaurants, with Executive Sous Chef Derek Myers and Sous Chef Marshall Pate, including the OffCenter Grill, a casual dining place at street level inside the Market Street revolving door. Mark Clossey is General Manager. The Commonwealth Room is open 5 to 10 pm Tuesday through Saturday. To speak with a restaurant representative, call (800) 233-9324. Reservations are highly recommended, phone 848-1111.

Adventures in Dining... The Commonwealth Room of the Yorktowne Hotel : A Royal Escape from the Wintry Climes

York -- Almost everyone who has grown up in York has nostalgic stories about the fine dining room at the Yorktowne Hotel, and I am happy to add one more to my own portfolio of Yorktowne Reminisces. Lancaster has lost its fine Downtown Hotel from the Roaring Twenties and so has Harrisburg. Few Yorkers know how lucky they are to have a first-class hotel in the Downtown area that is both historic and well-maintained. That last adjective sounds mundane when applied to an institution like the Yorktowne where elegance and superb service greet you the moment you walk into the beautifully-appointed lobby. This really is a historic place when you recall that guests who arrived in an earlier time included the exquisitely beautiful Hedy Lamarr, the legendary Marion Anderson and the inimitable Tony Bennett. But all these images fade away like phantoms when one enters the Commonwealth Room at the south end of the Yorktowne lobby. The chandeliers, the draperies, the mirrors, the banquettes and the gently swaying candle lights invite you to spend some time in a place that excludes every thing that is distracting from a lovely evening ahead. My group of three decided not to yield to the temptation of the celebrated wine list, but each had a beverage of choice: one a glass of cranberry juice mixed with ginger ale, one a Belvedere Martini and the other a Glenlivet on the rocks. We had decided to adopt identities of “foreign dignitaries” for the night. My lady friend would be the Duchess of Astoria, a sister kingdom, tropical in nature, of Atlantis. The second guest, her husband in real life, would be the Duke of Asgaard. Me, I was the UN ambassador of the French-speaking population of Liechtenstein. The menu at the Commonwealth Room offers three courses, and slipped into the menu folds, are lists that describe specials of the day. I chose the Oysters Tempura ($14.). I realized immediately that they were quite tasty, but for an oyster connoisseur like me anything that diverts attention from the taste of the oyster itself is not the best choice. One friend ordered the Lobster Risotto ($12) and oohed and ahhed for ten minutes or so. He passed around the plate and I had a delicious, warm morsel of crab that was worth the price of the selection itself. My other friend asked for a small salad and was served a plate of red oak lettuce, candied walnuts and red grapes with a wedge of Roquefort. I tasted the dressing served on the side, a sweet cabernet sauvignon vinaigrette that seemed to have a dozen layers of subtlety. My friend told us she had just lost two and a half pounds and she was determined to count calories. My companions ordered, in their heavy adopted accents, the Manhattan Style Crab Soup ($7.) but I resisted. However when the server placed a bowl in front of me (a very tiny mistake) I accepted, because it smelled so good. It had a nice tomato base with little chunks of tomato still rich in texture and a wonderful Chesapeake Bay seasoning. The crab, visible in its whiteness and sweetness was just right. Two of us ordered the Tenderloin of Beef “Wellington” ($38.) for the main course and the world travel-weary friend with us ordered “Mushroom Crusted Tenderloin of Pork” ($26.) noted on the menu as the Iron Chef Pennsylvania Award Winner in 2007. She was disappointed to learn that her selection had sold out, and opted for the Grilled Ostrich ($36.) I declared to the others that my entrée was parfait -- a tender steak just the way I like it, on a bed of puff pastry. There was not too much pastry, I thought, and the “mushroom duxelle” was a perfect accompaniment. I asked my friends not to talk to me for a couple moments. I wanted to savor this in silence. The grilled ostrich was served with Chinese black rice and flash fried vegetables in a kalbi glaze. From this plate, I tried a small bite of tender, flavorful meat that reminded me a little of Cornish hen and a little of elk or bison. On the dessert menu, apple pie was a recommendation of the day and all three of us agreed to try it. And none of us will ever forget it! Served with a wedge of cheddar, this apple pie consisted of a scoop of soft warm apples surrounded by a pastry strip with bacon hidden inside. Yes, bacon. And a little home made ice cream to cool the palate. Later in the night, the Duchess who dined with us said her dessert and her entire meal had been heavenly. Her husband, the Duke, said he would have to use words like regal and royal and fit for a King. Then in came my turn, Superbe, in French, I proclaimed, and “perfection” in any other language.

Reprinted by permission
© 2008 ShowcasePA!