history of the SMC

Physical Plant

The Spring Mill Café complex consists of three buildings located on 2 acres next to the Spring Mill Creek at the bottom of Barren Hill Road in Whitemarsh Township:

	The restaurant itself was built before 1880 and previously served as a post office, general store, thrift shop and antique store. We now have two dining rooms seating 45 people plus an outdoor deck seating 25 when the weather is nice.
	The country farmhouse was built in 1885 and previously served as a barn and wine retail store. It now seats 30 people for private parties. I live on the second floor.
	The gallery was added to the farmhouse in the 1920s and previously was a fabric shop and a music school. I have now developed it as an art gallery.

Evolution

I started the Spring Mill Café in 1979 in the little back room of the present restaurant with five tables and serving lunches of light French country food. I next added the deck and also began serving one dinner per month. I then took over the former craft store in the front of the building and eventually expanded service to dinner five days a week. I subsequently purchased the entire property and service has now been expanded to seven days a week including breakfast and tea time (check main web site for current operating hours).

Food Philosophy

I grew up in the Touraine region of France and learned how to eat and cook from my grandmother. We started the Café serving traditional French country fare and have over the years added many dishes from cuisines of other countries that I have visited — ranging from Morocco to Vietnam. The Café has always been a B.Y.O.B. restaurant because I love the idea of a place where you can eat good food and try out new wine.

Institutional Philosophy

From the very beginning I have tried to make the Café into an institution that is involved with the various communities in which it thrives.

	We have developed or participated in fund-raising events for causes such as Friends Without A Border, the Lupus Foundation, ActionAIDS and Doctors Without Borders.
	We have staged educational events ranging from a dinner discussion about Charles de Gaulle sponsored by the World Affairs Council to nature hikes through Morris Arboretum.
	I am personally intrigued by the links between literature and food. The Café has held special literary evenings that feature menus related to authors from many different cultures accompanied by readings from their works. Recent examples include: Georges Sand, Virginia Woolf, Marcel Proust and James Joyce.
	As an ex-teacher, I have also tried to develop a modest apprenticeship program that has helped to develop the talent of young people from The Restaurant School and retraining programs at Montgomery County College.

history of the SMC