Hatboro's Old Mill Hires New Chef

HATBORO, PA -- After nearly six months in business, Louie's Old Mill, which opened last July after an extensive renovation and restoration, has tapped Chef Lee Bauer to take the helm and revamp the restaurant's menu with a greater emphasis on seasonal produce, local sourcing and pedigree proteins, they announced in a press release.

Chef Bauer, a Milton S. Hershey alum, has roots in Warminster, Hershey and Pittsburgh, and graduated from the Art Institute of Philadelphia. The restaurant has already seen an incredibly positive response from patrons who have tasted some of the new menu, which is locally sourced and prepared fresh daily, the restaurant said.

Bauer's experience with agriculture and farm life drives his passion for local sourcing and rustic fare, and now that he has returned home, he is putting that experience to work with big plans for Louie's Old Mill, according to the press release.

Bauer's plans for the spring include pickling and jarring fresh produce to incorporate into his seasonal menu. Owners Lynda Clauser and Jim Case embrace the local sourcing and deep community roots which they have established with the reclamation of The Old Mill, which has always been so dear to their hearts. Clauser's preservation of the Mill is to claim "a little bit of history for future generations, and new memories for families to cherish forever."

"I’ve been intensely into food since I was young," Bauer said. "I would get up at 4:30 in the morning to milk the cows and learn the ins and outs of farming and agriculture as part of my responsibilities while attending Milton S. Hershey. I worked in the fields growing up, and we made juices and salads fresh from the garden. It was a type of foundation of food sourcing and consumption that was instilled in me at a young age."

"Lee showed up and blew us away with his knowledge and experience," said Case. "We’re really excited to be going this direction, and we love the new menu."

Bauer wanted to keep the classic dishes and embrace the "Farm to Cucina" type approach for his vision with the seasonal, local ingredients, which are available from farms in near the restaurant. The restaurant's fresh pastas come from Talluto's in Norristown, fresh fish is from the Fish Market in Philadelphia, and cured meats come from DiBruno Brothers in South Philly.

Some new menu items include a Honey Roasted Chicken, glazed with local honey; a Cider-Braised Pork Chop — a bone-in porterhouse pork chop with apple chutney; flash-friend and gluten-free Calamari dusted in rice flour; and a Hen in the Field salad — braised Cornish hen over oak leaf lettuce, charred radicchio, carrot ribbons and fennel sprigs.

Clauser and Case also plan to open for lunch in mid-December, with a family style menu, which will be available for in-house dining and curbside pickup in an attempt to bring "Sunday supper" to their guests who don’t want to spend all day cooking.

Louie's Old Mill, which is housed inside the 292-year-old building formerly known as The Old Mill Inn, is located at 18 Horsham Road in Hatboro, PA.

Photo courtesy Tim Schultz, Bright House Photography and Virtual Tours.