From time to time members of our culinary and brewery team are featured in local/regional publications. In Fig Lancaster’s new digital feature on restaurants, titled Fig Table, an article about our Head Chef Anthony Beaner provides an inside look at his love of the “craft” and his passion for scratch cooking. The following excerpt was written by Anthony Gorick of Fig Lancaster.
“The first thing I ever cooked was when I was 7 years old. I stole a recipe and made an apple dumpling in the middle of the night. I got in trouble the next day for doing that, until my family tasted it and loved it!”
Chef Anthony Beaner, from Iron Hill Brewery, always had a knack for cooking. Though he wasn’t always planning on pursuing the culinary arts, his energy needed to be channeled somewhere.
“I did not go to school for culinary,” said Anthony, laughing. “But I hated standing still—so I kept cooking. And cooking.”
We met Anthony at a corner table at Iron Hill Brewery. The vibe of the restaurant is comfortable, perfect for an intimate meal or a celebration with friends. The craft beer and scratch-made food offers a delightful mix of familiar flavor with new seasonal twists.
Anthony grew up in Lancaster, and always enjoyed cooking. But after taking some cooking classes at Hempfield High School, his eyes were opened to an even bigger world of opportunity.
“After Hempfield, my first job was at Jack’s—they were known for their French fries.” He said he had to cut each potato by hand—an experience he both enjoyed and valued. “It taught me a lot.”
As his passion grew, so did his experience. Anthony took a job as a general manager of Houlihans Baltimore right near the harbor before coming back to his hometown to invest in the community.
“Lancaster is just so unique,” said Anthony. “It’s nice to see Lancaster keeping its Pennsylvania roots, while also adding more restaurants that are bringing in different perspectives.”
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We encourage you to read the full article here and visit our Lancaster Iron Hill location to sample some of his amazing creations for yourself.
