I've never been to the Blue Ribbon Tavern in Grove City, so this isn't really a review, despite the category. But I hope to get there someday, and since it sits nearly at the intersection of I-80 and I-79 in Pennsylvania, it's likely I will. Taverns aren't at the top of my list of places to visit, but this one eliminates a huge potential problem by not allowing smoking on the inside. (Not that they necessarily get credit for that, since I believe it's Pennsylvania law.) However, this one has a few special attractions.
The bar itself was crafted by a good friend of ours, and I'd like to see it in real life.
The tavern is more than the bar; they have bona fide chefs, not short-order cooks, serving the restaurant.
I love heart-warming stories of dreams fulfilled. This has been a life-long dream of co-owner Jim Nichelson, which he thought would never come to pass, least of all in his home town, since Grove City had been "dry" since Prohibition. Nonetheless, he continued to garner work experience that prepared him for seizing the moment last year when the city voted to permit two liquor licenses. To have a vision; to continue laying the groundwork for achieving it even when it seems impossible, so that you're ready to walk through the door when it opens; and to work hard and succeed because it's your job and you love it—that's a big part of the American Dream.
Here's a story about the Blue Ribbon Tavern, and here's another.
Among the people who read this blog, at least sometimes, there are those who live not far from Grove City, those who went to college there, and those who occasionally have business at the college. If you find yourselves visiting Grove City and are hungry around lunchtime—or dinnertime, but it's likely to be more peaceful for lunch—stop by, admire the bar, and tell Jim where you heard about the Blue Ribbon Tavern.
