Posted: 04/17/2023 | by Olivia

Special Chefs in Lancaster, PA

Read about these five chefs who are proud to serve delicious and memorable meals in Lancaster!

1. Chef Taylor Mason – LUCA

Chef Taylor is the chef and owner of downtown restaurant, LUCA. Their wood-burning hearth and Neapolitan oven are incorporated into all of the dishes. LUCA focuses on the traditions of Italy while being rooted in the heritage of Lancaster, as a farm-driven kitchen with locally sourced vegetables and meats, as well as handmade pasta. Reserve your table at LUCA today and see for yourself why Chef Taylor was named semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chefs in America Award in 2020.

2. Chef John Moeller - The Greenfield Restaurant & Bar

Reserve your table at The Greenfield Restaurant & Bar to taste delicious and elegant cuisine prepared by Chef John Moeller. Chef John acted as Head Chef in the White House 1992 until 2005. Chef John’s journey began right here in Lancaster County, PA with a deep passion for cooking. After graduating from Johnson and Wales College, he lived in France where he studied the fundamentals of French cuisine under some of the finest French chefs, including 2-star Michelin Chef, Bernard Loiseau.

3. Chef Sean Cavanaugh - John J. Jeffries

Native to Pittsburgh, Chef Cavanaugh has been in the resaurant industry since he was 15. Starting as a dishwasher to a fill time cook throughout high school; eventually leading he to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. After graduation in 1985, Chef Cavanaugh was hired by The Marriott Group. He worked Hilton Head Island, Miami, San Diego, New York, Baltimore, Saint Louis, Denver and Washington D.C metro area while climbing the ranks to Executive Chef. Chef joined Vail Resorts, as Executive Chef for the Vail Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa, in Vail, Colorado. After spending 2 years in Vail, Chef brought his expertise and contagious passion for food back home to Pennsylvania, to open John J. Jeffries in downtown Lancaster. It is here that Chef has realized his true vision of not only what a restaurant should be, but also what a restaurant can do for its local community.

4. Chef Steve Painter – The Log Cabin

Steve has worked at several private clubs and restaurants in both Pennsylvania and Florida before returning to The Greenbrier as the saucier and later, sous chef. Upon returning to Pennsylvania, he became Executive Chef of the Lancaster Country Club and later, the Executive Chef of Bent Creek Country Club in Lititz, PA. In 2017, he joined Kirk Liddell as Managing Partner and Executive Chef of The Log Cabin to return The Log Cabin to the greatness that it had experienced in the past.

Steve has had the privilege of cooking with many world-famous chefs including Julia Childs, Jean Louise Paladin, Roberto Donna, and Rick Bayless, and has assisted with the classes held at The Greenbrier by the world-famous Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris from 1991 to 2008. He is a big proponent of using locally sourced ingredients at their freshest, both from nearby farmers, fruit growers, and orchardists and from his own hand-tended raised garden located behind the restaurant above the pond. He also takes special pride in his USDA Prime steaks and fresh seafood dishes, which he varies seasonally to capture the seafood ingredients at their absolute best.

6. Chef Paula Phenneger – Huckleberry’s Restaurant & Tavern

Chef Paula Phenneger prepares diverse classic and signature recipes right on-board Huckleberry’s Restaurant & Tavern at Fulton Steamboat Inn. A native of Lyon, France, Chef Paula brings international flair to the menu including a signature Marsala wine sauce. Working as a personal chef in South Africa and for Michelin Star restaurants in France, Chef Paula has developed skills to thoroughly “wow” guests at Huckleberry’s.