Photography by Donovan Roberts Witmer
From the outside, the sprawling gray complex—with its maze of parking lots, metal fences and somewhat confusing directional parking signs—seems an unlikely spot to enjoy a hearty Delmonico steak and a Victory IPA or delicately seared scallops with lobster cream sauce and a glass of sauvignon blanc. But appearances are often deceiving. Upon entering the Forklift & Palate, the cold exterior fades and the industrial edges soften.
The restaurant is the most recent addition to the Spooky Nook Sports Complex, which just happens to be the largest indoor facility of its kind in all of North America. The 700,000-square-foot former Armstrong World Industries center spans 65 acres and includes a 135-room Warehouse Hotel. “The Nook,” as it’s called by locals, is home to the USA Women’s Field Hockey team and features a climbing center with a 30-foot rock wall; batting cages and pitching lanes; hardwood courts for basketball and volleyball; regulation size turf fields for soccer and football; a fitness center; an arcade; event and meeting spaces and more. With a constant rotation of sports tournaments, camps and clinics, the facility is a destination for athletes of all ages.
Although the large groups that come through the Nook make up the bulk of the restaurant’s business, Culinary Institute of America-trained executive chef Kyle Lucas has been working hard to expand the clientele and make the restaurant itself a destination. Forklift & Palate is open seven days a week and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. They can accommodate 100 patrons in the main dining room and another 100 in the bar area and outside atrium.
Lucas’ menu offers a unique take on favorite comfort food classics. He expertly balances the farm-to-table trend with the reality of a restaurant of this size. “I always incorporate local ingredients in what I do, but there are limits with what I can get when, and with our volume that can be tough,” he says. For example, with each dish made to order, it’s not feasible for him and his cooks to be cranking out a specialty hand-rolled pasta, so he found a supplier that makes fresh pasta for the restaurant. Or, he explains, “I know I can get beets all winter, so on the menu we have a roasted beet salad with kale, pumpkin seeds and goat cheese. We use PA Proud beef–the black cows you see around here; that’s them. They’re grass fed with a grain finish and spend 90 percent of their life in Lancaster County. I’d put that beef up against any coming out of Texas or Colorado–I believe in the products I buy; if I’m going to put it on my menu it has to be the best.”
Another part of Lucas’ vision is adapting “the eclectic nature of a small, fine dining restaurant to a more casual tournament-driven establishment.” And figuring out what customers want has not been without its challenges. His initial menu featured baked fish, quinoa and corncakes–lighter fare. “You think you know, but they surprise you. You think customers want the healthier options. No, not necessarily, they want the cream pastas, protein and carbs. Our burger and the pasta Bolognese do really well. The slow roasted chicken sandwich is also really popular.” Though don’t worry, those watching their waistlines still have plenty of options–from the kale salad or black bean hummus to start to the shrimp stew and weekend fish specials such as lightly breaded fluke with arugula salad.
For breakfast, served from 7 to 11 a.m., you’ll find the standard offerings of eggs, pancakes and bacon, either a la carte or on the buffet. But there are some fun twists too: an omelet with Lanchego cheese, cinnamon roasted apples and fennel; a raisin cranberry focaccia French toast with cranberry relish; or sweet grits made with toasted pumpkin seeds and brown sugar.
They have daily weekday happy hour specials from 4 to 6 p.m. such as 50-cent wings on Tuesdays or fried pickles and $3 craft beers on Thursdays. The wine list is a thoughtful selection of moderately priced offerings, while the beer selection runs the gamut from Coors Light and Heineken to Dogfish Head and TrÖegs. Those who favor a cocktail will find some sophisticated spins on the classics–a Manhattan made with Buffalo Trace bourbon and blood orange bitters or the martini-inspired 50/50, which mixes Grey Goose vodka with Hendrick’s gin and is garnished with blue cheese stuffed olives.
If you want to avoid the crowds, check the Nook’s schedule online. As Lucas notes, “Saturdays and Sundays are a lot of tournament business, whereas during the week and Friday night, most tables are filled with locals.” Either way, there’s plenty to see and do if you have to wait.
Forklift & Palate 2913 Spooky Nook Road, Manheim, PA www.forkliftandpalate.com 717-537-6205