Cider Press Deli & Grill

Photos By: Josh Triggs
Story By: Audrey Knapp

As Taylor Farms expands their business footprint with The Cider Press Deli & Grill at 178 Pilgrim Street in Inwood, they continue to add authenticity and value to the Panhandle community.

Taylor Farms first provided value through their farming, then through a water hauling business and, finally, they seized an opportunity to offer a variety of great local products to the community.

Bob & Ryan Taylor, the father and son team, took over the former Inwood Farmers Market in May 2014 and reopened the location as Taylor’s Farm Market. Since opening, Ryan saw potential in the large warehouse area in the back, but waited for his father’s blessing before he set out to fulfill his vision.

“It was nothing but cobwebs and boxes,” Ryan says of the area that now hosts the restaurant.

His dream, brought to life when the restaurant opened on March 1st, provides a new dining experience to the community; one that focuses on sourcing as many local ingredients and products as possible. “We call our cuisines ‘feel good food’ for several reasons… First, it’s good for you, nutritious and nourishing to the body without depriving you of flavor or satisfaction. Furthermore, it’s good for the community as we support our local farmers.”

This isn’t just a marketing tactic, the Taylor’s really live by this philosophy! The vegetables are provided by their own farm and other local farms, and all of their beef comes straight from Jefferson County.

Even the majority of their beverages are local. They serve local organic Black Dog Coffee from Shenandoah Junction, McCutcheon’s Old Fashioned Sodas from Frederick, MD, Trickling Springs Milk from Chambersburg, PA, Doc’s Tea from Inwood, and Berkeley Springs Bottled Mountain Spring Water.

“We believe the preparation and creation of a dish is just as important as the taste, which is why our focus is real food – fresh, healthy, and delicious,” Ryan states emphatically.

His focus isn’t just on the food though.

Ryan and his team worked diligently to ensure their interior was beautiful and fulfilled his vision for a rustic, southern country atmosphere. From the reclaimed apple bin boards on the walls, to the antique cider press near the front, and the old tractor grill hanging high on the far wall, they’ve successfully created an environment which embraces its country roots and invites patrons to relax and make themselves at home.

That respect for their country and small town heritage is present throughout the restaurant and market, and even reflected in their name. The Cider Press Deli & Grill pays homage to the long-time Musselman High School Newspaper, and illustrates the love and pride they have for the local community.

Ryan emphasized that he wouldn’t be able to provide this level of value to the community without an amazing team, led by the General Manager Michelle “Dubbie” Stewart Dubbie met the Taylor’s through a mutual friend and began working for them only as a consultant. Her knowledge and experience were invaluable resources to the Taylors as she designed an exciting menu and advised on creating efficient systems. After working together, Bob Taylor offered Dubbie the position of General Manager and she agreed.

“I love to cook,” Dubbie, former McFarland House chef, states matterof- factly, and says that her style of cooking with rich flavor is what helps set The Cider Press apart from other restaurants.

Her style and menu design played a significant part in keeping the restaurant busy from day one with both new and returning customers. “We weren’t anticipating being this busy this quick.” Ryan says with wonderment. In fact, their food was in such high demand that customers asked them to extend their open hours. They agreed and haven’t looked back since.

Dubbie loves reading the Facebook comments and seeing compliments on the food, the atmosphere, and the service. It gives her so much pride because providing this great dining experience to the community is what she lives for.

Which are the most raved about menu items from The Cider Press?

made with that Jefferson County beef, are a huge hit. They’re created and served with the finest and freshest ingredients obtainable and paired with your choice of housemade sides.

“We have the best reubens in the area!” Dubbie claims proudly. The Cider Press staff cooks and shaves their own corn beef, giving it a taste so fresh and unlike any other. If you’re tired of eating mediocre reubens, the Cider Press will refresh your taste buds with this flavorful, mouthwatering sandwich. Get a side of crispy, warm, house-cut potato chips, seasoned with their own secret-recipe dry rub. “People go crazy over them!”

One of Dubbie’s favorite menu items is the corn salsa. “It’s so fresh! It’s all made from scratch and our tortilla chips are cut in-house!”

Another item she often recommends to guests is the Spinach Artichoke Dip. She claims the unique recipe is better than any other recipe out there.

“A lot of the servers have noted the amount of desserts sold.” Dubbie states. “We sell a ton of desserts.” Selling an unusually high amount of desserts results from having multiple pastry chefs on staff who have formal culinary education under their belts.

Emily Carper, the lead pastry chef, churns out delicious desserts that fly out of the kitchen for dine-in, takeout, and farm market customers. All of the desserts are house-made from scratch using the same quality of ingredients as the rest of the menu.

She’s also very proud of her soups, both in quality and in variety. They don’t rotate their soups or keep them on a schedule, so if you want to see a soup again just let Dubbie know! She creates each soup fresh everyday.

The salads, made in-house with fresh, local ingredients, include both standard and specialty varieties. Dubbie enjoys creating something new and delicious each day, and the specialty soups and salads gives her the opportunity to keep customers consistently surprised at the range of flavors they can experience at The Cider Press Deli & Grill.

Another of Dubbie’s commitments is to provide exceptional flavor and quality to customers with special dietary or allergy concerns. No matter your situation, Dubbie wants to knock your socks off with flavor and freshness.

Like any great restaurant, The Cider Press employs an experienced, close-knit team. Dubbie and her leading chefs hand-selected many of the team members for their specialized expertise, such as Emily Wroe, a salad artist and food stylist from New York.

While the chefs easily get their credit from the wealth of happy customers, Dubbie said her dishwashers are unsung heroes, always tackling the extra, critical tasks around the restaurant and market.

Her leadership and her appreciation for her team unites them as they strive to become the culinary stars of the Panhandle.

Head over to Inwood and let the friendly servers seat you in the midst of clean, comfortable country charm so you can enjoy a nutritious dining experience. The Cider Press Deli and Grill has made it their mission to providing our community with a phenomenal culmination of the finest authentic local products our unique region has to offer.