THEA Chef and Owner AnnMarie Nelms: A Happy and Harmonious Kitchen

Story and photos by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

You could say that food is in AnnMarie Nelms’ blood. Those who follow the region’s restaurant scene may be aware that Nelms’ mother started KitchenWorks Catering and later opened Sophia’s on Market in Camp Hill and Sophia’s at Walden in Mechanicsburg. Nelms worked at her mother’s establishments before launching her own, which she named THEA, a BYOB eatery located in the Charter home neighborhood of Arcona at 1303 Saxton Way, Mechanicsburg.

“Thea is the word for aunt and for me, it embodies the warm feeling one gets when sitting around a table, eating and drinking with loved ones,” explains Nelms, whose goal is to impart that feeling to everyone who dines at her establishment. Nelms harkens back to her Aunt Helen, whom she describes as a “huge influence” in her life. “She would say that food makes you happy and would let me roll bread when I was a child,” said Nelms.

The chef/restaurateur said she took great pleasure in designing the attractive establishment which she launched in 2016 and which seats 98 inside and 68 outside. According to Nelms, she has a strong support system and not only was her family encouraging of the new endeavor, but they also assisted in contributing to the attractive, modern décor done primarily in black, white, and shades of grey.

During the winter, the capacious main room takes on a cozy feel with a fireplace that is employed to stave off the cold. Striking striped cushions draw the eye in towards the bench seating. “My Aunt Olga made them, and my stepdad Trevor made the tables and built the benches,” she said, adding that she and he share similar tastes. “He and my mother are my rocks,” said Nelms, with her engaging easy smile.

Surviving during the Dark Days of Covid

Nelms said she’s grown quite a bit since opening her restaurant in 2016, and then the dark days of COVID tested her mettle even more. “I cried for like six hours,” she said, before picking herself up, dusting herself off and returning to the drawing board with grit and a steely determination to keep her business up and running.

“Since I came from a catering background, I began selling family-style meals, like quarts of soup and things like chicken salad for takeout,” she said. The silver lining that occurred during this trying time was that Nelms learned the extent to which people valued the business. “I purchased four ‘igloos’ for outside seating, which we heated with propane. Pretty soon people began spreading the word on social media and all of a sudden, I had 24, all purchased by my customers,” said Nelms.

Nelms, who understood first-hand how COVID affected the region’s restaurant business, decided during that time to purchase her staff dinner once a week, each week from a different establishment. “We then posted on Facebook how much we enjoyed the food. We were just trying to keep building people up to boost their spirits while at the same time helping their business,” she said.

Nelms said that she’s happy to get back to business as usual, but still has the common problem restaurateurs face, which is keeping a full contingent of employees. “Finding people is hard. I have 23 now, but we all help each other,” she said, adding that the kitchen is a happy place, devoid of the yelling and fighting that sometimes seems common in other restaurant kitchens. “We all have a good time here and work together harmoniously,” she said.

A Seasonal Menu

Nelms’ dishes change seasonally, and the restaurant serves both lunch and dinner. Lunch customers can choose from an array of burgers, salads, and a series of sandwiches like the turkey and brie, the gourmet grilled cheese, or the popular Rachel, made with roasted turkey, Swiss cheese, Cole slaw and house-made 1000 Island dressing all served on thick, sliced rye.

The manageable dinner menu includes items like shrimp and crab pasta, Veal Saltimbocca,

Pasta Bolognese, and Chicken Milanese, which Nelms reports as her most popular dish, made with hand-breaded chicken breast, red pepper aioli, arugula, blistered tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette served with asparagus and twice-fried potatoes.

During the winter, fare changes to heartier dishes like the short rib, which customers have described as “savory” and “melt-in-yourmouth delicious.” Nelms also makes a popular meatloaf in the fall and winter, which is served over a leek and gruyere bread pudding and finished with a marsala reduction demi-glace. “The meatloaf is a recipe from the German side of my family. My grandmother used veal, beef, pork, onions, and herbs,” said Nelms.

For those who like ending their dinner on a sweet note, Nelms recommends her most popular dessert: a Bourbon Pecan bread pudding served with vanilla ice cream and Bourbon butterscotch sauce. “It is a customer favorite,” she said, adding that another yearround favorite is a peanut butter Oreo pie. Nelms also serves cheesecake in a variety of flavors and a refreshing Key Lime pie, which is available in June.

And while admitting that running a restaurant isn’t for the faint of heart, Nelms said she’s learned to roll with the punches. “I am happiest when cooking,” she said, adding that this is second only to meeting new people. Unlike some chefs, Nelms will often take a brief break from her perch behind the stove to meet and socialize with diners. “I love to see them enjoying the food and having a good time,” she said.