GREAT EATS
The Inn at Babb’s Creek “It was time to come home.” That’s how Gregg Henry characterizes a life-shifting decision to leave his career in the health care field, return to Tioga County, and become the owner of a restaurant. The Inn at Babb’s Creek is in Morris, at the intersection of routes 287 and 414 and the Landrus Road (a great road for cross-country skiing or fat tire biking, by the way, but winter travel on it by vehicle can be scary). Some of the old black and white photos on the wall show town scenes from the early 1900s that include the building, so it has been here at least that long. For about four years prior to Gregg’s purchase, The Inn at Babb’s Creek was unused, but it had been a popular eatery and bar for ages before that. A portion of it was a roller skating rink once upon a time, too—and Gregg says there are folks around still who can remember skating there. There are also folks around who remember, and loved, the food that came out of the kitchen. “The key to the whole operation was finding a chef,” says Gregg, who admits that while he is very good at making wine, and hopes at some point to be able to offer diners his own label, he had no real interest in serving as his own chef. He wanted the man who had been cooking here for twenty-plus years. He “flat-out refused me five times,” Gregg says, but, after some haggling and a promise from the owner to stay out of the kitchen, “a last-minute Hail Mary” put Chef Dean Fuller back at it in time for the April 2017 opening. There have been a few mechanical, but not necessarily unexpected, roadblocks—Gregg can almost laugh now about his newly-discovered aptitude for fixing gas appliances, and about “hot water tanks that were cold, ice machines that were hot, and a steam table that was balmy.” He and Dean have a few months of data to help them make menu decisions and there is feedback from customers to nudge things in one direction or another. So what’s popular at the new Inn at Babb’s Creek? Some of the old favorites, of course. “Dean has a recipe for his prime rib,” Gregg says, with a restaurateur’s characteristic slyness about giving away food-related secrets, “…and it is the best prime rib I’ve ever had. People love our haddock and our bacon-wrapped scallops.” Dining options include a salad bar, a variety of pasta dishes, pizza, burgers and other sandwiches, and a full bar. Visit the Inn at Babb’s Creek and discover a new old favorite of your own. Call (570) 3534066 or go to www.theinnatbabbscreek.com for information about hours, daily specials, or to make reservations.
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