A State College restaurant that brought a French twist to American diner classics has closed its doors after nearly three years in business.
Oeuf Boeuf et Bacon, 131 S. Garner St., closed in early July. Chef and co-owner Gillian Clark told StateCollege.com she is retiring from restaurant ownership, citing both staffing and health issues.
“[It’s] hard finding culinary talent these days and especially in a market with a fluctuating population,” Clark wrote in an email. “A knee replacement and shoulder reconstruction surgery had me reassessing how continuing to run a full service restaurant at my age was going to permanently impact my quality of life.”
Clark and partner Robin Smith opened Oeuf Boeuf et Bacon (French for egg, beef and bacon) in September 2022 in the former Baby’s Burgers & Shakes, bringing comfort food specialities Clark had honed at restaurants in New York and the Washington, D.C. area and adding an international flair to the breakfast and lunch menus.
As the restaurant appealed to customers looking for traditional diner fare and those seeking something more creative, it also expanded to offer periodic prix fixe dinners and a selection of wines.
“OBB was a great experience for us and our fans and we accomplished what we set out to do in giving the area a really different but approachable food focused experience: 100% scratch cooking with an imaginative French take on diner standards, our very successful events like Valentines Day and Bastille day, serving alcohol by becoming a limited winery and making quite good wines in our basement,” Clark wrote. “We shared something really wonderful with the community.”
But having owned and operated several restaurants, Clark added, she knows “when it’s time to move on.”
“I’ll continue a career in food in a different way and will continue to write industry relevant books and produce content for media various media outlets, iincluding running the culinary division of an international food provider as my full time gig,” Clark said.
The Garner Street location, a 1947 Silk City Diner which prior to Oeuf Boeuf et Bacon was home to Baby’s for more than 30 years, is available for lease. Interested parties should contact David Fonash of Continental Real Estate Management at (814) 308-4768 or dave@continentalrealestate.net.
