How StillHouse Distills Community, Comfort, and Craft in Penns Valley
Story and photos by Sherri Jordan and Luciano Sormani
In the heart of Spring Mills, a building that once housed a family restaurant and an ice cream shop has been transformed into something entirely new. Yet, for all its fresh ideas, The StillHouse is rooted in decades of hospitality experience, local relationships, and a deep understanding of what rural communities value most.
Part tasting room, part gathering place, and part comfort-food destination, The StillHouse represents the latest venture from the team behind two of Centre County’s most respected hospitality brands: Otto’s Pub & Brewery and Barrel 21 Distillery & Dining. What emerged is neither a copy of its predecessors nor a traditional restaurant concept. Instead, The StillHouse has become something uniquely its own — a place where handcrafted cocktails meet approachable food, where locals mingle with visitors, and where community input shapes everything from the menu to future events.
Building on a Strong Foundation
The story of The StillHouse begins long before its doors opened in Spring Mills. The restaurant is part of C&D Brewing Ventures, the parent company that operates Otto’s and Barrel 21. With more than two decades of restaurant experience — including Otto’s celebrating its 24th year — the ownership team wasn’t looking to reinvent hospitality. They were looking to adapt it.
Market research revealed an opportunity in Penns Valley. While the area offered several beloved restaurants, there was room for something different: a destination that combined a tasting room, bottle shop, event space, and restaurant under one roof.
According to Loryn Rumsey, marketing manager for The StillHouse, the tasting room concept came first. Because Barrel 21 spirits would be featured prominently, the ownership team saw an opportunity to bring its award-winning products closer to residents who otherwise faced a significant drive to purchase spirits. Once the tasting room concept was established, the attached restaurant space naturally became part of the vision. The question became: What kind of food belongs alongside craft spirits in Penns Valley?
The answer wasn’t to replicate Barrel 21’s upscale dining experience. Instead, the team drew from the strengths of both existing brands while carefully listening to the local community. “We took pieces from Barrel 21 and pieces from Otto’s,” explains Rumsey. “We wanted to build something with its own identity while still using what we knew worked.”
The Best of Both Worlds
In many ways, The StillHouse represents a culinary crossroads. The cocktail program and tasting room draw heavily from the expertise developed at Barrel 21. Guests can enjoy carefully crafted cocktails, martini nights, and a wide selection of spirits produced by the company’s distillery.
The food, however, follows a different path. Rather than pursuing fine dining, The StillHouse embraced the approachable, comfort-driven philosophy that has made Otto’s a regional favorite. The result is a menu filled with oversized deli sandwiches, burgers, salads, shareable appetizers, and hearty entrées designed to appeal to a broad audience.
“It’s good cocktails with food that’s approachable,” Rumsey says. “That’s what this area was looking for.” The concept fills a unique niche. Diners can enjoy a thoughtfully made cocktail without feeling as though they need to dress up or wait for a special occasion. Families feel welcome. Regulars feel comfortable. Visitors discover something unexpected. It’s a combination that has proven surprisingly powerful.
A Menu Built by Community
One of the most distinctive aspects of The StillHouse is how its menu came together. Instead of being dictated by a single chef or a corporate playbook, the menu evolved through conversations with local residents, longtime customers of Otto’s and Barrel 21, company leadership, and multiple culinary professionals. Early discussions centered on a deli-style concept featuring large sandwiches and generous portions. But as community feedback poured in, the menu expanded.
Residents requested healthier options, leading to a variety of salads. Demand for Reubens inspired multiple variations. The result is a remarkably diverse menu that offers something for nearly everyone. That diversity wasn’t accidental — it was intentional. The goal was simple: Create a place where entire groups could dine together without anyone feeling limited by the menu.
Local Beef, Local Pride
Perhaps no menu item better illustrates The StillHouse’s connection to the community than its burgers. Originally, management expected sandwiches to dominate sales. Instead, burgers quickly became the restaurant’s best-selling item. Part of that success stems from a remarkably local supply chain.
The beef served at The StillHouse comes from AV Farms, a family farm located just 5 miles away. Processing is handled by a local butcher in Spring Mills before the meat makes its short journey back to the restaurant. For The StillHouse, the beef never travels more than a handful of miles. That level of local sourcing resonates with customers who increasingly want to know where their food comes from and who produced it. It has also helped establish a sense of authenticity that larger chains struggle to replicate.
The PA Double Decker Smashburger packs a lot of flavor in a relatively smaller package, with the ‘stoutie’ onions adding a crispy dimension. The gourmet deli hot dogs combine deli-meat flavors with A.V. Farms all-beef hot dogs, served on New England-style buns. The pastrami dogs were our choice, but you can also build your own from a large selection of toppings and sauces.
Although The StillHouse has established its own identity, longtime Otto’s customers will notice familiar touches. The black bean burger traces its roots to Otto’s. So do the pretzels. Yet even those familiar menu items have evolved.
Because the Spring Mills kitchen lacks the same equipment used at Otto’s, the culinary team had to rethink how they prepared the brewery’s iconic pretzels. Their solution became one of The StillHouse’s signature offerings: pretzel bites. The bite-sized version solved a practical challenge while creating something entirely new. Later, customer feedback inspired additional variations, including cinnamon sugar and garlic Parmesan flavors. We tried the Parmesan variety, which is tossed in garlic butter and parmesan cheese, and served with marinara. It works great as a shareable appetizer or as the perfect accompaniment to one of the craft cocktails or mocktails.
When it comes to mocktails, The Stillhouse offers a nice variety, ranging from fruity to creamy, zesty, and even an espresso-based drink, all made with Otto’s sodas. You can turn them into a proper cocktail if you want. On the craft side of things, seasonal offerings sit next to classics such as Manhattans and Old Fashioneds.
It’s a perfect example of how The StillHouse operates. Ideas are welcomed. Suggestions are considered. Community feedback becomes innovation. The restaurant’s evolution isn’t happening behind closed doors — it is happening in conversation with the people who dine there.
A Place for Everyone
Perhaps the most surprising discovery since opening has been the diversity of the customer base. Families arrive for dinner. Parents stop in while their children attend classes nearby. Neighbors walk over from surrounding streets. Visitors from Millheim, Centre Hall, and State College make the trip. Travelers discover the restaurant during busy weekends such as Penn State graduation. Many first-time guests arrive by circumstance. Some are simply looking for an available table when downtown restaurants are booked. Others stumble across recommendations online. But once they visit, many return.
Part of the appeal is the atmosphere. Unlike Barrel 21’s elevated dining room, The StillHouse intentionally embraces a relaxed, low-pressure environment. Guests can order a carefully crafted cocktail or simply enjoy pretzel bites and conversation. The space feels welcoming rather than intimidating. In a rapidly growing Penns Valley, accessibility matters. The region’s population increasingly includes longtime farming families, university professionals, health care workers, retirees, and newcomers seeking rural living without sacrificing quality dining options. The StillHouse was designed to bridge those worlds.
Looking Ahead
Though The StillHouse recently celebrated its first year, the team, under the leadership of general manager Ian Thomas is already planning its next chapter. Expanding private events and group gatherings remains a major priority. The spacious dining room has already hosted company holiday parties and community gatherings, and management sees significant growth potential in that area. Catering is another emerging focus. The restaurant has begun serving events throughout the valley, offering menu items that travel well and fit a variety of occasions.
Outside, the patio presents perhaps the biggest opportunity. Management hopes to expand outdoor programming with live entertainment, seasonal events, and community-focused gatherings, all of which we are very excited about. Pet-friendly patio events are already being explored, complete with house-made dog treats and special giveaways for four-legged visitors. Menu updates are also on the horizon. Additional burger offerings, new seasonal features, and potential chicken and fish options are all under consideration. The guiding principle remains unchanged: Listen first, then build.
At its core, The StillHouse represents something increasingly rare in modern hospitality. It isn’t a chain concept designed in a corporate boardroom. It isn’t a trend-chasing restaurant pursuing social media buzz. Instead, it is the product of local knowledge, local ownership, local suppliers, and local feedback.
The same philosophy that helped Otto’s thrive for more than two decades and helped Barrel 21 establish itself as a destination distillery has found new life in Spring Mills. By combining Otto’s approachable comfort food with Barrel 21’s craft beverage expertise, The StillHouse has created a dining experience that feels both familiar and fresh. The restaurant’s greatest strength may not be its burgers, cocktails, or pretzel bites. It may be the simple fact that it was built with the community rather than merely for it. T&G
Sherri Jordan and Luciano Sormani are the graphic designer/ad coordinator and creative director at Town&Gown.
