The Alcove Restaurant in downtown Mount Vernon traces its roots to an ice cream and candy store a century ago.
"In 1904, Mr. Fred Surlas immigrated to the United States from Greece when he was 19 years old," the Alcove says on its website. "His first job was in Pittsburgh, where he worked as a pinboy in a bowling alley. He was soon convinced that there must be an easier way to make a living. He eventually moved to Youngstown, Ohio, where he met Peter J. Francis, a candy and ice cream maker who was to be his partner in establishing Candyland in Mount Vernon."
Shortly after Candyland opened in 1911, it was damaged by a fire, but the partners rebuilt. Booths replaced the marble-topped tables in the 1920s. Sandwiches were added to the menu.
The current building was constructed in 1937 on the site of the original Candyland, at 116 South Main St. The restaurant was renamed the Alcove.
"The Alcove Restaurant is still the place to come for quality food and service," the restaurant says. "The Alcove maintains the tradition of preparing dishes from scratch, and while our menu has changed many times over the years, our focus is the same as it was 100 years ago – customer satisfaction. We feel a tremendous responsibility to our longstanding reputation and continually strive to exceed our customers' expectations."
The Alcove places an emphasis on buying locally grown meat and produce as part of a "farm to table" initiative, executive chef Jared Driesbach told the Mount Vernon News.
"We have a huge connection with Yellowbird Foodshed, which has capitalized a genius concept of resourcing, sourcing and providing local food from all over Ohio," Driesbach said. "This concept is a massive step in what I consider to be the true farm-to-table concept.”
The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting scarcity of some products pushed some restaurants to embrace the farm-to-table concept, the chef said.
Some of the farms providing food to the Alcove are Fyfe Backyard farms in Granville, which provides micro greens; New Path Farms in Sunbury, which grows mushrooms and micro greens; and Daniels Family Farms, which provides duck eggs.
"There are very many great things so close to us, so clean and pure and raw – the idea of it fuels fire for the passion I have to bring this concept to life, and where a better place to do it (than) here at The Alcove?" Driesbach said. " We are merely in the beginning stages of bringing this concept to life."
