Reuben sandwich
The vibrant, lively arts scene of 900 Rutter Ave. also houses dining destination the Canning House.
The Forty Fort restaurant opened in July 2019, the latest addition to Scalleat Hospitality Group’s restaurants, which include the Powerhouse Eatery in White Haven and Ovalon Bar & Grill in Hazleton. The Canning House aims to offer a menu full of local, fresh and sustainable ingredients in an early 20th-century building with neighbors that range from wellness studios to sweets sellers to salons.
Chef’s Table recently chatted with Connor Scalleat, who co-owns and operates the Canning House with Natalie Lynn.
Q: What is the history of the restaurant?
A: The building was originally home to a cigar-rolling facility, which employed 1,400 people at its peak. The building was restored by Wombely Developers (and) David Koral, who painstakingly converted floor by floor, cleaning out an immense amount of tobacco debris. David had purchased the building, which sat abandoned for many decades, and restored it into a mixed-use building. 900 Rutter Ave. houses some of the most exquisite and interesting businesses in Northeast Pennsylvania. The Canning House continues Scalleat Hospitality Group’s mission to deliver food in unique and historic environments. The former canning production facility from which it takes its name has been transformed into a modern dining destination.
Q: What type of food do you serve?
A: The Canning House serves modern American comfort food along with a speciality beverage program that includes our house-brewed kombucha. Counterpart Kombucha, the in-house brand, owned by Natalie Lynn, produces 16 flavors, which are offered in draft and bottles.
Q: What’s your specialty?
A: Brunch. Every Sunday, we offer brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We have so much fun creating a menu that blends traditional breakfast and lunch food with a unique twist.
Q: How did your menu come to be?
A: We are in a state of constant and never-ending improvement with hopes to become our area’s most valued casual destination. Most importantly, we want to support our community as well as our planet, which is why our menu is based around local, fresh and sustainable ingredients. From eggs to produce to meats and fish, our menu is designed to highlight foods that nourish the soul while giving back to Northeast Pennsylvania.
Q: What are your most popular dishes and drinks?
A: They are: salad, Harvest (roasted sweet potato stuffed with cranberries and quinoa, spinach, fresh apple, pecans, goat cheese and maple cider vinaigrette); sandwich, the Canning House Reuben (corned beef braised for 13 hours in Stegmaier IPA plus Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on marble rye); snack, Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast (toasted ciabatta with smashed avocado, togarashi spice, sprouts, fresh lemon, red onion, cucumber and kosher smoked salmon); and drinks, Kombucha by Counterpart and coffee through Ellis, which is Rainforest Alliance-certified.
Q: What type of seating do you have?
A: The Canning House is a full-service restaurant that can seat 110 guests and is comprised of booths, round tables, high tops as well as bar seating. In addition, we have a dedicated pickup area which can be utilized via our in-house online ordering system, phone and in-person to-go orders.
Q: What kinds of entertainment and specials do you offer?
A: The Canning House offers daily specials. With the creative energy of Chef David Carey, we also host themed dining events, including brunches and multi-course dinner events.
Q: Do you offer catering, event space, etc.?
A: Yes, we offer full-service catering including in-house and off-premise events. We also offer pickup with full online ordering capabilities.
Q: Where do you see the restaurant headed in the future?
A: The Canning House plans to continue to grow into our creative building we call home. Early this year, we plan on expanding our footprint and launching a grab ‘n’ go area of our restaurant, also featuring local products and hand-crafted smoothies. Dinner is on the radar in 2020 as well; currently, the Canning House only serves breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch.
The Canning House
Address: 900 Rutter Ave., Forty Fort
Phone: 570-763-5043
Established: 2019
Owners: Connor Scalleat and Natalie Lynn
Cuisine: Modern American comfort food
Hours: Mondays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Online: Visit Instagram, Facebook and thecanning.com.
Laura Rysz is the features copy editor and calendar editor at The Times-Tribune and runs the Talk of the Times column, which focuses on local fundraisers and other events. She also writes Chef’s Table that profiles restaurants around the region. Additionally, Laura curates events online on AccessNEPA.com. Laura is involved in the special Mother’s Day edition and curates occasional features Marry Memories and Times Travelers. She is a graduate of Haddonfield Memorial High School, New Jersey, and earned an English professional writing degree with a minor in mass communications from King’s College, Wilkes-Barre. She also earned a certificate in Social Media Marketing from Rutgers Business School. Contact: lrysz@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5228.
