John J. Jeffries is located in the Lancaster Arts Hotel in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This award winning restaurant is home to seasonal and sustainable cuisine, an impressive staff, and great cocktail, wine and beer list.
Remember how I mentioned in my hotel article, that this site was once an old tobacco storage facility? Well, during renovations, workers found in the floor beams a signed inspection stamp dated November 5, 1890, with the name of tobacco inspector John J. Jeffries. This inspired the name for the restaurant!
The restaurant designed the menu based on local, seasonal, and sustainable cuisine. Here you can taste the difference of local farm-to-table dishes in a fine dining restaurant setting. All of the meats here are locally raised on confinement-free, fresh green grass pastures. All of the produce too, is local, organic, or chemical free. They even use local grass fed cream, butter and eggs, which I believe makes the food here even more delicious.
I began my meal with The Other Wilson: an award winning Manhattan that artfully 
blends Woodford Reserve bourbon, Carpano vermouth, Laird’s 12 year brandy, Creme Yvette and barrel aged orange bitters. It’s a fun cocktail, and the citrus peel is lit on fire table side to add to the smokey flavor of this incredible cocktail. Paired, was the Apple Wood Smoked Pork Belly Love appetizer with Beer Battered Onion Rings, Cabbage Slaw, and Hard Apple Cider BBQ Sauce; it was savory, tangy, and the most delicious way to begin dinner.
Because the meat here is farm raised with no added hormones, I couldn’t help but to try two more amazing meat dishes for dinner. Chef 
Cavanaugh and Chef Carson really bring you the best of what’s available right now in the Lancaster region, adhering to a traditional and sustainable cooking philosophy thats absolutely exquisite and delicious. The Jamison Farm Braised Lamb with Carolina Gold Brown Rice, Roasted Zucchini, Onion, Eggplant & Tomato Ratatouille was fall-off-the-bone, out of this world, amazing! Perfectly cooked and delightfully delectable, this large plate makes the perfect share for two. Alongside the braised lamb, was the Pecan Meadow Farm Stream 
Raised Duck with Warm Kale Salad, Roasted Corn, Bacon, Sweet Onion, Blue Cheese, and a Sherry Vinaigrette Reduction Sauce. You absolutely can taste the difference in the dishes here, when it comes to the meat, seafood, and vegetables used, due to the quality, care, and seasonal availability of the ingredients.
Make sure you save room for dessert because the Lavender Creme Brûlée is simply devine. A perfectly sugar torched crust cracks into a smooth and sensational lightly infused creamy lavender brûlée. With the seasonal menu offerings, you will find a changing menu with plenty of vegetarian options, small plates, and perfect pairing opportunities.
Whether you’re staying at the Lancaster Arts Hotel, or simply seeking fine dining in the downtown section of Lancaster, John J. Jeffries is a must stop for five star service, an incredible menu, and so much more!
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