Love Pittsburgh’s vibrant food scene but need to escape the city? A group of local chefs and hoteliers throw a five-star party in the middle of a farm every weekend.
Hideaway Co., which are in the Fall 2020 in the Laurel Highlands, is in its second season in a new location, Branch Bender Cidery in Deep Creek, Maryland. The high-end food and drink “glamping” experience created by Anna Baird, formerly at the Ace Hotel, only exists because of the pandemic.
“I’m not the type of person to sit around and wait,” says Baird. She watched overseas hotels move to the countryside and saw no reason the Pittsburghers couldn’t do the same.
Kate Novels of Black Radish Kitchen was guest cook at Hideaway Co. Photo courtesy of Hideaway Co.
The purpose of essentially building a hotel in an agricultural field was twofold, says Baird. She wanted to offer hospitality workers the opportunity to get back to work while creating a safe and special travel experience during the pandemic.
Pittsburgh is known for reinventing itself in a kind of Rust Belt Revival, and Baird’s project is another example of that ingenuity and flexibility.
The on-site team at the farm is mostly local. A number of Burgh chefs have stayed at Hideaway Co. this season, including Jamilka Borges of Wild child, Kate novels by Kitchen with black radish and Jen Urich from Farmer x Baker.
Hideaway’s talented culinary director Kevin Hunninen oversees the dining experience and builds relationships with local farmers and producers in Garrett County for a farm-to-table experience. With a food truck and an outdoor kitchen with a generator, the team serves dishes that can rival any restaurant in town.
Kevin Hunninen, Hideaway Co.’s Culinary Director Photo by Jessica Flake.
Local artisans also welcome guests to partake in their craft, with offerings like block printing and felting. Excursions to neighboring farms, quad and horse riding trips or rafting tours on the Youghiogheny River can also be booked through the hospitality team. It is just as important that the guests sit and cannot do anything to take a much-needed WLAN-free break from everyday life.
At night, guests sleep in queen-size beds in tents that are scattered across the field. But nobody scratches it. Four safari tents have real bathrooms – complete with teak floors, showers and flush toilets. The bathrooms are solar powered, and Hideaway Co. is making every effort to consider the environmental impact on the farmland. Even the compost from meal preparation feeds the pigs at the local Wildom Farm.
The first two seasons were full of unexpected joys and surprises for the team, which sparked their anticipation for the year 2022. One moment stands out for the crew, says Baird. On a weekend with Remy wines, an unusual connection was made.
“Remy happens to be a big opera fan and it just happened that we had an opera singer as our guest. At dessert we all got an extra treat – the opening sonata of ‘Carmen. ‘”
In the fall schedule, tents are still available until October 17, before the 2022 season begins for May. Single occupancy starts at $ 300 per weekend and double occupancy starts at $ 600. Children under 10 stay free, and meals are served a la carte, ranging from $ 5 for breakfast to $ 75 for dinner entrees.
If you don’t get a chance before the end of the season but can’t wait until May, Hideaway Co. will be popping up for private and public events in Pittsburgh.
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