The search for new food brought us back to our old stomping grounds of Johnstown. A new restaurant, The Ghostwriter, recently opened in the downtown area, and we have heard only rave reviews. Because of its popularity, advance reservations are almost required!

The downtown of Johnstown is about two blocks from a few shops and restaurants, so there is minimal street parking. Luckily, because it is still a small town, you can often find parking behind the building or beside Town Hall.

The entryway opens up to a comfortable waiting area, a bar, and a few tables. Along the wall is an opening that leads to another room with more seating, a service bar, and an open kitchen. We were guided to a table next to the kitchen and could see all the action!

We love a dinner menu and rarely go out for lunch or breakfast. However, we always make the mistake of attending lunch when we don’t mean to. This was one of those instances. Although we had the filet and pork chop on our minds, we still found the menu full of scrumptious choices.

After ordering the deviled eggs to start, we took in our surroundings. The dark wood, cushy black booths, and industrial ceiling give a comfortable yet modern feel. The TV doesn’t feature sports but is framed and displays nature videos instead. In the back, the chef garnishes and finishes the plates in the dining room as the kitchen hands them off. Their atmosphere is enticing and, most of all, comfortable. With a large table in the center, large parties are welcomed. After looking further into the restaurant, I discovered you can rent it out and book a room to stay above the restaurant for a getaway. The prices are more than the average, as a warning before you look too deeply!

The food is American with a modern twist, as their website boasts, so we were thrilled to see a classic favorite of eggs on the menu. I loved their take on it. Relish was added on top towards the end, which gave it a nice added zest. We followed that up with a salmon BLT and fried chicken sandwich. Both are delicious, although the fried chicken sandwich is HUGE as far as height goes.. good luck eating it. The fries were above par for fries, which we are notoriously picky about. It’s crisp and full of fluff.

We were too stuffed to think about dessert, which was perfect because the storm knocked the power out as we finished our meal. The wood-fired grill quickly filled the restaurant with smoke as we headed out. Overall, we enjoyed the experience enough to return for the big-ticket items!