Like the restaurant’s German/Southern decor, the food at Plantation House is a mixture of two traditions. The daily menu is full of Southern classics, but on Friday nights, Germany native Renate (pronounced Renata) Lindsey hosts a German-style feast.
German food is also available throughout the month of October. Lindsey said she hopes to have a license to sell beer by next October, so Plantation House can have a proper Oktoberfest celebration.
Both house and owner of the Plantation House and Garden in Millbrook were uprooted from their original homes, and the story of how they arrived at such a tasty combination of culinary traditions on Grandview Road is as storybook as the beer steins and belles décor.
In her home country, Lindsey was a chef, but she joined the military in search of a change in direction. She trained as a carpenter and went to work for the German Army. There, she met her American Air Force husband, with whom she moved to Millbrook, Alabama, 20 years ago.
Upon her arrival, Lindsey started in America where she’d left off in Germany – as a carpenter. One day, she was hired to close off the fireplaces at Miss Mary’s restaurant in Millbrook. Lindsey arrived on the job to find the restaurant owner in a state of panic: Miss Mary’s cook had not shown up for work.
In desperation, the owner asked Lindsey if she could cook. She had turned to just the right person for the job.
What began as one day of emergency kitchen help led Lindsey to nine years at Miss Mary’s. She eventually took over ownership of the business but was bothered by the fact that she still had to rent the building.
Lindsey knew she wanted to create a unique restaurant in a place all her own, but she didn’t know where to look.
With the help of a Realtor who was a Miss Mary’s customer, Lindsey discovered a beautiful two-story home on Plantation Oaks Boulevard just outside of downtown Millbrook. Built in 1934 with classical Southern architecture, the house had belonged to the Cobb family for many years.
Lindsey loved the house right away, but she worried about how much it would cost. That’s when her Realtor dropped the bomb: The whole house was about to be torn down to make room for the new Plantation Oaks subdivision. If Lindsey could get the house off the lot, she could have it for free.
Lindsey hired a crew of workers to jack up the house and move it a quarter mile down Grandview Road to its current location. Then she dusted off her carpenter’s toolbox and got to work creating the restaurant of her dreams.
The nearly singled-handed renovation and restoration took two years. According to Lindsey, most of the work was not about building on top of the original home but revealing the beauty that was already there.
She stripped away layers of carpet and tile to reveal the original tongue-in-groove hardwood floors. She knocked down closets and walls to create two open-plan dining rooms on either side of the kitchen, which was also expanded and updated with modern restaurant equipment. She built the columned, wraparound porch and dotted it with a colorful array of tables and chairs for outdoor dining and socializing.
The decor at Plantation House is a nod to the building’s past as well as Lindsey’s heritage. Antique portraits of Southern belles share wall space with collections of German beer steins. Outside, a statue of a grinning alligator sits on a Greek-style pedestal in a corner of the porch, shaded by one of many climbing plants, which add charm and privacy for outside diners.
Lindsey does all of the cooking at Plantation House. She said cooking Southern food was a patchwork skill that she picked up over her years in the United States.
“I had to learn from many different people,” she said.
One of the toughest lessons to learn was the making of casseroles, which are not found in traditional German cooking.
“In Germany, we don’t do squash casserole or anything like that. It’s more steamed vegetables. I had to switch gears and think Southern,” she said.
Her efforts paid off. Today, her hot pineapple casserole is a beloved Plantation House staple. Lindsey said she has come to appreciate food. Her favorite item on the Plantation House menu is the fried chicken, which she marinates for two full days before cooking to let the spices soak into the meat.
In addition to regular hours and menu offerings at the restaurant, Plantation House offers catering services, and the garden area is available for parties and weddings. Lindsey caters events off the premises as well. She can even cook on the go with the Schnitzel Wagon, a modified delivery truck. Plantation House provides food for holiday parties at several local businesses, including bakeries and Bass Pro Shops.
In-house and catering menus are posted on the restaurant’s website. Plantation House is open for lunch from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. On Thursdays and Fridays, the restaurant is open for dinner from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. For more information, visit the website at www.plantationhouseandgardens.com.
