George and Shirley Carutis, purchased the business in 1979. After Mr. Carutis took ill, the couple’s daughter, Deb White, took over the responsibilities allowing her mother to care for her husband.

“I’ve been here 39 years. I was a young punk. Made a lot of mistakes,” says the daughter.

Reanie Ulrich, who was hired as a waitress in 1990 has been following in Audrey Schurman’s footsteps for the last several years, baking the same products.

“Our calling card is the home baked goods-bread, sweet rolls, pies,” Mrs. White says. “We make 30 to 80 loaves of bread a day. Our sandwiches and French toast are made with it.”

A sitting area amidst the gardens at Willow Creek Pavillion at The Dutch Village. The pavillion is free with use of the restaurant’s catering services or with a charge if outside food is brought in.

Deb and her husband, Kevin White, purchased the business from Mrs. Carutis in 1991. Over the years they have purchased adjoining properties, tearing down buildings that have been beyond repair. A 4,000 square foot addition was added in 2000. The new addition houses restrooms, two dining rooms and a very huge gift shop, which carries over to the second floor. An Americana Room, Babies Room and Men’s Room, along with a Christmas Room, Victorian Room and Country Room make up the gift shop. There is a furniture gallery in the basement.

In 2005 the couple completely remodeled the original restaurant. A large dining room was adding in the back of the building in 2007-08 after an old mill was purchased and removed. This addition allowed for the expansion of the kitchen.

“We did not have one piece of stainless steel (kitchen equipment) when I came here,” Mrs. White says.

Much needed employee parking was added which is used by snowmobilers in the winter months.

The Dutch Village is a hopping place. It is clearly the hub of Clymer’s goings on. The monthly senior luncheon takes place on the first Wednesday of each month. The Community Support Group of Southwestern Chautauqua County, of which Mrs. White serves as treasurer, sponsors the luncheon. She sets up the program each month and the restaurant provides a reasonably priced meal. Meal item selections change each month.

Swiss Steak is served with mashed potatoes and grilled yellow summer squash.

For more than 30 years The Dutch Village 500 Club has met at 4:30 p.m. on the first, third and fifth Wednesday of each month. They have dinner and play 500 Bid, staying until closing time. The group members come from nine or ten nearby villages, including Union City, Wattsburg, Waterford and Youngsville, Pennsylvania and Findley Lake, North Clymer and French Creek, New York. Most of the participants are women with the exception of a few men.

“The group has played their card game at this location for over 30 years,” says Mary Keys. “There were 30 here last time.”

“Their pizza is delicious,” says Mary Gill, a two year attendee. Her friend, Shirley Pattison, likes the pie. The friends rode together from Corry, Pennsylvania.

“We usually order from the specials,” says Clymer resident Virginia Boozel.

“David takes care of us,” Barbara Dunning chimes in.

Among other things, Reanie Ulrich bakes 30 to 50 loaves of bread each day.

“They all love the potato soup,” adds David Kelley, the beloved waiter.

On a wall in the “coffee area” as staffers refer to the original part of the restaurant, is a board which lists daily birthdays and anniversaries. Information about newborn babies is posted on the same board.

“We sing to everyone on their birthday and they make it in for their birthday,” Mrs. White smiles.

A scanner has been set up in this area for the benefit of the volunteer firemen.

“When it goes off, silence falls over the crowd as the volunteers drop their forks and set down their coffee mugs as they dash away,” she says.

In the back yard sits the newly constructed 3,900-square-foot covered open-air Willow Creek Pavilion, which has served as the setting for wedding receptions, graduation parties, fundraisers and most recently the Clymer Central School Alumni Dinner.

Mrs. White had a vision and has successfully put it together, including a children’s outdoor play area with a tunnel, sandbox, slides, balance beam and lots of places to climb, intermingled with beautiful gardens, all within sight of the pavilion. Yard games are provided in an area near a peaceful winding stream. Drop-down wind curtains, electricity and heat are onsite. There is no charge to use the area if the event is catered by the restaurant. By paying a rental fee for the facility, one’s caterer of choice may be used. The capacity is 240 or fewer when using a portion for dancing.

Although beautiful Victorian flower gardens frame the area, she envisions an added memory garden in the future.

Rooms, a pavilion, a playground and flower gardens aren’t the only additions the Whites have made to The Dutch Village over the years. The number of employees has more than doubled to 26-30 and the menu has been greatly expanded with several senior portion choices. Breakfast offerings include items one would expect to see on a breakfast menu along with jumbo homemade cinnamon rolls, maple-walnut sweet rolls and a platter of 12 silver dollar-sized potato pancakes served with bacon and applesauce. Sausage gravy over biscuit halves and a build your own omelet are other options. The Sunday morning breakfast buffet is very popular and runs from 8 a.m. until noon. It includes at least twenty items and an omelet bar.

A popular weekend lunch and dinner offering is the 12 Great Choices for $12.99 Each special which includes beverage and dessert. Chicken and biscuits, pot roast, deep fried shrimp, sirloin steak tips and pan-fried salmon are some of the choices. A Monday night Senior citizens buffet is served from 4-7 p.m. April through November. Others are welcome with adjusted pricing. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays a free loaf of bread is given when two dinners are purchased between 4-8 p.m.

An extensive four-page gluten-free menu has been added, which includes salads, sandwiches, pizza and fish. Other dinner and breakfast choices are available, as well.

“It took us over a year to develop the gluten-free menu,” says Mrs. White, who has celiac disease herself

The VIP Club is another popular addition. Members receive emails telling about special events and occasional gift shop specials. They earn points which double when meals are purchased with cash. One hundred points gives the member a $5 discount on their next purchase. They receive a free dessert during the month of their birthday and anniversary.

The businesswoman enjoys going to her kids sporting events and gardening. She likes camping, biking and hiking, especially in the western part of the United States. She tells about the first time she traveled west of Ohio.

“I knew I wanted a 26-foot Class C motor home with a self-leveling feature and found a dealer that was expecting one in early July,” Mrs. White says. “It didn’t come in until the end of July, so I only had it three days before my 6- and 9-year-old daughters and I headed west. I’d never driven a motor home, but had driven tractors with trailers growing up on the farm.”

As she was speeding down I-86, just a few miles from home, a blue heron got tangled up in her exterior mirror. She pulled off the expressway and with the help of her 6-year-old daughter, got the dead bird untangled from the mirror. Later that evening she stopped at a Travel America Travel Center, where they planned to eat dinner and spend the night. Upon returning to their recreational vehicle, she discovered the generator and the air conditioner did not work. When she came to the conclusion that she would not be able to sleep in the hot vehicle, she strapped the slumbering children in their seat belts and drove away. A telephone call to the dealer the next day revealed that she did not shut the vehicle down properly. Cool air flowed once again after she hit the restart switch.

She used the self-leveling feature on the second night, but could not get it to disengage in the morning. After a repairman, who was working nearby in the travel trailer park, struggled for some time, he told her not to use the feature again. While driving in Colorado on the third day, her awning became tangled with a branch, twisting the awning around and behind her vehicle. Once again the services of a repairman were needed. The rest of the 5,000 mile trip went smoothly and since then she and has ventured west numerous times with the RV, once with a friend and several times with her husband. They recently purchased another motor home.

Mr. White owns an excavating business. The couple has two sons, Austin and Cody and two daughters, Olivia and Abigail and two grandchildren.

“Preparation of Hearty Hamburger Soup is a family activity on cold winter or rainy Sunday afternoons. We all chop and stir and play cards in between. It makes enough to share a small pot with a friend or freeze for later. We reheat several times during the week. We often have different sandwiches with it each time. We also cook a small batch of egg noodles and pour our soup in a bowl and add about a half cup of the noodles to the soup. I have been blessed with a husband that loves leftovers! Life is good.”

It is well worth the 23-mile drive from downtown Jamestown to The Dutch Village to enjoy the delicious homemade baked goods, to look around the 4,000 square foot gift shop for that perfect birthday, anniversary or Christmas gift or to enjoy the Sunday morning buffet.

Macaroni & Cheese (makes a large roaster)

2 1/2 lb macaroni (dry)

1/2 lb butter

1/2 lb margarine

1 3/4 c flour

1 level tsp salt

1 gallon milk

2 1/2 lb shredded cheddar cheese

Cook Macaroni according to directions on package. Drain and set aside. Be sure to not overcook, as it will cook more when in oven. Melt butter and margarine in large sauce pot on your stove top on medium heat. While on heat, slowly whisk in all flour until smooth. Keep heating while gradually whisking in milk. Pour white sauce over cooked macaroni. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake in 375 degree oven. Stir after 45 minutes and then every 15 min until cheese is all melted and bubbling.

Hearty Hamburger Soup

Brown and drain 3 lb 90 percent lean ground beef

Place cooked ground beef in soup kettle and add:

5 c diced potatoes

2 c diced onions

2 c diced celery

2 c diced carrots

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 quarts water

Simmer over low heat for 1 and 1/2 hours stirring occasionally.

Add 6 c frozen corn.

4 c green beans, chopped small

Simmer for 15 more minutes and then add a tomato product of your choice:

Quart of tomato juice or

Quart of marinara sauce or

Quart of diced tomatoes or

My favorite 24 oz Traditional Prego Spaghetti Sauce

After adding the tomato product of your choice, bring to a boil and turn off. If you would like your soup to have more broth rather than a thick soup, add beef broth until you get the consistency desired. Soup is now ready to serve. Variation-Use less potatoes and add broccoli and/or cauliflower.

Swiss Steak

12 (4 oz) cube steaks

2 c flour

3/4 tsp season salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix flour, season salt and pepper in a pie tin or baking pan. Place steak in flour mixture one piece at a time turning and coating well. Place coated cube steak in a hot frying pan or griddle with vegetable oil. After steak is browned, place in a baking dish with the following ingredients.

2 qts hot beef broth (whisk in any flour mixture that is left over)

1 c diced onions

Bake at 350 degrees for 3 or more hours or until steak is tender. The broth will turn into a gravy consistency which you can use over mashed potatoes.

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