Eating Lunch with Alfred Hitchcock

Every year around this time, my sister and I take a beautiful drive into the Shenandoah mountains to meet our aunt in the charming town of Strasburg for her birthday lunch. Jackie Kennedy used to come here to explore the antique shops…something we planned to do after our lunch.

In past years we have eaten at the Victorian Strasburg Hotel, but this year my aunt wanted to try a new place that had just opened. She couldn’t remember the name of it, but said to look for the mannequins in the window. My sister, who was driving slowly down the street, said “Do you see any mannequins?” and I replied, “No, just a couple of old people at a window table”, and sure enough, that was the place. The “old couple” are supposed to be Alfred Hitchcock and his mistress, according to our friendly waitress.

The name of the restaurant is Frankie’s Rt. 11 Rathskeller, but it isn’t German in any way, shape, or form. In fact, for Strasburg, it’s downright contemporary in décor, with a nice wine list and a good selection of salads and sandwiches for lunch, and several interesting entrees on the dinner menu. I had a really good chicken club sandwich, while my sister and aunt tried the chicken salad and a salad with chicken tenders. The highlight of my aunt’s birthday meal, was by far, the homemade chocolate pie with whipped cream. I barely managed to grab a shot of it before she ate the last bite! The menu is full of comfort food standards, with most dinner entrees under $15 and lunches in the $5-7 range.

They don’t have a website yet, but just drive down W. King Street and look for the old people at the window table.