Food takes on new heights
Aviation Inn staff experiments with flavors to draw in crowds
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Looking to visit a locally owned, family-friendly restaurant with flavorful twists on classic favorites? Then visit the Duncansville's Aviation Inn, known especially for its New York hot wings, godfather burger and Italian Stromboli.
Owner Allen Butterbaugh, 42, of Altoona, purchased the restaurant in March 2013 to offer satisfying meals for the whole family. After his human services career left him feeling burned out, he decided to pursue his passion: Restaurant ownership and cooking. He learned to cook while at Duquesne University earning a psychology degree. Today, he boosts spirits and feeds appetites through freshly made foods.
A former Altoona Area High School football center who played in the early 1990s, Butterbaugh's creations are amply portioned for a hearty appetite.
"I always wanted to be in the kitchen and cooking," Butterbaugh said. "I wanted to buy it from the first time I came here."
The Aviation Inn originally opened in 1933, adjacent to a private airfield. The private airport closed in the 1950s, but the name remains. Primarily known as a local bar, Butterbaugh has strived to elevate the restaurant to a higher altitude for appetites craving flavor.
"We've been seeing a lot of new faces in here thanks to word-of-mouth from our customers," he said.
Within the first six months, he banned smoking and microwaved food -- replaced with his own recipes "made from scratch."
The menu changes frequently and Butterbaugh, assisted by his staff, continually experiments with different seasonings and food combinations.
Assistant cook Tyler Calvert, 28, lives nearby and decided to join Butterbaugh's team because he liked what he ate while a patron nearly every day. He previously worked at a chain restaurant.
"I wanted to learn to cook with flavor," Tyler said, explaining why he joined Butterbaugh's team. "I wanted to learn and I gave him an extra set of hands."
Calvert said new recipes are a "group effort. We're the test kitchen. It has to pass us first. We try it, make improvements, try it and work on until everyone says to go with it."
Butterbaugh finds his inspiration on TV cooking shows, magazines and eating elsewhere, but his staff and customers suggestions carry the most weight.
"They throw ideas up and we try them. It's collaboration."
One popular appetizer -- Italian hoagie nachos -- features chips created so "they hold up to whatever we put on top of them," Butterbaugh said. "And, we put on them everything you typically find on an Italian sub -- salami, ham, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, fresh basil topped with our own balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The chips stay crunchy 'til the very last one," he said.
Asked how he accomplishes it, he declined to reveal the ingredients in the secret chip recipe.
Other favorites include stuffed hot banana peppers, captain's nachos, rocket fries, J-fries with garlic and parmesan.
In the mood for a salad, the offerings include: Chicken (grilled or fried), shredded steak, buffalo chicken salad (mild or hot) and a hand-cut, 8-ounce steak cooked to order.
Also among the top requested dishes is the Godfather Burger which features a half-pound of ground beef topped with stuffed hot peppers, capicola, provolone and Parmesan cheese on a Kaiser roll topped by a pickle speer.
On Thursdays, the daily special is a deep-fried Stromboli with all the traditional ingredients stuffed inside 6.5 ounces of homemade dough that's deep fried.
"It's similar to a pizza frit," Butterbaugh said. "But it's not greasy."
Wings are another favorite with 13 flavors and a variety of heats -- the most popular is called New York Hot and consists of a special mix of hot sauce, a butter sauce and "lots and lots of garlic. If you like garlic, this is the sauce for you," he said.
"Many times people come in first for the wings and when they come back they try other items on the menu. We make it all from scratch and shave our own beef."
The menu offers daily specials -- Tuesdays are Tex-Mex, for instance. Butterbaugh has also introduced trivia night games, karaoke and even local musicians.
Most of his attention has focused on, "changing the culture and to transition into more of an eating establishment. But we're still the neighborhood tavern," Butterbaugh said.
But you can still find local craft beers, seasonal favorites and aviation-themed specialty drinks like Aviation Fuel (vodka, lemonade and lemon-lime soda).
The aviation theme extends to informal décor where one wall is dominated by an authentic airplane propeller.
The prop is enhanced by a wall mural designed by artist Sarah Jubeck of Altoona. It's the only interior change he's made so far.
"I did it in honor of all the local pilots and veterans," Butterbaugh said.
Staff writer Patt Keith is at 949-7030.