A Bottle of Red, A Bottle of Fright

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In April, I had a dilemma, Traveler. I drove back from an incredible road trip to West Virginia that was nearly perfect. While in almost heaven, I was able to check out the legendary Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum as well as the Bigfoot Museum of Sutton. I couldn't visit any ghost towns, but I'll try again when I'm down south once more. But I did get to wander through an abandoned train tunnel!

The only thing that could complete the trip would be a visit to a haunted restaurant. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any within the boundaries of where I was in West Virginia (I saw one in Harper's Ferry that had closed, according to Google.)I didn't find a restaurant in West Virginia. However, I did find one in Cumberland, Maryland, right over the border! We set a course on our return trip for Puccini's.

The Building

Puccini's is a giant farmhouse with stables and outdoor seating. The stables aren't active, Traveler. The stables have now been converted into outdoor restrooms. Inside there are sit-down dining options along with the bar area.

I say this with love, Traveler. Good luck getting a table. I mean that. This restaurant is busy and rightfully so, in my limited experience with it. I stopped by on a Sunday afternoon and the atmosphere felt like a laid-back good time outing with friends, especially when I had my little ghost hunt later.

But, we'll get to that.

The History

There's no better place to open a restaurant in my opinion than a building that was birthed as a restaurant in the first place. A plaque I found on the wall of the building informed me that Colonial Manor, as it is known, was established in 1819 as a tavern. According to Wikipedia, colonial taverns in the U.S. weren't just glorified bars and restaurants, but places where people in town gathered to hammer out important issues of the day. I know from giving tours in Philadelphia that City Tavern played a significant role in the founding father's hammering out details in what would be known as the United States Constitution.

But what about the tavern in Cumberland? According to the Puccini Restaurant website, the building was constructed in 1819 and later served as a Civil War hospital in 1864 following the Battle of Cumberland. That alone was good enough for Dudley and me, but the fact that it was Italian food put the cherry on top!

So while very important to the Battle of Cumberland, history inside Colonial Manor goes back even further while it maintains significance.

But how was the chow?

The Food

I ordered my favorite dish that I've loved since I was a young adventurer: spaghetti and meatballs. Maybe it's because it was the only thing my mom knew how to make when I was growing up, but even though I try to get the most out of my palette now that I'm a traveler myself, I still default back to all that tomato slop whenever I can.

They were excellent! The dish came with a giant side salad which I needed after running through an abandoned mental hospital all night. It was the perfect warm-up to my spaghetti.  The meatballs were made in-house from scratch (I like to think I can just tell, you know?)  They were juicy and soft with no signs of being burned.  

The dining atmosphere was excellent. As with its initial purpose centuries ago, it's obvious that Puccini's is still the gathering spot in Cumberland. Everyone was nice and seemed to be having a great time.

With that, I put down my fork and grabbed my backpack. I needed to answer one more question.

But, Is It Haunted?

I've grown accustomed to just asking the employees off the bat, Traveler. I started all the way back at the Parq Central Hotel in Albuquerque. Provided they have a moment, they're usually happy to give me a quick answer. This time, my server provided me with the following paraphrase:

Apparently, it is, but I haven't seen anything.

This sounds like a job for a mystic adventurer!

I took out my dowsing rods and started asking questions. I only needed to ask three for them to cross and stay that way. But in doing this, I've noticed a pattern. As I was talking to myself and whoever used to sit where I sat now, folks around the bar just stopped their conversations and began to watch.

I'm a riot at parties, Traveler. But my audience didn't have any questions. I closed the gate and paid the bill.

Final Recommendation

Puccini's was incredible. Thank you to the staff and owners for running such a great restaurant with delicious Italian food. If I'm ever back in Cumberland, I will partake again. I haven't eaten anywhere else in Cumberland, but I can honestly say this is my go-to haunted restaurant.

Until again,

Safe Travels

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THE EXIT 13

This Spooky Traveler’s column focuses on haunted locations around the New England area. Victor S. Johnson is an adventurer, tour guide, and published author. His dedicated hobby is traveling through the United States (and soon after, the world), checking out old, reported hauntings and sharing his findings with his audience over on his YouTube channel, Destination Spooky.