PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Want to dine inside a fairy tale? Visit Hyeholde Restaurant.

William Kryskill built the castle-like retreat for his wife, Clara, on a wooded, 4-acre property in Moon. The couple began serving gourmet food there in 1937 and continued to do so for nearly four decades.

That’s so romantic! It’s no wonder Hyeholde hosts at least 25 weddings annually.

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

If you’re more of a movie lover, here’s a fun fact for you: Hyeholde’s exterior appears in George A. Romero’s “Season of the Witch,” which was first released in 1971 as “Hungry Wives.” Because I believe life imitates art, I devoured a multi-course meal at Hyeholde on Feb. 4 — what would’ve been the director’s 85th birthday.

Known for its rustically elegant ambiance and menu, the restaurant has changed hands several times over the years. Christopher O’Brien is the current owner as well as the executive chef — a position he first accepted in 1997. He left in 2010 to embark on other pursuits, returned to helm the kitchen in 2021 and finally bought the establishment from its long-time steward, the Kryskills’ daughter, Barbara K.S. McKenna, in 2023.

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

O’Brien, who says he enjoys modernizing culinary techniques from bygone eras, like cassoulets and housemade foie gras, loves the place as much as we do. To ensure its legacy continues, he’s investing in the next generation.

In February, Hyeholde announced the Barbara K.S. McKenna Scholarship Fund, which will award $5,000 annually to a promising student in the culinary arts field. Inaugural applications are due by March 27.

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

“Some regulars have been coming here for more than 30 years,” O’Brien says. “It’s a reliable, special and celebratory experience that maintains its historic character, but pushes the envelope on the culinary front, so you’re always experiencing something new.”

In other words, you’ll live happily ever after.

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Insider’s Tip

If you’re a foodie who wants to go behind the scenes of a fancy meal, spring for The Chef’s Table. Introduced on March 29, 1997 (O’Brien has the original menu framed and hanging in his office), the experience is available every night the restaurant is open. As many as eight diners grab a seat inside Hyeholde’s kitchen. My visit started with a welcome cocktail in the lobby, followed by mushroom soup, truffled beet salad, venison carpaccio bruschetta, tagliatelle pasta with shrimp and bay scallops, pork belly, elk striploin, fennel sorbet and a rosemary beignet.

While You’re Here

Located at 1516 Coraopolis Heights Road, Hyeholde’s timeless interior is a feast for the senses — and so are the grounds. The property includes a fruit orchard, apiaries that produce 150 pounds of honey each year and a garden where the chef grows seasonal herbs and vegetables. Hyeholde hosts charming summer picnics (by reservation) that include a chef-prepared basket, cutlery and a blanket set-up for you and your sweetheart. If you only dine out once upon a time, make it a meal to remember forever.