Steve Brown buys Ephrata Main Theatre

The former drummer of the Innocence Mission, Steve Brown, has busy since leaving the band...not just raising children, but with the ownership of Lily's on Main restaurant. And now he and his family have expanded with a new entertainment venture: music, theatre and live music at the recently purchased Ephrata Main Theatre.

For all the details, visit Lancaster Online.



Source: Lancaster Online

Tim Kwiat's Myspace Page

Back in 2004 we posted the following news item:

"Super Genius
Tim Kwiat has recently updated his web site with all of the songs from the 1995 Super Genius release Painting In The Rain. The site also includes many Super Genius photos, videos and stories about each of the songs. The Super Genius lineup included Mike Bitts and Steve Brown. Visit Tim Kwiat's site for all of the Super Genius sounds, videos, and photos. More info about Super Genius is also available in the related projects section of this site."

And now, Tim has a new myspace page. Be sure to check it out here:
http://www.myspace.com/timkwiat

Lancaster in 2007

Here's my own personal music video for "Spinning" which was filmed entirely in Lancaster this past weekend. Available via Vimeo...

I'm back from my first real trip to Lancaster, PA - home of The Innocence Mission. I had a blast. My wife and I saw "the Police" perform in Hershey (waited an hour and a half to get out of the parking lot jam). I thought it was an amazing show. We also visited Hershey Park (which I highly recommend) and took in the Lancaster countryside. Be sure to stay away from Rt. 30 East on a summer weekend as it's traffic jam central. The commercialism over the Amish isn't necessarily a suprise, but it's a bit more overwhelming than I expected. It's a bit distressing actually.

Did you know that Lancaster also has a baseball team? The Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League got slaughtered last night, but they kept it close most of the game despite the one bad inning. I learned that Virginians like myself are a bit more vocal for the hometeam than the typical Lancaster folk.

We also took in a visit to Lily's on Main to experience the reason why Steve Brown left the band. Let me tell you, Steve is just as good as a chef and owner than he is a drummer, and that's not a knock on his drumming either. He runs a fantastic restaurant and it's well worth the 20-30 minute drive from Lancaster.

If there's good news to report, it's that despite Steve's extremely busy schedule..he's willing to perform with the band on a future album. That bit of information made the trip all the more exciting.

Steve Brown news

Steve Brown has recently become the owner of Lily's on Main, a restaurant in Ephrata, PA. He has been the head chef since 1998.

Stephen Brown buys Lily's on Main

Intelligencer Journal
June 20, 2006
By Patrick Burns


"The collection of top-rated restaurants owned by The Keares Restaurant Group just got a bit smaller.

Longtime Lily's on Main chef Stephen D. Brown this month signed a purchase agreement with the Keares family, adding owner to his manager title.

Lily's is located in the Brossman Business Complex, 124 E. Main St., Ephrata. Details of the deal were not disclosed.

"It's been my dream to own a restaurant since I was a kid," said Brown, a 1982 graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School.

While it may have been a dream of Brown's, business ownership didn't dominate his life immediately after high school. Brown is a highly skilled chef but has no formal training. He spent many years recording, touring and playing drums in the Lancaster-based band Innocence Mission.

"I learned the business in the school of hard knocks," Brown said.

After beginning his culinary career as a 17-year-old assistant manager at the former Gino's restaurant on Lititz Pike, Brown honed his skills at Miller's Smorgasbord, J-M Bistro and the Log Cabin Inn Restaurant.

While working at the former J-M Bistro on James Street, Brown had an arrangement with bistro owner Jean-Maurice Juge who allowed him to tour, record and cook. But Brown left the band and devoted his time exclusively to running the business when Lily's was established, Brown said.

Lily's originally opened in 1994 as Checkers but changed the name to Lily's in 1998 when Brown arrived.

"Lily is actually the name of my 9-year-old daughter," Brown said.

During his time spent touring with Innocence Mission opening for high-profile acts such as Don Henley, and Natalie Merchant Brown got an education on the inventive food styles he incorporates at Lily's.

"I've toured the country about 15 times with Innocence Mission," Brown said. "I went to restaurants everywhere I could, picking up recipe ideas in Seattle, New York, Los Angeles Boston and New Orleans."

It was in New Orleans, where Innocence Mission stayed for three months in 1995, that Brown developed the idea for Lily's signature dish -- grilled meatloaf. The ground beef, pork, veal and mushroom dish is stacked high with two thick meatloaf slices served with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted onion-tomato gravy.

"The dish is supposed to replicate the Brossman building, the tallest in Ephrata," Brown said.

The 90-seat restaurant, including 10 seats at the full-service bar, has a sophistication to it that food critics say resembles upscale establishments in Philadelphia and New York.

The building also houses the Ephrata Main movie theater, which the Denver and Ephrata Telephone Co. purchased and restored in 1990. D&E made the downtown building sparkle, even adding gold-plated elevators, and a waterfall behind the two-flight brass and glass stairway that leads to Lily's.

"It's our mini-Trump Towers, Brown said.

Brown is now the official owner of Lily's, but it's always been his show.

Harry Keares gave him free reign, from the menu, presentation and even the art-deco decor (courtesy of Zap & Co. on North Queen Street in Lancaster).

Still, Brown is quick to praise those who gave him opportunities in the local restaurant industry.

"I owe so much to Harry (Keares) and Charles DiSantis, owner of The Log Cabin, and its executive manager Robert Fenninger. They taught me structure," Brown said.

Describing Lily's cuisine, Brown's wife Karen coined the tagline "American fare with flair."

The favorites on the menu include raspberry chicken with Brie and almonds, macaroni and cheese with lobster, and horseradish-crusted Atlantic salmon.

You can also dine on lighter fare, such as a panini sandwich or Lily's special salad with fresh greens and vegetables.

The Keares Group continues to operate three Doc Holiday's restaurants, Gibraltar, Lily's on James and Bubba & Louie's in Hanover."