Centre County Dining Scene Veterans Partner for New Restaurant at Gamble Mill

Two familiar names in the Centre County dining scene are teaming up to bring a new restaurant to the Gamble Mill in Bellefonte.

Hublersburg Inn owner Andi Heidt and Happy Valley Chef’s Thomas Novosel Jr. are partnering on Grist Woodfired, with a planned opening in late September. It will fill the restaurant space last occupied by Creekside, which closed in September 2025.

“Inspired by the building’s rich history, Grist will be an upscale, casual restaurant featuring scratch-made small plates, woodfired pizzas, seasonal entrées, weekly features, and a full bar,” the Gamble Mill wrote in a social media post.

The new restaurant is a homecoming for Heidt, who previously managed the Gamble Mill before acquiring the Hublersburg Inn in 2007 and transforming it into one of Centre County’s most highly regarded dining destinations.

Novosel, meanwhile, is a veteran chef whose Happy Valley Chef is known for its wood-fired pizzas sold at farmers markets and other venues and its catering services.

Both have a history in Bellefonte and worked together at the Hublersburg Inn. When they both discovered they were interested in the Gamble Mill space, Grist “evolved from that,” Novosel told StateCollege.com

Heidt’s and Novosel’s endeavors also have had a similar focus on local ingredients and menus that update seasonally.

“The style of food [at Grist] is going to be super nice and seasonal,” he said. “Happy Valley Chef has been operating at the farmers markets since 2017, utilizing local farmers markets and the seasonality of our area for the items that I create.”

The name of the new eatery, meanwhile, is a nod to the Gamble Mill’s history as a former gristmill, which dates back to the late 18th century.

“The name ‘Grist’ is from a gristmill, so we’re playing on the history of exactly that — it being a flour mill and the variety of different meanings of ‘grist,’ whether it’s the effort that goes into doing something to having a positive outcome, the flour mill… And with Happy Valley Chef, I’m already operating at the different varieties of farmers markets and Boal City . And that’s really how it came about, too, with the mill, the flour part, the breads and the pizza and just a rich history.”

Novosel plans to continue utilizing his mobile unit for Happy Valley Chef after the opening of Grist Woodfired, which will become a sister restaurant to the Hublersburg Inn.

He added that prior to Grist’s opening, he expects to have soft opening activities like pop-ups in August, “trying some different recipes, community functions.”

At the Gamble Mill Grist Woodfired will join The Republic cocktail bar, The Speakeasy event venue and The Gamble Mill Inn & Suites, all of which were developed by owners Chris and John Virgilio after they acquired the property in 2019 and reopened it in 2021 following renovations.

Novosel said he and Heidt are excited about the opportunity.

“We’re getting in there with our combined experience to make something that’s special for the community to come and enjoy,” he said.