Hidden among the trees of Polymath Park, a row of cedar dining pods offers something increasingly rare: complete seclusion.
At Tree Tops Restaurant in Westmoreland County, guests cross wooden walkways into private, tree house-style dining pods where Champagne, chef-curated meals and forest views replace the usual restaurant hustle. The adults-only experience has become one of the property’s most sought-after attractions.
Located on 130 acres that comprise Polymath Park, 10 custom cedar tree house pods are nestled in the woods outside of the nearby Tree Tops Restaurant — all of the pods offer a unique, full-service dining experience designed to make memories, according to Heather Papinchak, who does most of the cooking.
Her father, Tom Papinchak, designed and built the tree house pods.
“I grew up in an Italian family, so it’s my love language,” Heather Papinchak said of her cooking skills honed after 18 years of operating Tree Tops.
The dining experience is only one part of what draws visitors to Polymath Park.
Tree Tops Restaurant is housed in the former home of the Papinchak family.
Tom Papinchak created Polymath Park in 2007. It offers an architectural haven devoted to blending architecture with nature and hospitality.
Two homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and two designed by Peter Berndtson, an apprentice of Wright, are located on the property. The Wright homes are available for tours and overnight stays.
Hospitality haven
Tree Tops Restaurant and Polymath Park director and daughter Sydney Papinchak-Mucci is the face of the business.
“We get a lot of people celebrating special occasions,” Mucci said. “My parents started everything here, and the main Tree Tops restaurant was originally our family home. That’s where me and my sister grew up.”
In 2020, when the pandemic hit and forced a closure at Tree Tops, Tom Papinchak got to work building the first four pods. Six more have since been added.
Personalized service is the credo and the family has coined a phrase summing up their restaurant mantra — radical hospitality — with an emphasis on making sure customers leave with nothing but positive praise.
“We want to make sure that you’re happy, above happy, and you’re walking away saying ‘wow,’” Heather Papinchak said. “That’s the difference between us and what other people are doing. We’re offering experience-based dining. You shouldn’t be on your phone. You should be enjoying nature in this amazing area that we have here.”
Patrons (adults only) booking tree house pods can choose from a brunch (1½hours, $95 per person served family-style), lunch (1½ hours, $75 per person for a three-course meal), and dinner (2 hours, $150 per person with a four-and-a-half-course meal) options.
Most of the courses are chef’s choice, meaning the guests receive a curated culinary selection of custom dishes showcasing the talents of the culinary team.
Lunch menu highlights have included chicken Florentine, salmon herb de Provence and portabella mushroom ravioli. Dinner entrees have included filet mignon, seafood risotto, Chilean sea bass and grilled vegetable terrine.
Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available, as are vegan choices, for all experiences except brunch.
Reservations are required and can be completed online.
Tree house pod dinner reservations include a glass of Champagne upon arrival and coffee or tea with dessert.
All courses are chef’s choice, except for the entree, which is selected by guests via text message before their dining experience.
During a recent TribLive visit, the appetizer served was smoked baked ricotta with hot honey, tomatoes and basil served with crostini.
“We actually care about your experience. We value that our customers are happy,” Heather Papinchak said.
Server Haley Collins of Somerset said she loves working in nature.
“Customers love being surrounded by all the trees. The deer tend to break through and it’s so cool to be immersed in nature,” Collins said. “The dining here is elevated and it all just comes together.”
Different dining choices
The main dining room at Tree Tops Restaurant is a traditional restaurant. The tree house pods are private and booked separately from the main dining room.
It’s important that guests make sure they’re booking their preferred dining experience when making a reservation.
“When guests are reserving tree house-style dining, they need to make sure they are going through the tree house link. Tree Tops Restaurant is a different reservation and we just want to make sure that’s clear,” said Mucci, 27.
Upon arrival, guests are welcomed and escorted to their assigned tree house pod via a wooden walkway and a server handles everything from there. A personalized, sealed welcome card awaits each party.
Look for animals and take in the sounds of nature and keep an eye out for an owl commonly seen around Tree Tops.
Gentle, soothing acoustic music floats through the woods and each pod offers floor-to-ceiling screened-in views of the surrounding woods. The tree house pods have heaters and blankets when temperatures are chilly.
“Everything is definitely Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired. My dad was the gentleman who saved and relocated both Frank Lloyd Wright houses on the property. Wright was very influenced by Japanese culture and people say they feel a lot of that whenever they’re here,” Mucci said.
“Guests are coming for a tranquil unplugged experience, so it’s for adults only. We don’t have kids’ menus or any accommodations for younger kids,” Mucci said.
Many of the dining guests include tourists from all over the country and international travelers visiting the Wright homes.