Sunday, March 01, 2009
Hidden Italian gem
Our friends the Youngs let us know about an Italian restaurant called La Campagna just east of Quakertown and Richlandtown in Upper Bucks County. They say it's a family-run operation, with the proprietor acting as manager and chef, mother "Nonna" making fresh pasta and other family members waiting tables. Check out the website for more. And the two reviews to date are stellar. It's BYO. And I have a nice bottle of Sangiovese in the wine rack. Mmmm.
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7 comments:
This used to be my regular lunch spot when I worked in Quakertown. Our Italian office manager would only order her pizza from here. It's a solid Italian spot, though I don't know if its worth the trip out to Q-Town. You will find the same family atmosphere at Penn Pizza, a little better quality at Mama Nina's, and this place doesn't hold a candle Sette Luna. When are you going to make your way to Bolete? http://www.boleterestaurant.com/
I haven't been there yet and I want someone else to take the plunge before I spend the money
Hey there - if you're open to suggestions, I'd like to recommend the Widow's Inn and Tavern in Stockertown. Used to be an old Widow Brown's location back in the day. Went there Friday night for dinner and had a very good meal. Very pleased. Will go back again. Would be interested to hear what you think of it. And if your offer from the other night to dine together and write a he said/she said review post still stands, I'm game!
Hey, Robin. Thanks for the counsel on La Campagna. If we go, it will be with friends, which always makes the drive worthwhile. Re Bolete -- I've been twice: once for dinner and once for appetizers with a client. The dinner was spectacular. I had s smoked boar tenderloin, I think, which they smoked on the premises. The appetizers -- especially the carpaccio with quail egg -- were amazing. I tend not to review too many high-end restaurants here, and Bolete would certainly qualify. Overall, I thought it was worth the money. Original, creative dishes with mostly local ingredients.
LV Girl -- we have a date. Let's pick the location off-line. It will be the first ever co-blogger experience on Beyond Scrapple. The excitement is palpable here.
Just got back from La Campagna -- lived right around the corner for two years, thought they were closed.
Nope!
Food was *incredible*. I'm not a huge fan of Italian food; usually, it's a middling meal, rarely bad, but rarely great.
Here? It's elevated. Complex flavors mixed together in food lovingly prepared. Rosemary in the chicken parm? Sage in the saltimbocca? Lovely stuff.
-- Chuck
A friend and I enjoyed La, Campagna, last saturday, thanks to hearing about it on beyond. It was exactly 15 and 1/2 miles from the heart of downtown bethlehem. We were both very impressed, and enjoyed the nice ride thru the country. The wait staff was as plesant as can be, and the food, wonderful. Most dishes are served in two sizes, so, alot of price- points to choose from. We enjoyed the chicken saltambuca, served over home made gnochi, instead of the dish pasta, and i think, the Il Forno, parpadelle style pasta, assured fresh, home-made, pasta, with a veal/spinach sauce. We split the calimari app, good, but nothing special.
I second lehigh valley girl on the Widow's Tavern reccomendation. I visited one nite, just to see a friend's band, and had a bite. Very different menu, with plenty of choices. We were uncomfortable in the dining area, big wood booth's, not very comfy, but each was large enough for a party of, maybe, 8-10.
Recently, due the minsi trail bridge detour, I have been driving thru freemansburg, and discovered a new, small, take-out only, spanish food place, I believe it is called El Rincon. VERY small, the smallest restaurant in the valley, if not the state. Maybe the u.s.a. Really, it is that small. I take home generous portions of traditional roast pork, chicken, rice and beans, pastillios, all for under 15$ for two, and we have left-over's. If I have one complaint, so far, it is that the food is not seasoned/spicy enough, but nothing that a bottle of hot sauce can't fix.
Off-Topic: One of my other favorite, almost-new restaurants, is a chain restaurant. Non-ethnic, unless you were Poseidon,or Neptune, called the bonefish grill, at the lehigh valley mall.I have no friends that work there, or shares of osi stock, but have been happy, several times a week, here. Their portions are fair, tuna way fresher than most sushi places in the valley, and prices resonable, especially if you go to eat, and not drink alot. Love it, and your website. Thanks.
Thanks for your detailed comments, anon. Isn't El Ricon more of a Portuguese place? Perhaps I have it confused. And while I stay away from chains, I have heard good things about Bonefish Grill from others who know food. May have to bend the rules a bit.
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