Bucks County Taste » Pineville

Best wings in (Upper) Bucks

Lynne Goldman — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:06:55 +0000

Catch this article in last week’s Bucks County Herald about the best wings in Bucks County. Talk about professional jealousy! I admit it!! Granted, wings are, how shall I put it…a specialty all in themselves. Just read their descriptions of what makes a great wing. These guys are pros. My jealousy is mixed with awe.

I can’t vouch for all these places, but I’m certainly filing the piece for future reference. I’ll give you some excerpts from the ViperClub’s annual review of the hot wings to be found in their “beloved Upper Bucks County,” along with the list of the “top ten.”

(Note: I like to excerpt pieces from the Herald not only to support local journalism, but also because the Herald only archives two weeks of their issues online. The content will “disappear” from the Web soon, so this way we “save” it.)

Jack Scott and Brent Gobrecht, the two founding members of the ViperClub, take the responsibility upon themselves to inconspicuously frequent local establishments and rate them on the quality of their hot wings. Their rating criteria consist of a point system that critiques everything from the quality of the chicken, how it’s prepared and presented, the amount of “heat,” the flavor of the sauce – to even the value and price of the plate of wings.

“The sauce should have some heat,” says Brent. “Your lips should feel the spice for a few minutes after you’ve finished. They should wake you up a bit not just with the heat, but flavor too… The wing itself should be moist on the inside with a gentle crispiness to the outside.”

With so many establishments, it is a wonder how these two can try them all. “Well, we don’t go to places that don’t have a bar,” explains Jack. “There are really good local pizza places that make amazing wings, but there are simply too many. It would be impossible to hit every one. We needed to draw a line somewhere so having a bar is mandatory. In fact, we had to limit our geography from all of Bucks County to Upper Bucks, which is where we think the best wings can be found.”

“It was really hard this year” adds Jack. “Our points were all over the place and Brent and I didn’t agree at places where we usually do. We both agreed that places like McCoole’s in Quakertown (who are consistently in the top 10) should be up in the ‘Big Four,’ but I thought they could be the best of ’09 and Brent likes the new places, like The OBR.”

There is no doubt the economy has had an impact on everyone and price has become more of an issue this year as well. “You see?” Brent points out “The Heart of the Oak Pub has amazing wings, but who wants to pay $7 or $8 or even $9 for five or six wings? Wings are a blue collar food. You can fancy them up all you want, but I don’t think people want to spend that much.”

All of these places make some extraordinary wings and all of them are neat places to visit. Check them out and talk to the owners. They all have a story. Get out there and experience Upper Bucks County. Who knows? You might run into Jack and Brent.”

ViperClub’s Hot Wings Winners

Big Daddy’s Wagon Wheel Tavern (Quakertown)
McCoole’s Red Lion Inn (Quakertown)
Old Bethlehem Road Pub (Haycock)
Pineville Tavern (Pineville)
Heart of the Oak Pub (Buckingham)
Hart’s Tavern (Lahaska)
Fran’s Pub (New Hope)
The Farmhouse Tavern (Doylestown)
Gardenville Hotel (Gardenville)
Isaac Newton’s Pub (Newtown)

'Tis the Season

Lynne Goldman — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:26:50 +0000

Nope, not talking about Christmas. Throughout Bucks County, May and June will be filled with the opening of seasonal farm markets. Here’s our rundown.

Weekly markets:

Springtown: Wednesdays from 3 to 6 pm, Springtown Firehouse, 1030 Main Street/Route 212 (begins May 6th)
New Hope: Thursdays from 3:30 to 7 pm, New Hope-Solebury High School, 180 W. Bridge Street (begins May 7th)
Lower Makefield: Thursdays from 3:30 to 6:30 pm, Edgewood & Heacock Rds (begins June 4th)
Linden Hill: Fridays from 3:30 to 7:30 pm, Linden Hill Gardens, 8230 Easton Rd in Ottsville (begins May 29th)
Wrightstown: Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm, 2203 Second St Pike (near the township bldg.) (begins May 23rd)
Doylestown: Saturdays from 7 am to 12 pm, W. State & Hamilton Streets (already in full swing!)
Plumsteadville Grange Market: Saturdays from 9 am to 12 pm, Route 611, just north of Stump Rd (begins June 6th)

Check our calendar for more details and directions.

Here’s a listing of year-round markets, roadside and “pick your own” farms that you might want to check out. This is not a comprehensive list. I “cherry-picked” (no pun intended!) ones opening in May/June. Please see the Penn State Cooperative Extension, Bucks County for more information.

Active Acres Farm: Specialty plants, bedding plants, perennials, hanging baskets, hay & straw, strawberries, peaches, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, melons, onions, cornstalks, ornamental corn, mums, gourds, rides to the pumpkin patch*, barnyard animals, educational school tours, Sleepy Hollow Haunted Hayride. *Pick-your-own: May-October Every day
881 Highland Road, Newtown 18940
215-968-2192

Bechdolts Orchard, Inc.: Peaches, pears, apples, plums, nectarines, tomatoes, peppers.
2209 Leithsville Rd/Route 412, Hellertown 18055
610-838-8522
Spring & fall hours – 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Summer hours – 9:00 am-6:00 pm

Bolton’s Farm Market: Turkey: parts, sausage, ground, cutlets; chickens, beef, berries, sweet corn, cantaloupes, tomatoes, peaches, other fruits and vegetables, milk in glass bottles. No hormones or drugs used on animal products. Phone orders taken.
Route 113, Silverdale 18962
215-257-6047
Market: Year round, Monday – Saturday.

Brumbaugh’s Farm: Strawberries*, raspberries, peas*, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans, herbs, lettuce, melons, cucumbers, cut flowers, asparagus, mums, pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, hanging baskets, bedding plants, Christmas wreaths. *Pick-your-own
2575 County Line Road, Telford 18969
215-723-3508
Market: April – December, Monday-Saturday

Carousel Farm Lavender: Lavender plants, flowers, Lavender products-soaps, candles, creams, essential oils. Organic.
5966 Mechanicsville Road, Mechanicsville 18934
917-837-6903
Open from May to December; call for hours

Center Farm: Strawberries* (June), Seasonal Vegetables, Flowers*, Fall Field Pumpkin Picking, Gourds, etc. Daily *Pick-your-own
2224 Forest Grove Road, Furlong 18925
215-794-7702
June-November 10:00 am-7:00 pm

Charlann Farm: Asparagus, peas, beets, cabbage, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, cantaloupes, eggplant, string beans, zucchini, vegetable plants, Hanging Baskets, bedding plants, straw, Indian corn, pumpkins, gourds. Christmas trees, wreaths. Also at Lower Makefield Farmers’ Market.
586 Stonyhill Road, Yardley 19067
215-493-1831
Market: May 1-October 31, every day, 9 am- 6:00 pm
Thursdays: Lower Makefield Township Farmers’ Market

Ely Farm Products, Inc.: Pork, beef, poultry, veal, processed meats (bacon, sausage, ham, kielbasa, dried beef, jerky, etc.) Holiday turkeys – all natural, deer processing, pig roasts, raw honey, all natural eggs, European-style Artisan cheeses.
401 Woodhill Road, Newtown 18940 (Washington Crossing)
215-860-0669
Market: Open all year; Thursday, Friday – 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday – 9 am to 2 pm

Hellerick’s Family Farm: Strawberries*, pumpkins*, gourds*, cut flowers*, Pumpkin Festival, straw bales, corn shocks, Indian corn, pie pumpkins, winter squash, fall decorating supplies, apples, dried gourds for crafting. FAMILY FUN, Straw Maze, Jungle Trail Maze, Hayrides – Saturday & Sunday. School tours, 5 acre corn maze, Old Fashioned Fun Area, Birthday parties, Corporate parties. *Pick-your-own
5500 Easton Rd., On Rt. 611, six miles north of 202, Doylestown 18902
215-766-8388
Market: May, June & October, every day

Fairview Farm: Farm fresh milk in glass bottles. Our own tree ripened peaches & plums, organic eggs. Strawberries, sweet corn, tomatoes, apples, peas*, other seasonal vegetables. Fresh turkeys for Thanksgiving. * Pick-your-own
831 Pineville Road, Pineville 18946
215-598-3257
Market: Monday – Saturday, Call for hours

Lapinski Farm: Strawberries, raspberries, corn, snow peas, pumpkins, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes, cantaloupes, beans, onions, peppers, peaches, plums, watermelons, red beets, hull peas, Indian corn, potatoes.
1003 Middle Road, Dublin 18917
215-249-3431
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday – 1:00 -7:00 pm
Saturday – 8:00 am- 4:00 pm; Wednesday & Sunday – closed.
Plumsteadville Farmers Market – 9:00 am – 12:00 noon on Saturdays

Lilies & Lavender: Cut flowers & herbs, culinary herbs in pots.
729 Limekiln Road, Doylestown 18901
215-345-7282
Sell at the following: Doylestown Farmers’ Market, Emmaus Farmers’ Market, New Hope Farmers’ Market, Wrightstown Farmers’ Market, Middletown Farmers’ Market. Farm stand is serve yourself.

Maximuck’s Farm Market: Their own bird feed along with produce, plants, flowers, hanging baskets, hormone free frozen beef, crafts, holiday and seasonal merchandise, glass bottled milk, year round hydroponic lettuce, pumpkins.
5793 Long Lane Road , Doylestown 18902
215-297-9894
Market: Open Year Round, Tuesday-Sunday

Milk House Farm Market: Eggs, honey, hay & straw-year round. Seasonal – sweet corn, wide variety of fresh vegetables, tomatoes, pumpkins, cut flowers. Eggs are free from antibiotics, hormones, steroids. Hens are cage free. Also at Wrightstown Farmers’ Market (Saturday) and Linden Hill Farmers’ Market (Friday afternoons).
1118 Slack Road, Newtown 18940 (Washington Crossing)
215-852-4305
Open sun-up to sun-down all year.

None Such Farm Market: Their own farm raised beef, sweet corn, tomatoes, strawberries*, asparagus, other vegetables, melons, dairy, squash, bedding flowers, pumpkins*, bakery, meat shop, full service deli featuring Boars Head meats & cheeses. New flower department. *Pick-your-own
4458 York Road 1/4 mi. S. of Rte. 413, Buckingham 18912
215-794-5201
Market open year round, every day, 8:00 am – 6:30 pm

Peace Valley Lavender Farm: Lavender plants, lavender flowers*, lavender sachets & pillows, lavender bath & body items, dried lavender and more. * Pick-your-own. # Organic
802 New Galena Road, Doylestown 18901
215-249-8462
Gift Shop: year round Thursday-Saturday-10:00 am-5:00 pm
Sunday-12:00 noon-5:00 pm

Penn View Farm: Milk – pasteurized, non-fat, 2% & whole milk, frozen beef, local ice cream, seasonal produce, bulk foods.
1433 Broad St. At Broad & Middle Rd., south of Rt. 313 (South of Dublin), Perkasie 18944
215-249-9128 (market), 215-249-3395 (farm)
Market: Year round, Monday-Saturday

Rick’s Egg Farm: Antibiotic & hormone-free eggs from our own free-nesting uncaged hens, butter, cheese, meats, rhubarb, strawberries, honey, potatoes, maple syrup, “Bottled milk produced without the use of rbST”, in-season fruits & vegetables, pumpkins & gourds. Kitchen Kettle jams & relishes. Nelson’s Dutch Farms ice cream, home baked goods. Homestead’s #Organic, Fair Trade Coffee.
4917 Durham Road (Route 412), Kintnersville 18930
610-847-5322
Market: January – December, Monday – Saturday, 8 am – 6 pm, Sunday, 8 am – 2 pm

Shady Brook Farm & Agway: Bedding plants, apples*, blackberries*, strawberries*, peaches*, raspberries*, flowers, fresh summer & fall produce-Year round Farm Market & Garden Center, school tours, fall activities include: pumpkins* & haunted activities, Holiday light show, Rose Bank Winery kiosk, bakery & hormone free milk in glass bottles, ice cream & deli. *Pick-your-own
931 Stony Hill Road Off Rt. 332 at I-95, Yardley 19067
215-968-1670
Market: Monday – Saturday, 7:00 am – 7:00 pm, Sunday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Solly’s Farm Market: Strawberries*, pumpkins*, tomatoes*, beans*, peas*, peaches*, raspberries*, sweet corn, apples, lopes, squash, cucumbers, Indian corn, gourds, straw, mums, broccoli, beets, eggplant, hot peppers, bedding plants, Christmas trees, wreaths, jams, baked goods, school tours, hayrides. *Pick-your-own
707 Almshouse Road, Ivyland 18974
215-357-2850
Market: May 1 – December 24

Styer Orchard, Inc.: Strawberries*, cherries*, peaches*, apples*, pears*, plums*, grapes*, pumpkins*, winter squash, summer vegetables*, sweet corn*, gourds, fall items, straw, blackberries*, nectarines, apricots, school tours, hayrides. * Pick-your-own
97 Styers Lane, Langhorne 19047
215-702-9633
Market: Open from late May to January; Call for hours & availability

Tabora Farm & Orchard: *Apples, *strawberries, *vegetables. From-scratch Bakery & Deli. Country store. Seasonal Festivals. * Pick-your-own. Also at Linden Hill Farmers’ Market.
1104 Upper Stump Road, Chalfont 18914
215-249-3016
Open 7 days a week., 9:30 am-7:00 pm

Tall Pine Farms: Fruit & vegetables including but not limited to: Apples, bamboo stakes, beans, beets, brambles, broccoli raab, carrots, cherries, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, gourds, green herbs, okra, onions, peaches, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, summer & winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, tomatilloes, turnips, sunflowers & other specialty items.
1046 Swamp Road, Rushland 18956
Market: Open April-November
Check our website for times & availability or find us at local Farmers’ Markets in Doylestown, Jenkintown, Lower Makefield, New Hope, Springtown, & Wrightstown

Tanner Brothers: Dairy products, ice cream, fruits, vegetables, baked goods.
1070 Hatboro Road, Ivyland 18974
215-357-1716
Market: Year round, every day

Trauger’s Farm Market: Strawberries*, peas*, (shelling available), string & lima beans*, tomatoes*, blackberries*, raspberries*, sweet corn, asparagus, rhubarb, peppers, summer & winter squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, cut flowers, pumpkins, fruit & gift baskets, Christmas trees & wreaths. *Pick-your-own: June-September. Phone orders for freezing.
Rt. 611, 2 miles south of Riegelsville, Kintnersville 18930
610-847-5702
Market: Open year round
Also at Doylestown Farmers Market, Linden Hill Farmers Market, Plumsteadville Grange Farmers Market, Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market

Jacob & Jayne Wildemore: Apples*, strawberries*, blueberries*, lettuce, beans, herbs, peas*, summer & winter squash, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic. *Pick-your-own Phone orders.
977 Upper Stump Rd. At Upper Church & Lower Stump Roads, Chalfont 18914
215-249-3683
Market: April-November, Monday-Saturday
Doylestown Farmers’ Market

Bars We Like – Part 1

Mark Feffer — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:22:34 +0000

If your sole purpose is to get loose, you can do that cheaper by drinking at home. That’s why I like a good bar more than I like a good drink. Good bars are a mix of good people, good food, reasonable prices, reasonable sound level and a community comfortable enough with itself to invite newcomers in. Only once you’ve found all of these does the variety of bourbon matter, or the brands of beer on tap, or the crispness of the martini. I’ve been to many bars that I wouldn’t call “good” even though they had an impressive collection of bourbon.

Here’s our checklist:

Good people: This includes both staff and customers. We like bartenders who don’t stare at us like we’re crazy when we introduce ourselves, and fellow-customers who’ll chortle at our jokes and don’t mind us adding two cents to any semi-public chat they’re having about, say, Phillies pitching.
Good food: We like to eat at the bar. If an establishment doesn’t allow that, it’s off our list. But obviously you want to eat good food. Price doesn’t matter here - a good bar can be a neighborhood burger place as easily as an expensive steakhouse.
Reasonable prices: To us, “reasonable” is relative. Bell’s Tavern in Lambertville is reasonably priced, though the cost of dinner there is noticeably less than dinner at Marsha Brown’s in New Hope. Both are great restaurants. They’re just different experiences, and we think the price of each is reasonable.
Reasonable sound level: Lynne and I like to talk when we eat. We talk with each other, we talk with the bartender, we talk with other customers. The proprietors of good bars realize their places are about conversation.
Easygoing community: We’ve met some really nice people just by sitting at the bar and being drawn into the conversation around us. In some places, you can lean over to ask your neighbor what she’s eating for dinner and she won’t shift her stool a foot away from you. Or, the couple across the way can suggest the night’s special when they see you’re in a decision-making crisis over the menu. The real test comes the second or third time you visit, when you begin to recognize others, and they begin to recognize you. The holy grail, of course, is when the bartender serves your drink without your having to order it. (Really good bartenders can sense when you might be in a different mood, and so will wait for your choice rather than assume this is a night for “the usual.”)

Finally comes the bourbon selection. This is where it gets personal, I know, so substitute your own preferred libation here. For me, I like a bar that appreciates bourbon enough to have Maker’s Mark as its basic brand and then two or three others that rise through the scale: Woodford Reserve, Baker’s, Knob Creek, Booker’s.

With all that said, we begin an occasional series listing (in no particular order) some of our favorite bars in the area. Be sure to send us your own ideas. We need more places to visit.

Pineville Tavern: We’ve written a lot about the Pineville Tavern, which has become our regular hangout because it possesses all of the characteristics of a good bar and has the added advantage of being close to home. It’s warm. Everyone – staff and customers – seem to be in a good mood. There’s a buzz of people enjoying themselves. The food is good, Maker’s Mark is handy.

Bowman’s Tavern, just south of New Hope on River Road, has a friendly, easy-going vibe, good food, and bartenders with a knack for chatting about pretty much anything. We had a wonderful conversation with a couple sitting next to us the last time we were there, comparing notes about restaurants on both sides of the river. The weinerschnitzel, which was recommended to us by the Pineville Tavern’s Drew Abruzzese, was outstanding – tender and lightly fried. The ribeye steak was perfectly cooked, perfect brushed with home-made barbecue sauce.

The bar at Anton’s at the Swan in Lambertville is warm, friendly with a good bar menu that makes eating there a simple decision. Choices include burgers ($10), a sundried tomato pizza ($9), strip steak ($21), and pork chop with garlic mashed potatoes ($16).

Bell’s Tavern, on North Union Street in Lambertville, is tough to beat. Wonderful food, good prices, bartenders who are not above tweaking us about remaining carb-free in the face of their excellent Italian bread. (Okay, so I opened myself up to it when I ordered the bread pudding, which is worth the trip in and of itself.)

More coming soon. In the meantime, if you’ve got a favorite place of your own, tell us about it.

Update: Check out the next installment, Bars We Like – Part Two.

The Pineville Tavern: The Right Recipe

Lynne Goldman — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:31:40 +0000

When you walk into the Pineville Tavern , a couple of things hit you right off the bat. It’s warm. Everyone – staff and customers – seem to be in a good mood. There’s a buzz of people enjoying themselves. And it feels like it’s been this way forever.

In fact, the Pineville Tavern has been around since 1742 (see its Web site for more history). It sits at the intersection of Route 413, and Pineville and Township Line Roads, straddling two townships, Buckingham and Wrightstown, in central Bucks County.

Like a lot of good things, what seems natural and effortless has a lot of intention and hard work behind it. As regulars at the Pineville, or PVT, we were curious as to how the staff was doing it and what got them there.

To find that out, you have to go to Andrew Abruzzese, owner of the PVT for the last twenty years. It was our pleasure – Andrew is a wonderful storyteller – to sit down with him and his son, Drew Abruzzese to talk about their history and their future.

“Cooking has always been a passion of mine,” says Andrew, almost as soon as we start. It began when he was a young boy, helping out in the kitchens of his grandmother and aunts, and at neighborhood events in the Italian section of Baltimore, where his mother was from, and then South Philly, his father’s childhood home. Both families’ roots go deep into Italy, his mother’s from Naples, his father’s from the mountains of Abruzzi.

His father’s father was a chef, his aunt was a chef, his father a “natural” cook. On his mother’s side of the family, his aunts catered and sold baked goods. You get the picture. Andrew comes from food.

But he was also inquisitive. He spent a lot of time hanging at everyone’s elbows to learn all he could about cooking. “I knew I could get anything out of any cook if I helped clean up,” he says. “I became an expert at cleaning up.”

That passion continued into his marriage in 1976, when Andrew became the “one who cooked dinner,” and then after the kids came along (Drew, then Phillip), entertaining for friends and family.

It wasn’t until 1988 this love of cooking and entertaining took shape in the form of a restaurant. And it almost didn’t happen. Originally, Andrew’s plan was for a family-style restaurant, designed with help from his friend Jim Hamilton (of the Hamilton Grill in Lambertville) in a property further south on 413. The deal fell through, and while sitting at the bar of the Pineville Tavern, crying in his beer so to speak, an idea was born. Joe Turner, then owner of the PVT, said, “Why don’t you buy this place?”

It turned out Turner had a sale lined up that had also fallen through. Andrew approached his accountant, who not only gave his blessing but became a partner. Roger Bonner, an up-and-coming chef Andrew had recruited from the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia, came on board. Jim Hamilton helped design an expansion of the dining room, and the Pineville started a new chapter in its history.

As we sat and talked, Andrew’s and Drew’s philosophy became clear. “To me the recipe was simple,” Andrew says. “There are four things you need for a successful restaurant. Good food, served by really nice people, in a comfortable atmosphere, for a fair price. Those four things will get you through good and bad economies.” Woven through all four criteria: consistency.

Andrew & Drew Abruzzese

Consistency. Drew, Andrew’s 25-year-old son, has been working full time at PVT for the past three years, but he also spent most of his childhood working every corner in the restaurant. He inherited his father’s passion for food, and his eye for consistency. As soon as we settled in at a table, Drew started scanning the room. Was the lighting right for lunch? The music level? He joked about what his father would notice when he joined us. How about the picture light on his great-grandfather’s portrait on the wall behind our table? Would Dad notice it wasn’t on? (It turned out Andrew first noticed the music, which Drew had turned down so we could record the interview.)

That’s the level of detail with which the Pineville Tavern is run. When Andrew first bought the business, he and his wife, MaryLou, had a paint contracting business (which they still run today). Not knowing how things were done in the restaurant industry at the time, Andrew was shocked at the lack of consistency.

“When we ordered french fries sometimes, I would taste them and they would be different,” Andrew recounts. “So, I’d ask Roger, ‘What happened?’” “Oh, they substituted a different brand,” he’d reply. The food supplier said such substitutions were common.

“Not in my restaurant,” was Andrew’s response. “I don’t care if they’re cheaper, if you can’t provide me with what I ordered then I’ll find somebody else.”

Fair prices. Here again Andrew bucked the industry standards. At the time, the prevalent pricing model was to take food cost, add overhead, and triple it to get the customer’s price. But the food ended up costing too much, Andrew felt. “I decided to take the cost of the meat, and triple it.”

He also got a lot of advice, much of it not very good. “One man said, ‘If it’s too cheap, people are going to think it’s not good.’ I thought about that for about three seconds and said, ‘If it’s good…it’s good. What are you talking about?’” he exclaims. “It’s cheap, and it’s good. And that’s kind of our mantra, still to this day.”

Drew concurs. A few years ago when the economy was high, and Bucks County was buzzing along, he pressured his father to raise prices. But Andrew resisted. He knew what was fair, says Drew, and knew the bubble was going to burst. Besides, raising prices went against his business model. “When people start telling me, ‘Andrew, it’s too cheap. You could get two dollars more for everything in your restaurant,’ I say, ‘Good. That’s the way I like it.’”

Now, Andrew says, when other restaurateurs call him to commiserate over the slow economy, and they ask him about business, he is embarrassed. “We’re doing fine,” says Andrew, grateful he’s stuck to his philosophy - and that customers have stayed loyal.

Service by really nice people. In a previous post, we mentioned the Pineville is one of those places where they know your name, and what you drink. For example, there’s the bartender Sue, there for seventeen years and dearly loved by staff and customers. There’s Roger Bonner, the chef, who started out with Andrew twenty years ago. There’s Dan Yingling, the restaurant manager. And all the wait staff, bar staff and hosts who are “like family.” It shows in how customers are treated.

A comfortable atmosphere. Sitting in the Pineville, you’d think the dining room hasn’t changed for a hundred years. To the contrary, a lot of work has gone into creating the atmosphere, but not in the way of today’s corporate restaurants. Many of the pictures on the wall came from one morning’s foray through the Golden Nugget flea market in Lambertville.

Rather than “clean up” the back dining room with it’s ancient cooking fireplace, Jim Hamilton kept it. The walls were treated specially, not white-washed, to give the look of years of soot and cigarette smoke. And the blackboard, with its specials changing daily, has been a mainstay of the PVT since Andrew took it over in 1989.

If you’ve been to the Pineville recently you’ll have noticed the construction going on at the back of the property. A major expansion is underway. First the parking lot will be expanded, adding twenty-five more spaces for a total of seventy plus (a storm water control system must first be installed). Another dining room, seating thirty-two, will be added out back, on the other side of the fireplace, with a six-seat bar and a rear entrance. The kitchen will be rebuilt and a take-out store will be added, as well.

Good food. If you’ve eaten at the Pineville, we don’t have to tell you the food is good and consistent. The menu is varied, and the blackboard specials supplement it. The homemade ravioli are fresh, soft and slightly chewy, with a light marinara sauce (all those hours cooking with his Italian aunts obviously paid off for Andrew). Order a hamburger medium-rare, and it arrives medium-rare, a detail many restaurants don’t bother with.

Whenever possible, the Pineville buys local vegetables. And why not? With so many local farms nearby, it’s a crime not to. Come in during the summer and early autumn to the PVT for a special called, “Freddy’s Tomatoes.” It’s made from Slack Farm tomatoes, grown by Freddy Slack, a few miles down the road in Forest Grove. The deep red tomatoes are sprinkled liberally with blue cheese and red onions with a light oil and vinegar dressing. And asparagus season is almost upon us, so look for that on the daily blackboard too.

Interestingly, the Abruzzeses don’t just talk about their restaurant. They heap praise on their colleagues, as well. Andrew has been a customer of the Kopper Kettle in Feasterville for years. He loves their Buffalo Shrimp and finally got the recipe from the owner. He’ll add the dish to the PVT menu soon as “Kopper Kettle Buffalo Shrimp.” Bowman’s Tavern also got praise from Andrew and Drew (watch for our post on our excellent meals there, soon).

To sum up, I’ll use Andrew’s words. In 1990, Philadelphia Magazine chose The Pineville Tavern as one of the “50 Best Bargain restaurants,” putting the new restaurant on the map. “That made it okay to come into a place with beer signs in the window,” he laughs. And on any given night, you’ll find a busy parking lot filled with vehicles from pick-up trucks to luxury cars to SUVs.

Let us know about your experiences at the Pineville, and please tell us about your favorite taverns in Bucks County.

Where everyone knows your name

Lynne Goldman — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:44:29 +0000

What is it about walking into a bar or restaurant where they know your name? Am I dating myself, by referring to the old refrain from Cheers? Perhaps. But now that I’m older, I do think it captures something.

Our grandparents, and even parents, grew up in tight communities. Family and friends were close by – next door, or two doors down. I bet the word “community” wasn’t even used. Maybe you don’t have to refer to something that you just take for granted; it’s like wallpaper – there but hardly noticed.

But today we belong to many communities. We belong to a work community, maybe even more than one. An “old friend” community. Maybe a community based in a house of worship. Or one based on a hobby or interest. And even, one based in a bar or restaurant. The kind of place where when you walk in, they recognize you, greet you by name, and get your drink ready.

Why is this so nice?

We’re fortunate to have found this at a couple of restaurants in Bucks County. Since moving to Wycombe, the Pineville Tavern has become our neighborhood hang-out. Mark and I happen to enjoy eating at the bar – or counter in the case of diners – and look for places where this is comfortable to do. The Pineville, or PVT, definitely fits the bill.

There are regulars at the PVT bar. I once heard one of them chastise the bartender for allowing cheddar cheese to arrive on his cheeseburger. “How long have I been coming here?” he demanded. “I always get American cheese!” Returned the bartender, pointing to the customer’s friend: “You said you wanted the same as him.” When his pal – and everyone else at the bar – confirmed this, the customer settled down. (The bartender did get him American cheese, though.) It was just part of the give-and-take you find between staff and regulars that everyone actually enjoys.

The Pineville has a casual menu that runs from burgers to ribs, salads and pasta. The specials bring in a bit more variety. There’s always a fish entree, homemade pasta and a steak dish. The prices range as well, so if you “just want a burger” you don’t have to spend a mint.

Another of our favorite places is the Cross Keys Diner, which recently reopened after a five month hiatus. Here, too, we usually settle in at the counter, where we can read the paper, chat with the wait staff as they run back and forth, and generally enjoy the hubbub.

Like the folks at the Pineville, the Cross Keys staff knows and loves its regulars. The new owners, Scott Edwards and Paul Markert, say their goal is to have customers feel “we’re home again” when they come back. They’ve worked hard to keep everything as it was, going so far as to reprint the previous owners’ menus and keep the same food vendors. Since Paul worked the line under the previous owners, quality and style won’t change either.

I used to think this kind of community – built around a bar or restaurant – was kind of sad. Like, “What? You don’t got no real friends?” Maybe this is because when I was growing up we didn’t go out to eat much, let alone drink, and our community was more circumscribed. But it’s different today. For those of us fortunate enough to be middle-class, we eat out more, for one thing. But today our greater community is a composite of many smaller communities. Perhaps these smaller communities combined are greater than the sum of their parts.

So when you are lucky enough to find that bar or restaurant where they want to know your name (not just your credit card), enjoy it, give it your patronage and help form another community.

Do you have a favorite place, where they know your name? Leave us a comment and we’ll check it out.