Food doesn't come from the grocery store. It comes from farms and artisanal producers -- both of which are plentiful right here in Bucks County. And now, thanks to Bucks County Food Tours, residents can get an inside look at some of the area's best agriculturual operations. Lynne Goldman, creater of the website BucksCountyTaste.com, has long been a resource for Bucks County’s locavores to find the area's best food. Goldman is also an administrator for the Bucks County Foodshed Alliance, a nonprofit organization with a goal of fostering and expanding the local sustainable food supply in Bucks …

When Doug and Donna Haines opened Newtown Chocolatier seven years ago, they never dreamed they would outgrow their State Street manufacturing facility so fast. But a new partnership with Whole Foods plus a local reputation and demand has forced them lease a larger manufacturing space on Richboro Road. The original State Street retail store will remain and a retail space next to the new facility will open later in the year. In contrast to the old-world style of the original State Street store, the new space will have more of a European feel with marble counters and sleeker packaging, the …

I am always looking for places to dine al fresco. When the weather cooperates, being outside enhances my dining experience. There is something special in combining nature, fresh air and good food. The Bridgetown Mill House in nearby Langhorne is the perfect place to experience the joy of outdoor eating. The brick patio and outside bar, with the Neshaminy creek as a backdrop, is a recent discovery that I wish I had known about earlier in the season. Built in the 1704, the building originally operated as a grist mill, harnessing water from the nearby creek to power its machinery. The property …

It is peach season, and once again I have made my pilgrimage to Styer Orchards in Middletown Township -- a gem of the county and a once-a-year treat I look forward to. This time, I got a local history lesson along with my pickings. In 1999, 102-year-old Walter “Pop” Styer Jr. sold the Styer family’s orchard and farm store to Middletown Township with one condition: that the farm remains open space and a place to educate children about farming. Township board chairman Mel Kardos brokered the deal, creating two separate businesses: Styer Orchards Farm Market and Styer Orchards Farm. Michael …

Finding local restaurants with healthy food can be a challenge. Add organic and locally-grown produce to the search, and the choices get even slimmer. I find myself returning to Jules Thin Crust for the 28 varieties of delicious pizza, the unique organic thin crust and toppings. It's my fallback, especially when the budget and time is tight. Jules was started in 2005 by ex-advertising executive John Ordway, who had become frustrated with the lack of healthy restaurant choices to enjoy with his two young daughters. The original Doylestown store was opened in 2005 and has now expanded into …

While now a place to pick up local friuts and veggies, Milk House Farm Market sits upon a family farm once rooted in dairy production. In 2007, Brenda Slack opened Milk House Farm Market at her family’s dairy farm on Slack Road. The farm, established in 1813, was a dairy operation until 1988, when the cattle was sold off and milk production ceased. Slack, a fourth-generation dairy farmer, wanted to preserve the farm and is the first generation to grow vegetables and fruits. About 30 acres of the 120 acres are used for vegetable and fruit production, with the remaining 90 acres dedicated to …

Dinner and bocce sound like a wonderful combination. Add light, family-style Italian food, a glass of wine, and perfect summer weather, and Newtown’s La Stalla is the ideal venue for a summer night of fun. The restaurant is housed in the 1929 Lovett barn, a structure that previously housed dairy cattle -- hence the name La Stalla, meaning “the stalls.” Wood beams, stone pillars and artifacts from its days as a farm add to the experience, creating a rustic atmosphere perfect for the Tuscan-style food that father-and-son owners Vince and Marc Masso offer. The restaurant takes reservations for …

Sprinkling white truffle oil on a perfectly ripe avocado, then finishing it with a little flaked sea salt creates an appetizer worthy of any restaurant. Adding a wild mushroom and sage-infused olive oil to a roasted chicken and finishing the pan juices with pomegranate balsamic vinegar can lift a simple family meal to new heights. Good quality infused oils and flavored vinegars have been the tools of professional chefs for decades. Traditionally, availability has been limited to restaurant suppliers and specialty stores, usually in limited supply and range, or homemade with seasonal …

Sitting outside on a warm evening, enjoying a glass of wine and good food, is one of the simple pleasures of life. Finding a place that does the cooking, washes the dishes, lets you bring your own wine, and does not charge an arm and a leg, though, can be a challenge. Villa Nuova is helping in my quest, serving delicious, European-influenced food on a large terrace and patio. Located in Penns Park, the small 1700s-era village in Wrightstown Township on Second Street Pike, the restaurant occupies the space that used to be The Summer Kitchen. A new owner and a Moroccan-born chef ––who has had …

Three years, 6,000 hours of documented on-the-job work hours and 24 college-level classes culminated Tuesday for seven Bucks County Community College chefs. The students, this year's graduates from the college's Chef Apprenticeship Program, executed a final themed dinner enjoyed by family and friends. The seven graduates planned, priced, and executed the event as the final project of their apprenticeship. The food was prepared by the chef and pastry graduates and served by the second-year apprentices acting as the front-of-house team. The dinner was held at Historic Tyler Hall. A Hawaiian …

Walking in to the Saloon, I was happily surprised to see an interior obviously upgraded from the tatty exterior: An Amish buggy that looks like it took a wrong turn on the way from Newtown Farmers Market and a badly needed paint job does little to attract a passersby. I have driven past on numerous occasions in and out of town, not giving the place a second look until a friend asked to meet us there for dinner. The former Township House Restaurant changed hands three years ago, when the new owners upgraded the menu and worked on the interior decor. When we arrived, we sat in the bar area and …

According to the National Pork Board, about 70 percent of Americans will be serving ham on Easter Sunday. In Europe, cured pig’s leg (ham to the rest of us) is the stuff of legend and folklore, each country and region claiming to have the best. Italy boasts prosciutto; in Germany, it's the Black Forest version; France has Bayonne; and in Spain, it's Iberico and Serrano. In Newtown, we boast Ely ham, cured and smoked either locally on Woodhill Road by seventh-generation farmer Dwight Ely and his family or at Stoltzfus Meats near Lancaster when production demand is too much for the Newtown …

I find that some restaurants are like old friends: they come in and out of your life. Every time, you just pick up where you left off and wonder what took you so long to get back to them. Siam is one of those places for me. It was one of the first restaurants I went to when I moved from New York City to Bucks County 20 years ago; it was also one of the first places I took my wife on a date. This week I went back after way too long, and I am glad I visited this old friend to rekindle some good food memories. Located near the Farmers Market on South Eagle Road, Siam is the second location of a …

I had a day off, and the bride was away for the weekend. I usually do not like to cook for myself. It seems like a lot of work for little result; maybe it’s a chef thing. I had decided to drive to Philadelphia, as I was craving oysters and was willing to make the trip to satisfy the yearning. Luckily a friend got in touch and, after hearing my plea, suggested I go to the Newtown Farmer's Market. He was there and they had oysters. Sounded like a good idea to me. Walking in, I heard “two dozen oysters…pick uuuuuup” and knew I was in the right place. My friend had ordered ahead and found a table…

I have driven past Rouget countless times, always telling myself “I will eat there one day.” The former Sparkles Salon always seemed a little out of place but a fine dining restaurant next to Rita’s Water Ice and La Stalla just seemed like a bad location. A friend finally encouraged me to try it, telling me to overlook the location and focus on the food. I took him at his word. I arrived at the restaurant planning on eating with just my bride and our friend who made the recommendation. To my surprise, eight other people talked themselves onto our reservation. I felt this was a good sign--they…

When I was an apprentice chef working at a hotel in England, one of my daily jobs was going to the farm across the street to pick up two churns of milk for daily consumption. The small dairy would milk their herd of free-grazing cows as the sun rose, then simply filter, chill and bottle -- no pasteurization, no homogenization, just full-flavored milk straight from the source. I fondly remember skimming the first 12  or 16 inches of cream from the top of the churns for use in sauces and desserts. There was nothing finer on a warm day than fresh, cool milk straight from the dairy.  That was …

Walking into Vecchia Osteria by Pasquale, I felt like Tony Soprano in one of the early seasons of “The Sopranos.” In one episode, Tony and his family were in need of an escape from a storm and power outage; restaurant owner and friend Artie Bucco greeted him, his hospitality being Tony’s refuge. After I spent a day of shoveling heavy snow and dealing with the possibility of more on the way, the Palino family and Vecchia Osteria were my sanctuary from reality -- their hospitality and great food were just what I needed. In contrast to a formal ristorante and its less formal cousin the trattoria…

Seasonality is making a comeback. Americans are finally getting back to eating food when it is available and fresh. Mix seasonality with sustainable proteins, locally grown produce, classic technique and understanding of international flavors, and you get the mantra of Chef Justin Kaplan and his State Street restaurant, Palate. Palate opened in July 2010. Chef/owner Kaplan and his business partner and front-of-house manager, Jon Cross, have adjusted their menu as each season and product availability changed. Their winter menu was introduced early in January, giving Newtown diners a creative …