Bucks County Adds To Its Menu Of Restaurants With More On The Way

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — In 2023, Bucks County continues to welcome more restaurants to its already delicious menu of options. And more are on the way.

Some of the newest additions have included a second location of Ardana in Newtown, the first P.J. Whelihan's in Bucks County and Founding Fathers in Bensalem.

Coming attractions include Blue Point Grill in Newtown, the Yardley Distillery in Morrisville and the Borscht Belt in Newtown.

Ardana's Food & Drink Expands To Newtown

Árdana’s Food & Drink, a 6,700 square foot Mediterranean-style restaurant owned by brothers Mike and Antoni Christou, openned its doors in March at the Village of Newtown Shopping Center at Eagle and Durham roads. The Newtown location is the second under the Árdana’s name for the brothers who also own and operate Árdana’s on Easton Road at the Shoppes at Valley Square in Warrington. They opened their Warrington location in 2019. The restaurant gets its name from Árdana, a small farming village in Cyprus where the owners’ grandmother was raised. Their goal, Mike told Patch, is to transport guests to the Mediterranean while showcasing the beauty of the native style of eating known as “mezze," where the entirety of the meal is shared amongst family and friends. The inspiration for Árdana’s cuisine comes from influences from across the region including Italian and Middle Eastern flavors. Among the restaurant's most popular dishes are its fresh pastas, its wood-fired pizza and its Mediterranean-style dishes, including whole-char grilled bronzino and roasted lamb chops. Some of its small plates include whipped ricotta, calamari, Mediterranean olives, spiced lamb and chicken skewers, salted roasted beets and humus. Other menu items include pan-seared Atlantic salmon, eggplant Milanese, prime grade sirloin, vodka rigatoni, braised pork ragu and mushroom cavatelli.

Ardana owners Mike and Antoni Chrisou with their father, who taught his sons the business.

PJ Whelihan’s Restaurant And Bar Opens First Location In Bucks

P.J. Whelihan’s opened its first location in Bucks County in March at the Cross Keys Plaza Shopping Center in Plumstead. With 21 locations throughout South Jersey and Pennsylvania, P.J. Whelihan’s is known for its pub fare, including its wings with more than 10 signature sauces, famous fries, burgers and handhelds, soups and chili, salads, dips and nachos and more. Main course offerings include chicken tenders, pub steak, rack of ribs, fish and chips, crab cakes, fire-grilled salmon, keto fajita bowl and a boneless wings platter. The restaurant also features seasonal cocktails, ciders and teas and an expansive selection of bottled and draft beers. The main bar houses 36 taps and features local beer, including the group’s signature 22 ounce PJW Copper Lager, brewed exclusively for the restaurant by Victory Brewing Company. The 8,000 square foot space features vaulted ceilings, custom woodwork throughout and an impressive four seasons room that is perfect for private events. The restaurant is located at the Giant Food Store end of the shopping center, which is home to a Giant Food store, a CVS Pharmacy, Five Below, Perkins and Marshall’s and HomeGoods.

PJ's Famous Wings. (Contributed)

Nozomu Sushi Offers Fresh Sushi Dining In New Hope

In the fall of 2022, New Hope welcomed Nozomu Sushi at 9 West Mechanic Street. Just inside the door, patrons are greeted by a fresh from the sea sushi bar where they can sit down and enjoy Japanese favorites being prepared right before their eyes. Upstairs, the restaurant boasts three distinct spaces to enjoy your meal - a front dining room, a back dining room and a private outside deck. The extensive menu includes 11 different appetizers; 15 classic rolls; nine vegetarian rolls; five different house salads, including seaweed, sashimi, poke and spicy kani; 14 different signature rolls, including the New Hope, the Mechanic Street, and the Naritoi; five sushi/sashimi selections; and nine a la carte items, ranging from sake salmon and hamachi yellowtail to tako octopus and unagi eel.

The Nozomu sushi bar in New Hope.

Founding Fathers Expands To The Burbs

Founding Fathers, a popular Philadelphia sports bar, opened a second location in Bensalem in February at 2900 Street Road in Bensalem. “I’ve been a long-time resident of Bensalem and I’m proud to finally serve the community in my own backyard," Partner/Owner Dave Chiavaroli said. "We are excited to expand to the Philadelphia suburbs into Bucks County and Bensalem." Dave Chiavaroli of Marmont and Ken Hutchings of Cavanaugh’s teamed up a few years ago to open Cooper’s Riverview in Trenton. The partners then opened Founding Fathers at 1621 South St. in Philadelphia. The sports bar features food and drinks in a family-friendly atmosphere that's 14,000 square feet and includes a main dining room, central main bar, new second bar, semi-private large group dining space, new private banquet hall, new giant outdoor deck, and sidewalk cafe. The menu includes appetizers, salads, pizza, tacos, sandwiches, burgers, entrees, and hand-carved quality steaks. The bar offers a wide selection of craft and American favorite beer, ciders, seltzers, classic and signature cocktails, and wines. Sports fans can view more than 30 televisions showing the Eagles, Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, Sixers, and Union. Founding Fathers Bensalem is open seven days a week, for lunch, happy hour, dinner, sports viewing, private events, and late night. Hours are Noon to 2 a.m. with the kitchen open until 1 a.m. For information, call 215-923-1100 or visit ffbensalem.com.

Founding Fathers Bensalem partners and general manager show off its new location on Street Road. (Founding Fathers Bensalem)

Blue Point Grill Bringing Seafood House to Bucks

The popular Princeton-based Blue Point Grill will be opening a new seafood house this summer at the Newtown Shopping Center at 3 West Road. “We have looked for a long time in Newtown and we’re really excited about this opportunity,” said Jack Morrison, who owns the Witherspoon Grill, Kristine’s and the Blue Point Grill (BPG) restaurants, and the Nassau Street Seafood & Produce Co., all located in Princeton. BPG, a family-owned restaurant which opened its doors in 1999 on Nassau Street in historic Princeton, N.J., is known for its extensive selection of impeccably-fresh seafood served in a fun, lively family atmosphere. It’s menu is swimming with fresh seafood, including 15 different varieties of east and west coast oysters, 25 different kinds of beautifully prepared fish and delicious classics such as New England clam chowder and lump crab cakes. “It’s a real fish house,” said Morrison. “The menu will change daily, reflecting an assortment of the freshest catch. And all of our seafood is simply and beautifully prepared to reveal its natural, delicious flavor.” The 5,000 square foot restaurant will seat about 145 inside with an additional 36 seats on an outdoor patio. It will also feature a small eight to 10 person bar - “a place where you’re going to meet someone before you go to dinner or grab a quick bite,” said Morrison.

The future Bucks County home of the Blue Point Grill in Newtown. (photo by Jeff Werner)

Borscht Belt Is Coming Home To Newtown

The Borscht Belt, which has built a reputation as an authetic New York-style Jewish deli, is coming home to Newtown. Construction continues inside the Borscht Belt Delicatessen, which is coming soon to the Village of Newtown South next to the beer store and a few doors down from the Newtown Farmers Market. “The place is looking beautiful,” reported store owner Nick Liberato who is coming home to open the new deli and restaurant following a successful run in Stockton, New Jersey. “The place is looking very different every time I walk in the door.” The Borscht Belt Delicatessen is co-owned by Mike Dalewitz and celebrity Chef Nick Liberato, both of whom have close ties with Newtown and are looking forward to their new location. In 2021 they opened the Borscht Belt, which Liberato describes as his “love letter” to the Jewish Deli. Key menu offerings are expected to include various platters with fresh lox, meats, spreads, daily fresh bagels and baked goods, pickles, Bubby Bell’s Matzo Ball soup, Borscht Beet salad, and piled-high pastrami sandwiches fresh from their custom-built pastrami machine made in New York. The deli is known for its signature sandwiches including its Reubens and Rachels; the Henny Youngman (hot corned beef on top of potato knish, served open faced with melted Swiss), Jackie Mason’s Cuban (corned tongue, deli mustard, pickles and Swiss on a challah loaf), the Jerry Lewis (triple-decker thinly-sliced roast turkey, cole slaw, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing), the Joan Rivers (pastrami, schmear of chopped liver, tomato and Russian dressing); and more. Other menu items include sandwich classics, including hot pastrami, hot corned beef, chopped liver, tongue and classic tuna and egg salad; create your own nosh; soups including Bubbe Bell’s Homemade Matzo Ball and “Jewish Penicillin” (chicken noodle); freshly-baked breads; specialty fish sandwiches; and a selection of sweets. The deli was founded in 2021 when Nick Liberato (Paramount Network’s Bar Rescue and Netflix’s Restaurants on the Edge) and Michael Dalewitz announced their partnership and the launch of The Borscht Belt Delicatessen.

The Borscht Belt is coming home to Newtown.