The Raven

This busy New Hope restaurant gracefully delivers outstanding traditional American food and service.

By: James d’Esterre

The Raven

385 W. Bridge St., New Hope, Pa.

(215) 862-2081
Food: Very good

Service: Very good

Ambiance: Casually elegant with dim tabletop lighting

Cuisine: Eclectic assortment of traditional dishes with creative touches

Prices: Moderate-expensive

Hours: Lunch: Mon.-Sat. noon-2:45 p.m.; Brunch: Sun. noon-2:45 p.m.; Dinner: Mon.-Thurs. 6-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 6-10:30 p.m., Sun. 5-9:30 p.m.

Essentials: Visa and Mastercard accepted; wheelchair assistance without ramp; smoking permitted, but no cigars or pipes; reservations recommended; free parking.

Directions

   THE Raven sits on the outskirts of New Hope heading west, and it is easy to think you have missed the spot as you are leaving town.
   Turning onto Bridge Street and driving past downtown excitement, you will eventually spy the blackbird sign of this secluded restaurant on your left.
   After noting sparse decorative touches outside, I was surprised to encounter rich wooden wainscot, pillars and overhead beams inside, matched with romantic, softly lit lamps and candles on white-clothed tables with bentwood and ladder-back chairs. The original restaurant was a cozy dining area on the right, seating about two-dozen people, now connected to the large additional bi-level dining area on the left.
   The large area has a high wooden ceiling with fans and a greenhouse motif provided by three walls of foot-high window panes revealing lush gardens by day and decorative white lights by night. The front wall of the room has a stylish assortment of different small mirrors, displayed in attractive ornate gold-leaf frames.
   The Raven’s décor, with jazz music playing in the background, sets the mood and provides remarkable intimacy in a room that seats close to 100 people. On Labor Day weekend, a casually dressed waitstaff, somewhat indicative of New Hope restaurants, performed a ballet-like sequence of quickened path-crossing without collision.
   I am sometimes intrigued by the anecdotes of restaurant owners who unexpectedly found themselves working in the restaurant business. Robert Ebert was a young banker who was asked by a friend, the owner of the former New Hope restaurant Grace’s Mansion, to wait tables part time. After a fortnight, she queried Robert’s tip status, resulting in his discovery that the restaurant business was more lucrative than his bank position.
   A few months later, he left the financial institution, and after a sequence of posts at various restaurants, found a job as general manager of the Raven. He purchased the restaurant 17 years ago from its five absentee owners. Coincidentally, I spied Robert assuming his original waiting role to speed service. He gracefully adjusted table settings and gently rested plates in front of patrons.
   In addition to Robert Ebert, head chef Ed Jankowski, a nine-year veteran, is no doubt responsible for the restaurant’s success, plus my two splendid dining experiences on Friday and Sunday nights during a hectic holiday weekend.
   The Raven has a loyal clientele and changes its menu every six weeks. During both supper visits, service was polite, friendly and relaxed. The staff proved to be knowledgeable, organized and attentive. On both nights, there was a person appointed to fill water glasses, and they were filled as if the restaurant made money based on consumption.
   A hot loaf of twisted, sesame-coated bread came served in a napkin-covered basket with foil butter pats in a ramekin. I found the foil butter detracted from the posh, supper-club ambiance. Bread was crusty, yet light inside and made me swear to refrain from over indulging on my return trip. The first-course appetizer and salad selections range from $6.95-$8.95. Friday night, I chose a special item, arugula salad ($8.95). It was the freshest arugula salad I have ever tasted, highlighted with the addition of roasted tomato, dark-toasted pine nuts, dollops of goat cheese and a splash of vidalia onion cream sauce.
   On return, my starting selection was California Antipasto ($8.95) served with a bed of field greens decorated with avocado and fresh mozzarella slices, along with marinated artichoke hearts topped with gorgonzola cheese and a tomato-herb vinaigrette. This appetizer proved to be another delightful beginning, although the marinated artichokes detracted from the rich, thick tomato-herb vinaigrette. Unseasoned, sliced artichoke bottoms might work better and would be more unusual.
   Dinner entrées run from $16.95-$27.95, with some intriguing selections such as root beer pork chop ($19.95), a 10-ounce chop with a BBQ rub, grilled with root beer BBQ sauce and served with a jalapeño corn muffin and roasted corn sauce.
   My Friday choice of Shrimp Letizia ($21.95) included five of the largest shrimp ever served to me in a restaurant, dressed in a thin wrapping of prosciutto, sautéed and served on a bed of angel-hair pasta. The sumptuous dish was finished with a drizzle of minced tomato and garlic buerre blanc. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, with slightly firm angel hair and a rich and subtle buerre blanc that complemented but did not overpower the flavors of the seafood and proscuitto.
   Encouraged by the first night’s entrée preparation, I stuck with seafood on Sunday, selecting Lobster Maltagliati ($21.95). Lobster is not my favorite, but the description raised my courage: sautéed lobster, asparagus, tear-drop tomatoes and spinach in a garlic-butter sauce laced with fresh chervil served atop maltagliati pasta, similar to the thin sheets of pasta used to make ravioli.
   This dish was the equal of my first night’s success, served in a wide bowl with pasta as foundation. Asparagus batons, tomato, spinach and a full lobster tail with claw meat pieces arrived swimming in a light garlic-butter sauce resembling a fine bisque. I savored every morsel afloat, sipped the bisque with a spoon, tasted the good pasta and reluctantly pushed it away.
   Visions of Friday’s wonderful dessert reminded me that there would be more delights to come. The Raven’s dessert menu boldly states, "Life is hard, that’s why they invented desserts." Flourless chocolate torte ($5.95) was served with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, a dark, rich, not-too-sweet wedge of creamy dreaminess, unlike other flourless chocolate cakes that are like a slab of fudge from the boardwalk.
   I started to convince myself that I should order the torte on my second visit just to check for consistency, but eventually succumbed to rolling the dice again. Tollhouse pie ($5.95) was a light egg and brown sugar custard pie, similar to a light pecan pie base, only with chocolate chips, halved walnuts and served with two small scoops of good vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel. This also was a plate-licker, but not as endearing as my flourless sweetheart. Coffee on both occasions was the best in memory.
   Lunch entrées range in price from $7.95-$12.95. Among the offerings was a portabella burger ($7.95) — grilled mushroom, fresh spinach, sliced tomato and mozzarella cheese, served open faced on a toasted Kaiser roll and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. Another usual dish is rock shrimp and eggplant ($12.95), spicy sauteed rock shrimp, onions, peppers and tomatoes, stuffed in a roasted eggplant, topped with Cajun bread crumbs. Brunch offerings have about the same price range, and include Malibu croissant ($8.50), sliced turkey breast, avocado, bacon and tomato on a flaky croissant with mustard mayonnaise. Greek Benedict ($11.95) caught my eye on the menu, two poached eggs and grilled tomato on an English muffin, topped with hollandaise, black olives, feta cheese and scallion.
   I loved the Raven. Let me point out that my checks totaled $39.25 and $40.65 without tip for Friday and Sunday, respectively. This is by no means inexpensive, but I have not yet found comparable pleasures at these prices and have paid these amounts many times and been disappointed.
   Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights are extremely busy, with the two crowded bars outside the restaurant. Smoking is permitted throughout the restaurant. I don’t smoke, and on an extremely busy weekend it was not an issue. Weeknights will have less smoke. Make sure you call for a reservation. The experience will be memorable.
For directions to The Raven, click here.