Chef Wayne Surline, a graduate of the Johnson & Wales culinary program, brings a Brazilian-influenced menu to this restaurant in New Hope, Pa.
By: Richard Burns
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Esca Restaurant and Bar |
There is now a very nice touch of Brazil in New Hope, Pa., Esca, a restaurant and bar that features Brazilian cuisine, has been open on Mechanic Street since October in the location that formerly housed La Terraza.
I thought the restaurant was aptly named when I looked up the word in a Portuguese dictionary and found "escadas," meaning "stairs," and "escalada," meaning "climb." That made sense because it is just what you do to get to the restaurant climb down a long flight of stairs. Later I learned Esca, pronounced ees-ka, is Latin for food or bait, which those of you with a classical education already knew. I like my mistranslation better.
The restaurant itself is in what long ago was a barn for the mules used on the canal, with an adjacent house that has been connected. After negotiating the stairs, you enter a fairly large open area with a few tables and an entrance into the bar, behind which is a large, covered patio. The patio is used for outside dining and private parties. Down a few stone steps to the left is a good-sized dining room. Except for a bright yellow-painted stone wall at one end and windows overlooking another, it is a fairly dark room with dark-painted ceilings and small oil candles on the tables and on the yellow wall for lighting. The tables with white cloths and black napkins set off the dark-light décor.
But the joy of this restaurant isn’t the décor, it’s the food. The chef, Wayne Surline, is a talented graduate of the Johnson & Wales culinary program. Mr. Surline isn’t Brazilian but has done a fine job of learning the cuisine and mastering it. Rose and I had experienced the flavors before on several trips to Brazil.
The menu isn’t large but is filled with interesting alternatives. The orally presented "specials" offered more exciting options. Appetizer options included Chilean steamed mussels in a white wine, lime, garlic, hot pepper and herb sauce ($9), fried green plantains ($8) and an interesting-sounding black bean cake ($7). There is also a raw bar featuring clams, oysters and ceviche. We selected the pulled pork empanada ($9) and one of the specials, a cheese tart with a garnish of mixed baby greens ($8). The empanada was a large, fried, pork-filled crust that was tasty but not spicy. It came served with grilled pineapple relish that provided a nice complement to the empanada. The cheese tart was an even better choice. It consisted of Manchego and goat cheese with roasted fennel in a pastry shell and had a wonderful soft flavor and texture.
Several interesting soups were offered, including a traditional black bean ($5) and a gazpacho with crabmeat on the specials menu. We decided to try the spicy potato kale soup with chorizo sausage ($6) and one of the salads, a Portuguese Caesar salad ($7). The soup was a spicy broth with diced tomato, pieces of potato, wilted kale and slices of chorizo, a real winner. The Caesar salad turned out to be one of the best we’ve had a heaping mound of torn, chilled Romaine lettuce garnished with homemade croutons, a couple of large anchovies, grated Manchego cheese and a terrific Caesar dressing.
The entrée choices were difficult. We were tempted by a traditional Brazilian grill featuring a choice of chicken, shrimp, pork or filet mignon of beef, ranging in price from $22 to $24. All come served with black beans and rice, greens and fried yucca and vinaigrette. Another interesting sounding dish was the seafood pot ($21) with coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, lemon grass and herbs.
We choose the sea bass ($23) and the short ribs ($22). The sea bass was done in a pumpkin-seed crust with roasted red peppers and frizzled leeks. The short ribs had been braised, grilled briefly and served in a chipotle chile pan jus. The beef was fork tender, and the sauce had just the right mixture of heat and flavor. Both entrées were served with very good green beans, and the beef came with red bliss mashed potatoes that included the skins and chopped scallions and roasted garlic. The fish was served with a slightly spicy couscous. The sides were top notch.
A limited number of desserts were offered that included banana bread pudding, key lime pie, coconut cream tart in a chocolate shell, a chocolate decadence cake and a chocolate swirl cheesecake. Rose chose the key lime pie and I, of course, the chocolate decadence cake. The pie, served without whipped cream, was nice and tart with a graham-cracker crust. The flourless cake had a thick milk-chocolate frosting. It was good but not as sinful as some. All desserts are made in house.
Our waiter, Erik, was very friendly he laughed at my humor and knowledgeable. The restaurant was not busy during our Thursday-evening visit, and service was prompt and professional.
The principal owners of this delightful restaurant are Lorrie Giddio and Marli Franco, who also own two other successful restaurants, Atrio Café in Stockton and the Riegelsville Inn in Riegelsville, Pa.
We liked Esca a lot. The food was different and exceptionally good, and there were no disappointments. If you are looking for a pleasant evening with some unusual but well-prepared food, try Esca. I’m sure you’ll be pleased.
For directions to Esca Restaurant and Bar, click here.

