A beautiful 1700s stone farmhouse, lively food and up-to-the-minute atmosphere sweep diners off their feet in Newtown, Pa.
By: Antoinette Buckley
552 Restaurant lives up to its number. A numeric name in recent years has come to signify a restaurant with a hip sense of sophistication accompanied by a keen culinary know-how. 552 Restaurant shows all the signs of such a restaurant most of the time, but every now and then stumbles in places that should be flat ground.
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552 Restaurant |
552 sweeps you off your feet from the moment your eyes take in the expansive stone farmhouse where it resides. Located off the side of a winding country road in Newtown, Pa., this historic building from the late 1700s is a vision of grand beauty.
The interior lives up to every bit of its grand exterior. It is stylish, high end and vibrant with deep reds, gold tones and bold paintings. A good balance is struck as white linens and rich, brown leather dining chairs elevate the experience while the modern, exposed kitchen pumps up the activity level, helping to keep an upscale restaurant casual and fun. The festive, outdoor dining patio is picturesque and comes equipped with its own bar and grill (fired up only on special occasions).
Owners Brian Haveson and wife Tammy have created an enchanting restaurant that warmly wraps itself around you. The menu, created by Executive Chef Michael Kanter, is just as magnetic as the surroundings. Seasonings are varied and draw from European to Asian flavors, but most methods of cooking derive from classic French principles. The result is a contemporary American menu that gracefully meshes the traditional with the unconventional. And fish is big here.
The level of excitement spills into the cocktail menu. The Pomo Cosmo ($7.50) mixes various forms of pomegranate: pomegranate vodka, pomegranate liqueur and pomegranate syrup. The antioxidant-rich, formerly exotic pomegranate has made its way into popular culture. While it would be a stretch to consider the Pomo Cosmo healthy, it is pretty in pink and a delightfully refreshing way to kick off the evening.
Appetizers maintain momentum. The crab and avocado salad ($12) combines beauty and excellence. A mold of jumbo lump crabmeat and avocado is sprinkled with the flavors of lime and curry and rimmed with the crunch of thinly sliced cucumbers. This dish, served cold to room temperature, is perky. Its freshness is perfectly accented by the mango vinaigrette and mango coulis accompaniments while purple micro greens add an unexpected splash of color. Ravioli over short ribs ($8), normally an entrée, was served as an appetizer portion as requested. The opposite in style to the crab and avocado salad, this dish found greatness in its bulk. In Kanter fashion, the main event is often placed in its barest form on top of whatever sauce or accompaniments come with the dish. In such a presentation, naked homemade ravioli become stellar set against a rich, slow-cooked sauce and the pulled meat of braised short ribs.
Service is downright exuberant. On the Tuesday evening of our visit, the restaurant was uncomfortably empty. Our server turned that into a positive and offered to have the kitchen personalize our meal. Second in command, Samantha Saile (chef de cuisine) was running the kitchen that night and happily obliged. After a few moments of deliberation, I had my entrée choices narrowed down to the Hawaiian butterfish that our server couldn’t stop raving about and a duck dish that came with a fig ravioli and fig compote. The only thing keeping me from ordering the fish was the champagne mustard sauce that accompanied it. When it came down to it, it was really just the fig ravioli that I craved from the latter dish. After a quick check in the kitchen, the server offered to serve the Hawaiian butterfish with a roasted red pepper sauce and deliver the fig ravioli as a side dish.
Sold!
When the prized Hawaiian butterfish ($28) arrived, I was stumped. Before me was a skimpy piece of fish the size of a finger sandwich, fried, it seemed, to a crisp and devoid of any flavor but the cooking oil. Underneath the crispy coating, the sweet white meat showed potential, but screamed for a more interesting preparation. The rest of the dish did little to save it. Lobster mashed potatoes on which the fish was perched and French green beans deep fried in tempura batter were both unimpressive. The only flavor anchoring this dish was the substituted roasted red pepper sauce, of which there was too little. As for that fig ravioli ($5 as a separate side), the oversized pasta pillow was stuffed with everything but the kitchen sink and yet there was very little fig. Potato was the prominent flavor here. If only it was meant to be a perogi, it would have been a good one.
The rib-eye steak ($26), a little tough and characteristically fatty in parts, presents a much more delectable dish as it flirts with the union of sweet and salty flavors. The meat is rubbed with Latino spices and served with cabrales blue cheese sauce. A fetching mound of mashed purple potatoes are at their best. The combinations on this plate are flawless.
Desserts, made by pastry chef Maureen Miller, and a good cup of cappuccino helped to regain faith. Chocolate truffle cake ($7) is rich and just subtly sweet, making it an adult indulgence. The lemon tart ($7) is beautifully done, built on a sturdy crust that holds lemon filling and a pyramid of meringue. The plate is augmented with fresh strawberries and a delightful raspberry sauce that is the perfect finishing touch.
With some exceptions, 552 Restaurant is appealing in its modern mindedness. The wine list offers a good selection of moderately priced and good value wines. It is arranged in a user-friendly way fitting right in with the restaurant’s comfortable service. If only a bit more truth could be divulged on menu descriptions, it would serve well in avoiding the wrong fit. Still, the lively food and up-to-the-minute atmosphere is spot on.

