June 2015 Tidbits: Restaurants and markets abound!

From Doylestown to Silverdale to New Hope and beyond, there are so many food happenings in Bucks and nearby this month.

One of our favorite stops on the Meat Alley is Bolton’s in Silverdale, right on Route 113. Although they are best known for raising all natural turkeys year round (no antibiotics or hormones), their retail market carries that and more – fresh chicken and beef, local produce, bottled milk, baked goods and prepared foods (good turkey pot pies and soup). Now the 26-year old market is getting a facelift, a full kitchen, more retail space and lots more warehouse space. This is all good for us consumers. “With the new kitchen you’ll be able to stop at 4 pm and pick something up for dinner,” says Torrie Bolton, who, with her brother, Todd, runs this third generation family farm. But Torrie doesn’t want customers to worry that Bolton’s is turning into some kind of big market. “We will still be the farm market we have always been but just a lot better organized.” The store is open through construction, carrying all the fresh, local products Bolton’s always has, with a completion date set for Labor Day (and the kitchen open by the holidays at the latest.)

Related post: Learn more about Bolton’s here, Let’s talk more than turkey.

I first saw it on the Doylestown Facebook page and I thought, quite frankly, it was a wisecrack. McCaffrey’s Supermarkets taking over the site of the former Herb’s Hobbies in Doylestown. “Yeah, right,” I thought, picturing the cozy parking lot. The local, family owned McCaffrey’s, with 40,000 sq. ft. stores in Newtown, Yardley, Princeton, NJ and West Windsor, NJ, is known for it’s fresh food and good management. But the former Herb’s…is a tad smaller than their usual store. Not to worry. The new market will be approximately 12,000 sq. ft. and a new venture for McCaffrey’s.

According to Sue Rushing, spokesperson for McCaffrey’s, the Doylestown Market will offer the “best of what McCaffrey’s is famous for: high quality produce, meat, seafood, cheese, deli, bakery and floral, along with chef-crafted, gourmet prepared foods. Food experts will staff each full-service department – Chefs, Butchers, Seafood and Cheese Mongers, Bakers and Baristas – from open to close.” A few highlights of the store include: a crepe station, hundreds of cheeses, custom cakes, a gourmet coffee bar, a comfortable seating area and hundreds of organic and exotic product offerings. An on-site catering coordinator will also be available. The new store will be located at 200 W. State Street in Doylestown, between N. West Street and Franklin Street. For more information about the new Doylestown location, visit their website at www.mccaffreys.com.

New restaurant openings:

• NoLa by Brian (Stockton, NJ). Chef Brian Held who has delighted us with great food in Newtown, then Lambertville (Brian’s) has just opened a second BYOB restaurant called NoLa in the location of the former Lily’s Meals (also for many years, Meil’s) in Stockton. Serving Mediterranean cuisine, Wednesday through Saturday. (“NoLa” refers to north of Lambertville, not New Orleans!). They are a cash only BYOB and you can reach them at 609.460.4863 for reservations.
• Nectar (New Hope). This long-awaited opening in the former Wildflowers on Mechanic Street has finally come – quietly. Even when I went searching online, I came up with very little. It looks like an interesting small plate menu with a nice selection of wine, craft beers and even whiskey (not a huge selection of whiskey, though). See their website for more information and let me know what you think.

• Moo (New Hope). The delicious, locally-sourced burger joint began as a food truck in Carousel Village, Wrightstown, then grew into a brick-and-mortar in Ottsville. Now Moo is opening a new location at the south end of Main Street in New Hope. Moo “South” will be opening on July 3 according to their Facebook page.

Did you miss last month’s tidbits? Click here: May tidbits: Goodbye, smoking salmon & strawberries