Christines
Christine’s Restaurant, a staple in Yardley for the past fifteen years, is all about family. You can feel it as you leave the bustle of Oxford Valley Road behind. The warm, earthen colors, the understated simplicity of the main dining room. The large stone fretwork and the modest pillars that set off the patio, added in 2007. The unmistakable aroma of marinara sauce and oregano that makes you feel at home again, that induces your mind and body to slow down.
Chef owner Jim Armetta, a native of the picture-perfect town of Carini, Sicily, wants you to feel that way. He says, “Look, I have cherry wood at my house. I have cherry wood here. I’m re-creating a family dining experience. Like the European style, you come here to relax, to enjoy your company and your dinner. If there’s something you don’t like about the food, we can fix that. But the company,” and here he lets out a hearty laugh, “we can’t fix that. So what would you like to eat?”
Ah, the menu — the main reason guests keep returning to Christine’s again and again. We met one young man, sitting (but not seeming) alone, who comes to Christine’s once or twice a week, for various meals. He said he’s especially fond of the restaurant’s three-egg Seafood Omelet. Stuffed with crab, shrimp, asparagus, and goat cheese and served with potatoes and toast, it made us wish we’d arrived for weekend brunch instead of dinner.
But with Chef Jim at the helm, in a restaurant where every dish is made to order, we knew we wouldn’t be disappointed. Armetta, who learned his way around the kitchen from his mother and grandmother, has been in the business since he was 13, when he made pizzas and hoagies with his father. After Armetta graduated from high school, his dad opened his first pizza restaurant, Original Pizza, with his son by his side. Since that time, Armetta has owned eight or ten stores (he’s lost count), including a sports bar.
But in 1990 he decided he wanted a change, so he opened a hugely successful two-pronged eatery in Newtown, with a pizzeria on one side and a sit-down restaurant on the other. After ten years, however, he was worn out, so he sold the business.
But as you might expect, a man who’s had food in his DNA for as long as he could remember, couldn’t stay down forever. So a year later, in 2001, he was enticed to return to the business full-bore. Re-energized, he opened Christine’s in Yardley — named, by the way, after his wife, a nurse and research coordinator, who gave her blessing — and he’s been thriving here ever since, with a traditional Italian menu, upgraded every few months, that specializes in pasta (in lunch and dinner portions all day) and veal, and new “Chef’s Creations” (like Lobster Risotto and Duck Ragu) every week.
The consummate family man, Armetta loves talking about his wife and, especially, his children (who have outgrown soccer and become quite adept at rowing for their schools and local clubs) and has named several dishes in their honor: Penne Jacqueline, a bountiful plate of chicken, asparagus, mushrooms, garlic, shallots, butter, cheese, and fresh herbs in a white wine sauce, served over penne; Veal Nicola, or sautéed veal medallions topped with asparagus tips and shrimp, finished in a sherry cream sauce; and Veal Vincenzo (we’re coming to that).
First off, we had to try the chef’s Calamari Fritti. Yes, it passed the tender nonna taste — among the best we’ve ever eaten. Then came a genuine taste sensation: Risotto alla Casa (or house), practically a meal for three or four, a happy marriage of sausage, chicken, and shrimp, consorting with a colorful conglomeration of mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, and diced red peppers in a light pesto cream sauce, finished with grated cheese.
We thought that would be the highlight of our meal. It came close. But Veal Vincenzo, named after the chef’s firstborn — that’s veal sautéed and topped with prosciutto and mozzarella in a Marsala wine sauce with Portobello mushrooms — was even better, and was light enough to allow us to try one more dish. That was the aromatic Tilapia Provençal, the delicate fish sautéed with scallions, fresh garlic, and diced tomatoes in a white wine garlic butter sauce, served over capellini.
We’ll have to come back to try one of Chef Armetta’s recent innovations — pizza! — for the first time ever at Christine’s. That’s because back in September of this year, the chef decided to import from Italy a new electric oven. It has a brick inside surrounded by cork that cooks up to 900 degrees, allowing the restaurant to bake a dozen twelve-inch personal pizzas at a time in five minutes or less! Wow! So we’ll order the popular Di Parma, a pizza topped with caramelized onions, prosciutto, pesto, garlic, and mozzarella — and maybe Lobster Risotto, on our next visit.
Christine’s Restaurant is located at 385 Oxford Valley Road, Yardley, PA 19067; 215-369-2930; www.christinesofyard ley.com. Open Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday, 8:30 a.m.–8 p.m., including brunch on weekends. Reservations accepted, but recommended weekends and holidays. BYOB. Available for takeout and catering.