Earl's
by Frank Quattrone
Now that Persephone has returned from the darkness and we slowly emerge from our pandemic cocoon, you owe yourself an outing — free from the trappings of Everyday. That means a trip to Peddler’s Village. Recently named the top tourist destination in the region by Philadelphia Business Journal, the venerable attraction is now celebrating its sixtieth anniversary since its founding by Earl Jamison in 1962.
The theme for the celebration, which includes countless planned family events, is Sixty Years, Sixty Shops, Sixty Giveaways. To learn more, you can check the Village’s website and social media accounts. Better yet why not hunker down for a great meal at Earl’s New American, arguably the Village’s flagship restaurant. A contemporary, casual dining haven with an inspired, approachable menu that patrons absolutely adore, Earl’s is the perfect place to take in the Village’s new spirit.
Terri Kleinguenther, who started out as a server at Earl’s sixteen years ago and worked her way up to general manager, will tell you all about the Village’s proud history and the exciting months ahead. But she’d rather dish about the restaurant’s menu and its world-class chef, Evan Gentile, who joined the staff at the Cock ’n Bull as a sous chef several years ago before rising to executive chef at Earl’s in 2018.
Luckily for Evan, culinary legerdemain seems to run in the blood. Before he studied culinary arts at Middle Bucks Technical Institute and, more significantly, the renowned Culinary Institute of America, Evan remembers being enthralled by his mother’s deft touch in the kitchen. He recalls those great Sunday gatherings when family came together to enjoy his mom’s homemade tomato sauce and pasta, and how she would guide him as he became adept at baking and more.
Watching Emeril Lagasse ply his magic on TV cooking shows and eventually working at some of Doylestown’s best restaurants, including the Freight House, only increased Evan’s confidence. But it was his stint at the top-tier Fountain at the Four Seasons where the budding young chef (aged 26 at the time) really learned from some great chefs.
It didn’t hurt sharing digs and secrets with his older brother Matt, who was charting a similar course at the equally acclaimed Lacroix at the Rittenhouse. Matt has been the executive chef at Old City’s Panorama Restaurant since 2015 and recently opened Settantatré, a new retail production facility in Delaware County where he creates gluten-free fresh pastas and other homemade Italian specialties.
One of the pleasures you’ll find at Earl’s is a neat balance between longtime favorites — like Lobster Dumplings, Shrimp & Grits, and its signature Chopped Salad — and the chef’s tweaking some familiar menu items amid his own innovations.
The night of our most recent visit, Eve and I learned just how creative Evan can be. Our Fried Tomato and Burrata appetizer, with its three-vinegar reduction, roasted pine nuts, and micro arugula, came with the cheese on top rather than the tomato — a neat variation that completely changed the texture of the dish.
We found that to be a theme on Evan’s menu. His Red Snapper entrée, a Winter special, was my personal favorite. It was an amazing confluence of textures and flavors, artfully presented. The fish, resting on a thin layer of Savoy cream with a trace of pumpkin seed oil at its edge, was braced by a bed of plump lentils and wild mushroom ragout and topped with crisp strands of butternut squash. Happily, its taste equaled its transcendent eye appeal.
We also ordered a mouth-watering tasting-size portion of one of Earl’s new specialties — 5-Hour Braised Molasses Short Ribs, served with a butternut squash purée, cipollini onions, dried craisins, and flavorful potato crisps.
When Terri told us about the Valentine’s Surf & Turf Special, even though the treat was a month away, Executive Sous Chef Casiano Flores was kind enough to prepare it for Eve. I’m sure that last month’s Valentine diners also reveled in the hand-cut eight-ounce New York Strip topped with chimichurri sauce, accompanied with Crab Cake and Shrimp, topped with a delectable orange hollandaise sauce. It was terrific.
Likewise for the chef’s unbelievably light and fluffy Cheesecake, served with macerated fresh raspberries, espresso foam, and chocolate tuile, a thin, crisp cookie resembling a curved roof tile. Every ingredient— the crispy butternut squash, the wild mushroom ragout, the potato crisps, the orange hollandaise — was graced with its own distinctive flavor, worthy of tasting on its own, but in combination with just the right complementary pieces, it made for the most memorable meal we’ve enjoyed yet at this fine Bucks County gem.
Terri Kleinguenther is pleased not only with the chef’s deft hand in the kitchen but also with the camaraderie the front-of-the-house has developed during the pandemic. Like our delightful, well-informed server Doreen Kottmeyer, they often came in on off-days to help prep, to learn how to make certain menu items, and, in general keep Earl’s loyal patrons happy in the dining room.
Earl’s New American is one fine reason to revisit Peddler’s Village on its sixtieth birthday!
Earl’s New American is located at 2400 Street Road in Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, PA 18938; 215-794-4020; www.earlsnewamerican.com. Open for lunch daily, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; and for dinner Monday–Thursday, 4–9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4–10 p.m.; and Sunday, 4–8:30 p.m. Available for weddings, private parties, business meetings.