Mansion Inn

Although it was constructed in 1865, you could call it the new kid on the block and be correct. We’re talking here of the Mansion Inn (aka Royal T’s at the Mansion), the stunning Baroque Victorian manor house that has served New Hope as a private residence, restaurant and country inn since the end of the Civil War.

But since June 2016, new owners/proprietors Kris Tomasulo and Joseph Grande have infused the venerable hostelry with a vibrant vision that bodes well for the popular artists’ colony/tourist community. Tomasulo says, “We are so fortunate. It’s amazing for two former Wall Street guys with no restaurant experience to be in this historic building. We’ve done a lot of work to restore it to its original glory. And we feel that less is more when it comes to décor. Our intent is minimalist. We want the outstanding structural details to speak for themselves.”

Proudly, Grande then pointed out the elegant crown molding and the stately arched doorways with their intricately carved split brass door hinges and latches created by a certified 19th-century artisan. The owners spoke fondly of the longtime former owner, New Hope’s beloved pediatrician Dr. Kenneth Leiby, who personally delivered more than 3,000 babies and treated his magnificent home with the same respect he accorded his patients.

The new owners have invited a new generation of patrons to the Mansion Inn, where they will find no intimidating white tablecloths, no dress code other than “nice jeans and a button-down shirt,” and minds open to new experiences aside from innovative cocktails and cuisine, like yoga classes and an imminent book-signing by Larry Olmsted, author of the New York Times best-seller Real Food/Fake Food: Why You Don't Know What You're Eating and What You Can Do About It.

Grande describes the inn as “a boutique hotel with a great restaurant that’s so affordable that, in the past week alone [in late October], we’ve had three different parties of four-to-six people eating here three times already. It’s not a ‘special occasion’ restaurant.” Tomasulo says, “We want to create a memorable experience — everything under one roof — from our elegant but inviting overnight rooms to catered affairs to dining in our attractive backyard.”

To make their dream a reality, the new proprietors left the lucrative, if sometimes sterile, confines of Wall Street for the field of hospitality. After years of dining at the world’s best restaurants and staying at the best hotels, Tomasulo and Grande have devised a blueprint for greatness—by bringing back to New Hope a committed team of professionals with treasured experience from across the country and around the world.

For their beverage manager and sommelier supreme, they brought in Charles C. Townsend IV, a veteran of the cocktail scene from The Big Apple to Vegas, where he worked side by side with acclaimed restaurateurs Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse, and Thomas Keller for years. A longtime student of wine, Townsend is the most creative sommelier I’ve met in years.

Consider this: the Sazerac, a tribute cocktail derived from an elixir popular in 19th century New Orleans — a bold blending of bourbon, a sugar cube, Peychaud’s bitters, and Grande Absente, or absinthe, the resurgent, once-controversial anise-based liqueur. Outstanding! And, for my wife Eve, shivering from a rare bitter-cold drizzly day in New Hope, Townsend conjured up a steaming hot cup of “sexy” Earl Grey tea, spiced with Chartreuse Green liqueur, vermouth, bitters, and a dash of syrup to balance the bitters. I rest my case.

No slouches when it comes to knowing fine cuisine, Tomasulo and Grande turned to the diminutive dynamo Denise Gesek as their executive chef. Raised in West Chester and mentored by New England master chefs Jasper White and Lydia Shore in Boston, Gesek brings a fierce passion for great food (and a delight in small plates) to the Mansion Inn.

During our first visit, the Johnson & Wales culinary school grad regaled us with tender Charred Octopus, slow-braised for two-and-a-half hours in red wine, and served with fall greens and chili-infused olive oil. Next we enjoyed the chef’s interpretation of the popular Katz’s Deli New York City Pastrami Egg Rolls, a classic fusion of Asian and Jewish deli fare, crisp and tart, kissed by caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, cabbage, and spicy mustard.

Standing by with love and pride, the chef next served us Line-caught Halibut lying on a bed of nutritious forbidden (or black) rice in a saffron beurre blanc. Our final dish, something her Italian nonna from South Philly might have trouble recognizing (but would still be proud of), was a tangy Tagliatelle served with wild boar ragu.

We’d have to save the French Onion “Soup” Dumplings, Sicilian Meatballs, Shishito Peppers, Clam Chowder Gnocchi, and other organic and fresh food menu treats, as well as Townsend’s Royal Smile and Bijou Cktl for another time. There will definitely be another time. The restaurant and its four-star staff are irresistible. Townsend describes the Mansion Inn experience perfectly: “It’s Michelin-star cuisine — without the fuss.”

The Mansion Inn is located at 9 Main Street, New Hope, PA 18938; 215-862-1231; www.themansioninnnewhope.com.Open for brunch Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.¬¬¬¬–3 p.m.; lunch, Thursday and Friday, 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.; dinner Tuesday–Sunday, 5 p.m –midnight. Open Table. Reservations recommended weekends.

bringing back to New Hope a committed team of professionals with treasured experience from across the country and around the world.