The house on the west side of Gosling Road, not far north of
Root Road, is familiar to most long-time residents of Northampton and the
surrounding neighborhoods. That house is
now The Butler House, the centerpiece of the Vintage Creek Centre. Both are owned by Bryan Frenchak and Marina
(Silver) Frenchak. This is their first
restaurant venture, and it’s still early but it is off to an excellent start.
The inspiration for The Butler House is Butler, PA, where
Bryan Frenchak grew up. The house has
that feeling of a home in an older rural town.
The doorway is just a bit narrow and was given that distressed look of a
home that has seen much history. Silver
says the movie “Up” describes their spirit of adventure in converting the house
into a restaurant. It’s easy to imagine this
house in “Up”—a comfortable home that looks just a little out of place.
The décor inside is deliberately simple but carefully
crafted. The leather seating in the
booths was done on site, and if you look under the table you’ll see that the
legs are made from antique ice tongs. It’s
a kind of elegance you feel more than see.
Manager Mark Herman (of Tommy Bahamas and most recently
Hubbell and Hudson) and executive chef Andrew Donahoo have put together a menu that
covers upscale dishes and traditional Texas favorites. We’ve had the rib-eye steak with mushroom
risotto (perfectly executed, which is no easy task) and a Korubuta pork shank as
a special. The pork was
falling-off-the-bone tender with delicious Moroccan spices. The desserts held their own with the
entrées—the flourless chocolate cake coats your mouth wonderfully, and the
toffee bread pudding reminded me just a bit of eating a delicious pancake. The chicken fried steak is tender with a
light crust that makes it stand out from your usual CFS offering. They have an excellent selection of
cocktails—I tried the Lemon Drop and it is true to its name.
The restaurant has an upscale feel but intends to be casual—as
Silver puts it, “like Sunday afternoon at your grandmother’s”. They have toys, chalk, and a field area for
children, and plan to make a pet area.
It’s intended to be for everyone.
The restaurant has family friendly events—there’s a
children’s buffet on Sunday morning, and Old Movie nights are on Wednesdays. They schedule many special events, a large
portion of which support local ministries—supporting their community with charitable
work is close to their hearts. Their Facebook
page is the best source of information for these events.
The Butler House seems like the perfect addition to our
area—an upscale restaurant that is actively welcoming to families. We’ll be back again soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment