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The Doughboys at Sullivan Hall with Live Footage - = "Tuesday=20 Afternoon"
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Green Parrot offers ideal spot for family Super Bowl = viewing
Friday, January 29, 2010
By Susan Sprague Yeske
If a random group of parents and chefs sat down to brainstorm on what = would=20 make the perfect family restaurant/international sports bar, they might = come up=20 with something close to the Green Parrot Restaurant and Pub in Newtown, = Pa.
Their ideal restaurant might be set in a historic town (like Newtown) = and=20 located in a new building with "green" features including the use of = recycled=20 materials. It could include as much fresh local and regional food as = possible=20 prepared by a hip, skilled chef and served at value-driven prices.
Add in a historic name borrowed from a tavern from another century, = and a bar=20 with 15 televisions to broadcast international sports that opens early = when an=20 important game or match is on, and you have the Green Parrot.
Brainstorming sessions had a lot to do with how the Parrot came to be = the=20 restaurant it is, says Robert Stein, one of four partners who opened the = restaurant in April.
"It was a team effort," Stein says. "We all played distinct roles in = making=20 this happen." All that may explain why the restaurant is designed to = satisfy the=20 demands of contemporary customers.
Chef/partner Rick Narasaki is the driving force behind the menu. A = father of=20 two young children who won't dine at fast-food restaurants, he set out = to create=20 a menu that can satisfy fast-food cravings and offer casual upscale = dining=20 choices while using the best ingredients he can find.
Narasaki grew up in Bucks County, and remembers when the former = Goodnoe's Ice=20 Cream Company dominated Sycamore Street with its family restaurant. He = wanted to=20 include some of that feeling in the menu and design of the Parrot. = "Ninety-nine=20 percent of our food is made from scratch," including pub favorites = meatloaf,=20 chicken pot pie and shepherd's pie, he says. "We make our own pasta and = pizza=20 doughs and roast our own turkeys. Our wood-burning oven is one of a = kind."
The stove, which burns cherry wood, is the heart of the kitchen, he = said, and=20 while some restaurants use wood ovens only for pizza, he uses it to cook = just=20 about everything. "It's pretty amazing what this oven can do with just = wood," he=20 says.
Narasaki crafted his ideal menu at the Parrot, with personal = flourishes that=20 add another element to the New American fare. Among these is his potato=20 futomaki, $8, his version of potato skins, served sushi-style. The skins = are=20 filled with bacon, cheddar, broccoli and sour cream before being rolled = and cut=20 to look like slices of sushi. A spicy sriracha sauce accompanies this = fresh and=20 flavorful dish.
Another Narasaki flourish comes in his version of macaroni and = cheese, $9. A=20 small ramekin is filled with fat noodles baked in a blend of Parmigiano=20 Reggiano, cheddar and goat cheeses and topped with freshly shaved = Italian=20 truffles. Don't let the size deceive you; this is a rich dish, and more = than=20 sufficient for most appetites, especially with its accompanying side = salad,=20 which makes it plenty of food for lunch or supper.
Pizza is a must for any family restaurant, and the dough is made = fresh daily=20 at the Parrot. We tried the outstanding black and blue pizza, $10, with=20 blackened chicken, a blue cheese blend, bacon and caramelized onion. = Flavorful=20 and perfectly baked with its thin crust, this was a grown-up pizza. But = don't=20 worry; there is plain tomato pie for traditional tastes.
An appetizer order of mussels, $10, was hefty and hearty with Prince = Edward=20 Island mussels cooked in a mixture of Yuengling beer, tomatoes, fennel = and red=20 pepper flakes. Add a salad and this would be enough for a light lunch or = supper.
Among the entrees that Narasaki defines as casually upscale, we tried = the=20 honey lime chicken, $16. The flavors of lime and cilantro come through = in the=20 marinade, with a brush of local honey adding sweetness to the moist = chicken=20 breast. Served with Spanish rice and fresh vegetables, it is a = satisfying=20 meal.
Poached halibut, $19, is surprisingly rich when served in Narasaki's = mildly=20 spicy tomato-based sauce that includes shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, = potatoes and vegetables.
Desserts are made in-house, and we tried a slice of cr=C3=A8me brulee = cheesecake,=20 $5, which has one layer of traditional cheesecake topped by a layer of = cr=C3=A8me=20 brulee. This dessert is very rich, and even though it's appropriately = sized,=20 it's a lot for one sitting. A brownie sundae, $7, was traditional, = designed to=20 delight any youngster with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate = and=20 caramel toppings.
The Green Parrot is one of a kind, the end result of months of = planning and=20 brainstorming by a small group of investors who each added their = imprint.=20 Long-term, the group may build another Parrot, continuing a concept that = has=20 been embraced by their customers. In the meantime, it is a pleasant = place to=20 dine on good food that is carefully prepared, whether for a family = dining out or=20 a sports fan looking for a place to enjoy a brew and a game.
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