Savor the local flavor
By: Samantha Bambino
Tags: Foodies, Wine, Restaurant, Food, Festivals

Bucks County Food & Wine Festival debuts at Parx Casino, proceeds benefit addiction recovery at Libertae

By Samantha Bambino

The Times

A new foodie paradise: Parx Casino, in partnership with Visit Bucks County and Visit Philadelphia, is presenting its inaugural Bucks County Food & Wine Festival on May 17–18. A special guest appearance will be made by Marc Murphy, a world-renowned chef and judge on The Food Network’s Chopped. Source: Chef Marc Murphy

The taste buds of local foodies are about to be set into overdrive when Parx Casino, in partnership with Visit Bucks County and Visit Philadelphia, presents its inaugural Bucks County Food & Wine Festival.

Set for Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18 at the casino, located at 2999 Street Road, Bensalem, the event features local chefs, restaurants and breweries, and acclaimed West Coast and international wineries.

Food enthusiasts can taste some of the best cuisine from Bucks County and its surrounding areas, participate in wine seminars, witness chef cook-offs, and enjoy a special guest appearance by Marc Murphy, a world-renowned chef, restaurateur and judge on The Food Network’s hit TV show Chopped.

“We wanted to showcase the vibrant culinary talent in Bucks County,” said Yeghiche Manoukian, executive vice president of Parx Casino. “When foodies in the area are looking for an upscale, quality dining experience, there are many reasons to stay local and skip going into the city. The local restaurant scene has grown significantly in the last few years, and we are proud to have our very own Oliveto and Liberty Bell Gastropub as part of that regional development. Our festival is the next evolution of Bucks County’s food and wine scene. Come hungry, as it will be a day of delicious offerings we won’t soon forget.”

On May 17, the festival will be held at Liberty Bell Gastropub from 6 to 10 p.m., during which Murphy will host a kickoff evening of gourmet sliders, hors d’oeuvres, craft beers and a selection of Beam Suntory cocktails. Guests will enjoy a live performance by Emily Drinker and, after the festivities, Parx Beer Garden will host an after-party and official opening of the roof for the summer season, weather permitting.

The event will continue on Saturday at the Xcite Center from noon to 6 p.m. While enjoying tastings and wine selections, guests can experience Iron Chef-style showdowns and a live performance by The Quixote Project.

Participating restaurants include King George II Inn in Bristol, Steam Pub in Southampton and Thyme Bar & Grill in Newtown. Present from Thyme will be chef Barry Shapiro, who was hired a little over a month ago to help the restaurant transition into its next phase.

“Thyme is under new ownership as of last year. It was the Black Horse Tavern, whose old MO was more about entertainment rather than the style and quality of food. Whereas now, we are an establishment that’s kind of fading away from the entertainment while still having it, and really focusing on higher-quality, fresh foods with an Asian-American twist to our style,” he said. “When the new owner came on board, who also owns the restaurant UVA in Richboro, his vision was to turn it into upscale dining, which is something Newtown needed desperately.”

Shapiro, whose culinary background includes time spent at Earl’s New American in Peddler’s Village, hit the ground running. Within three days of joining the Thyme family, he organized the kitchen staff and hired a new general manager, crafted a spring menu, and happily obliged to participate in the Food & Wine Festival.

“I was really excited about that,” he said. “For me, it was a great opportunity to get the word out about this restaurant and how we’re changing the culture.”

At the festival, each participating restaurant will have a table set up, where the chef will prepare one or two signature dishes for attendees to sample. Shapiro plans to offer either shrimp tacos, or his latest edible creation — a vanilla-thyme waffle and fried chicken thigh, smothered in homemade lavender-thyme syrup.

All proceeds from the Food & Wine Festival will go directly to Libertae, an addiction and recovery treatment center for women and children, located at 5245 Bensalem Blvd., Bensalem. According to Therese Dougherty, Libertae’s director of development and marketing, funding from the event will significantly help the organization’s efforts.

“We’ve been around since 1973, but we’ve expanded immensely,” she said. “We have both an outpatient and residential program, and more than 90 percent of the women that we treat have children. So we provide childcare while the moms are getting their therapy and other assistance.”

Children ages 12 and under can stay at Libertae’s Keystone STARS-designated center, allowing mothers to retain full custody while getting the help they need. On average, Libertae serves 850 people annually, and draws from Bucks County, Philadelphia, Delaware and other areas.

Services include individual and group therapy, life skills counseling and advocacy, medical referrals and support, and day and evening sessions. These are available to women 18 years and older.

“The proceeds from this will be a benefit to our program and help us continue to offer all the different opportunities we have here,” Dougherty said. “We have art and music therapy, we have transformational yoga. These are not covered under insurance, so proceeds from events like this are huge.” ••

If you go…

The Bucks County Food & Wine Festival takes place Friday, May 17, from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, May 18, from noon to 6 p.m. The Friday night kickoff is $50 per person, and Saturday’s main festival is $75 per person. Weekend passes are $110 per person. Tickets are on sale at parxcasino.com/foodwinefestival

Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com