Italian Cucina — Restaurant in New Hope

You don't want to miss a visit to this "diamond in the rough" IF you are a person who wants a dinner experience that is personal, quaint and intimate. Definitely romantic. The small room has only a few tables (a porch area can accommodate another 4 top) which the owners can design based on their bookings for the evening. I think there were 4-5 tables in total. Charming cottage of a room. Italian music playing, not too loudly, and you feel like you are in a private dining room. It is a BYOB so they definitely spend time focusing on the food! And they do that VERY WELL! The menu changes based on what is fresh and looks good to Chef/owner Sam. We had an incredible Clam appetizer...(I don't remember what they called it but I know it as a traditional Zuppa di Clams) and it was sensational. Perfect sauce, light, that did not over power the clams. Simply a perfect balance of fresh ingredients and presented beautifully. The Fresh pasta, stuffed with 4 cheeses in a Vodka sauce was as good as you will taste anywhere. Then there was a Pork chop in Cream sauce with Shiitake mushrooms which was HUGE and out of this world! In the restaurant, my only reservation was that there was a lot of sauce with the Pork Chop. While it was a little heavy looking the GREAT NEWS was that I was able to take home 1/2 the Pork Chop, in the delicious sauce, and we were able to have it for a second wonderful meal. To end the meal we had perfect mini Cannoli's AND IL GRANDE FINALE a Limoncello cake that was light as air and SO delicious that we took home an extra piece! This is a dining experience. The owners Colleen and Sam, are all hand on deck. Both served the meal and were happy to engage in conversation IF that is what you like. If NOT they seemed to know how to gauge that. We got back story on the restaurant and it was a memorable evening that will be repeated as soon as we are in the area! Be sure to set aside 2 hours for your experience. Which is what it is! An " experience" celebrating good Italiana cuisine and ambience! You WON'T be...

A bit of New Hope history. Started by Joe Lombardi in the early 2000s. The first restaurant was a very small place set back a ways on the main street. Run by Joey who was the Chef and owner and a couple waitresses who served and helped out. He ran the old restaurant for quire awhile, was well known for visiting tables and sharing a glass of wine with guest. He then chose to retire selling the business to Sam and Colleen, the current owners. Joey died in the Covid pandemic. RIP. The new owners carry on with an excellent menu and friendly, family style service. Like Joey, Sam and Colleen will come visit your table to assure you are happy. There is a small shrine to Joey as many of his old customers still frequent the establishment. He is there toasting you as he often did. Two of my daughters worked for the restaurant as waitresses years ago. Our first dinner there was in 2006 on a gift certificate from my oldest son who was manager at The Little Taste of Cuba cigar shop across the street, now also long gone. The new owners moved The restaurant to its current location which is a bigger location and nicely decorated with a lovely ambiance. Try the pork chop. That was one of Joey's last creation. ...

After passing Italian Cucina what felt like a million times and uttering "we really need to try this place...", we finally ate there last night. The restaurant itself is unassuming but cozy, with just a handful of tables packed in a small, intimate space. Our food was simply outstanding, especially when compared to anything similar in the area. We had the burrata salad (it's huge), chicken cordon bleu, and sacatini with truffle Alfredo sauce. The meat was tender, the sauces flavorful, and the portions ample. The staff was extremely friendly and welcoming, and the owner Joe made several trips around the restaurant to make sure everyone was enjoying their meal. Rather than detracting from the experience, the rather tight quarters actually added to the home cooked feel, and we found ourselves chatting off and on with the couple eating across from us, mostly about how good the food was. Needless to say, our only regret is not dining here sooner, and we will be back very very soon. Five stars,...