A Well-Known Food Critic Visited Bucks County, And This Is Where He Ate

Craig LaBan, the well-known food critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, recently paid a visit to Bucks County, where he tried some of the area's best restaurants.

Here's where he ate, and what he thought. (Click here to read his full review of Bucks County's top restaurants.)

DOYLESTOWN

Slate Bleu (LeBan designated this a "favorite pick")
What LeBan says: "It was clear, as the meal unfolded, how much this restaurant has settled in to excellence over the past 11 years."

Honey
What LeBan says: "There’s a somewhat retro quality now to the unbridled fusion that melds continents here on a plate. But when it works, which it usually does, it’s a thrill."

Spuntino
What LeBan says: "Grab one of those stools and watch the Carollo brothers, Roberto and Salvatore, work their 900-degree wood-fired oven to turn-out some of the best Neapolitan-style pies—heat-blistered and puffy-crusted—in 90 seconds flat."

Domani Star
What Le Ban says: "Doylestowners don’t seem to mind the cramped quarters and noise at this popular 35-seat BYOB, largely because the rustic Italian cuisine is steady and affordable, if not always a picture of finesse."

YARDLEY

Charcoal BYOB (LeBan designated this a "favorite pick")
What LeBan says: "...serving some of the most inventive, avant-garde fare anywhere in the suburbs."

Pretty Bird Coffee Roasters
What LeBan says: "It’s the glorious carbs to go with the caffeine that should draw the morning crowds from the nearby Starbucks, with fancy flavors (maple-blueberry; caramel-drizzled turtle; strawberry sugar) and a simple vanilla glazed that is sublime."

Vault Brewing Company
What LeBan says: "...one of the most well-rounded entries in the brewpub field. "

NEWTOWN

KO
What LeBan says: " I loved the array of homemade dumplings, especially the doughnut-shaped rounds stuffed with kimchi that came bobbing in soup (also on the dumpling sampler). "

NEW HOPE

Earl's New American
What LeBan says: "Step into the sophisticated yet casual ambience of this wood-trimmed restaurant (or its gracious patio) for a martini and an ambitious meal."

Moo
What LeBan says: "A hip food truck-turned-storefront on New Hope’s Main Street whose sleekly tiled little dining room with communal tables feels like a fresh indie take on Shake Shack."

Blue Moose Restaurant And Cafe

What LeBan says: "The prix-fixe menu format delivers well-cooked renditions of familiar dishes with smart little tweaks — maple-glazed salmon, sweet lump crab cakes with mango salsa, soulful cider-glazed pork shank over carrot puree — that are a solid bargain as part of a three-course menu for $34. "

Spring & Vine
What LeBan says: "The menu relies on sustainable local ingredients and international ideas for plates that feel fresh and inventive."

SOUTHAMPTON

Blue Sage Grill
What LeBan says: "Not only had Blue Sage moved from its original strip-mall storefront into an impressive new contemporary space across Second Street Pike, but that chef-owner Michael Jackson’s cooking feels as fresh as ever."

FEASTERVILLE

Leonardo's Italian Bakery
What LeBan says: "There’s a lot of good bread in this region, but few are as distinctive — and as excellent — as the flour-dusted rustic Italian loaves that come in multiple shaves from this classic Feasterville bakery."

Samarkand
What LeBan says: "A taste of Central Asian adventure awaits at this hidden suburban strip-mall gem, where a vast, blue-lighted banquet hall showcases the exotic flavors of Uzbekistan."

LANGHORNE

Moish & Itzy’s Deli
What LeBan says: "It was absolutely that whitefish, a perfectly whipped balance of smoke and creamy mayo sweetness, that lingers in my mind."

PERKASIE

Maize (LeBan designated this a "favorite pick")
What LeBan says: "The food is simply delicious."

PHOTO: Morguefile