SL-PL TopChefs 1115-FINAL-REG1_Feature 11/10/15 2:28 PM Page 1 Making the Cut Inspired chefs spice up the area’s dynamic dining culture BY LEIGH STUART AND BILL DONAHUE DAVID MARQUES skill in fresh fish and seafood made him the From Italian to American, ince 2008, David Marques has been spend- obvious choice to lead Buona Via’s kitchen, Mexican to Mediterranean, the ing his days perfecting the menu and the and the restaurant has been on the right side restaurants of the Greater S experience for customers of Horsham’s of the growth curve ever since. Philadelphia Area offer options Buona Via Italian Seafood and Grill, which he The restaurant business is always busy, but to suit any taste imaginable— serves as executive chef. By the start of the even Marques can admit the past six months world-class pizzas, prime steaks, New Year, however, his schedule will likely have been something of a blur—spending a cutting-edge vegan dishes and require some adjustments, as the team behind great deal of time and energy preparing for the much more. Behind all these great meals, of course, are the Buona Via expands to a second restaurant in new restaurant’s opening, while maintaining master chefs who have put in Hatboro, an American bar and grill dubbed, the hard work and creativity to simply, 58 York. make our region a culinary Opened on the site of the shuttered Café destination on par with any city La Fontana, 58 York will feature “Americana in the country. We’re not talking cuisine” influenced by regional dishes from just about the folks with famous across the country—“from Oregon to Florida,” last names—Garces, Sbraga, Marques says. The new restaurant will include Solomonov, Vetri, etc. We spoke a raw bar and a semi-open kitchen, along with six men and women from with “two big bars” and a general store, ac- disparate backgrounds—Ricardo cording to Marques. Franco, David Marques, Timothy Chef Marques, who in 1991 graduated Thomas, Habib Troudi, Marcie from The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill Turney and Mark Twersky—about College, cut his teeth at notable Philadelphia Robinson their establishments, their restaurants. He later crossed the Atlantic to Jody inspirations and their thoughts live in his parents’ native Portugal, where he by on what makes the local dining had his own restaurant. Upon his return to scene shine so brightly. the states, he started working at Ristorante photograph Mediterraneo in Horsham, owned by Buona Via proprietor Salvatore Carratta. Marques’ Marques PHILADELPHIA40 LIFE/SUBURBAN LIFE NOVEMBER 2015 SL-PL TopChefs 1115-FINAL-REG1_Feature 11/10/15 2:29 PM Page 2 the level of excellence customers have come thing that will be awesome in Philadelphia.” $120 Barclay Prime cheesesteak—in Ritten- to expect from Buona Via. While many might look at each of Chef house Square. He has since been building “This time of year gets really busy as it is, Turney’s restaurants as unique, she notes upon STARR’s legacy of culinary excellence, especially with all the holiday parties,” he says. there is at least one commonality among while lending his personal touch to Barclay “We’ve continued to introduce new items that them all—“big flavors,” she says. While her Prime’s menu of signature items. people might not see elsewhere, like prosciutto chefs, who like to take educational sojourns and black mozzarella, different kinds of pastas to different restaurants within the empire, TIMOTHY THOMAS and other exciting things. … We want people may jump from Mexican to Mediterranean, imothy Thomas never backs down from to come here and indulge a little—experience she says every cuisine “has a pasta or a noodle Ta challenge. That’s partially why he con- the food, have a good time and enjoy the at- or a way of grinding spices. [The restaurants] siders “modern American” his preferred mosphere we’ve created here.” have a similar thread that runs through them style of cuisine, because it requires balancing Soon enough, locals will be able to “in- all, but then all these different flavors. I think different cultures and getting them to work dulge” at the new place in Hatboro, though that’s what’s exciting. together on a plate. It’s also what led him to Marques says 58 York’s personality will be “I’ll never know everything, but you can the kitchen of Flora, a 16-seat BYOB in Jenk- completely different than Buona Via’s. He ex- always keep learning.” intown that opened its doors last November, pects the new restaurant to open its doors by serving only seasonal vegetable-based cuisine. year’s end. Thomas took over as chef in July 2015, and he quickly applied his unique flair to the MARCIE TURNEY menu. hef Marcie Turney helms an enviable “I’ve worked in a lot of different venues— Crestaurant empire. She and her partner, sports arenas, hotels, French and Italian fine Valerie Safran, have led the transformation dining, gastro pubs—but this was my first of 13th Street in Philadelphia’s Midtown Village time doing vegan,” says Thomas, who previ- neighborhood, which now includes five of ously led the kitchen at Forcella, another Jenk- their restaurants, in- intown restaurant owned by the same folks cluding Barbuzzo, who launched Flora. “The challenge comes Jamonera, Little in substituting vegetables in dishes that I Nonna’s and Lolita. would otherwise do with meat, and in imple- In addition, the pair menting flavorful vegan sauces to complement owns two boutique the vegetable dish.” shops—Open One example from the current autumn House, which was menu—spicy cauliflower wings and lemon- launched in 2002, thyme waffle with golden raisin chutney— and Verde—and was inspired by a popular Southern dish: Chef Turney chicken and waffles. Likewise, with shepherd’s has her own line of pie, another dish currently on the menu, the sweets under the MARK TWERSKY combination of lentils and mushrooms provide name Marcie Blaine t can be a tricky proposition when a the “meatiness” that would be provided by Artisanal Chocolates. I business owner wants to bring the next ground beef in a more traditional recipe. Their newest generation into the family business, even restaurant, Bud & to lead the business. One of the best ways to Marilyn’s, is mod- ensure a smooth transition occurs when the eled after the restau- parent tells the adult child, “Go off and do rant owned by Tur- something else first, learn something else. ney’s grandparents, Then come back and we’ll see what happens.” Bud and Marilyn Briese, in her hometown of Huntingdon Valley native Mark Twersky can Ripon, Wis. “When I hear how many places relate, to a degree. we have, I’m just kind of, like, ‘Wow, that’s in- A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, sane,’” she says. Twersky began his career in Stephen Starr’s Robinson As if this weren’t enough, Turney says “family” of restaurants, as chef tournant in Jody there is still more to come. She and Safran the illustrious Buddakan in Philadelphia. To by have lived above Jamonera for 10 years but gain experience and expand his view of the recently bought a new second-floor space in world, he left Philadelphia and went on to South Philly where they intend to move— work in a number of renowned New York photograph along with, of course, a ground-floor space restaurants, including Dos Caminos, Isabella’s, Thomas they will turn into a restaurant. This new Le Cirque, Per Se and Alfama. He also worked | restaurant, Turney says, likely won’t open for extensively as a private chef, cooking for Thomas intends to continually refine his Varney at least a year or two. clients in Manhattan, upstate New York and technique and incorporate new items into When asked what keeps her going for- the Hamptons, as well as in California. the four-course, prix fixe menu. For starters, Jason by ward, continually creating new restaurants His culinary career came full circle in he hopes to introduce a raw vegan option as and sparking new entrepreneurial ventures, 2014, when Twersky returned to the STARR one of the courses. He’d also like to do “some she answers simply, and with a laugh: “It’s Restaurants family as executive chef of Starr’s playful desserts.” In particular, he envisions a photograph kind of like a weird addiction, I think. It’s Barclay Prime—home of the finest steaks trio of “boardwalk treats”—namely, funnel Turney exciting to do something new, design some- known to man and, of course, the legendary cake, sugar rolls and dessert empanadas. PHILADELPHIA LIFE/SUBURBAN LIFE NOVEMBER 2015|41 SL-PL TopChefs 1115-FINAL-REG1_Feature 11/10/15 2:29 PM Page 3 MAKING THE CUT RICARDO FRANCO An invigorated Franco opened his first other dishes Franco would put on the “must outh American by birth, Ricardo Franco restaurant in South Carolina in the early ’90s. order” list include the Azie rock shrimp and, Swas raised in Brazil and Italy. He came to Travel—one might say fate—brought him to from the wok, kobe beef fried rice and crab the United States in the late 1970s to the New Hope/Lambertville area, and he im- fried rice, which he considers “the best on forge a career in the culinary arts and made a mediately fell in love with its quaint, historic the Main Line.” Considering his wide-ranging beeline for New York City, where he honed richness. Upon relocating, he opened his background, influenced by cuisine from across his skills beside Michelin-starred chefs.