Episode Of "Family Restaurant" Brings National Attention To Newtown

NEWTOWN, PA — If you haven't seen Newtown's own Vecchia Osteria by Pasquale on national cable, you're in luck.

The episode of "Family Restaurant" spotlighting the township restaurant is currently running on HBO Max. You can also view it online as a subscriber to HBO Max or the Magnolia Network.

During the series, Andrew Zimmern visits families across the United States to enjoy their family meals and explore how culture influences how and what people eat.

For the Newtown episode, Zimmern sits down with the Palino family for a homemade Italian dinner at their restaurant in the Newtown Depot Shopping Center on the Richboro Road.

Pasquale and Anna Palino with their family. (photo by Jeff Werner)

The episode was shot last spring and made its national debut on Christmas Eve. It’s an enjoyable, heartwarming show to watch and highly recommended for all the Newtown scenes.

In addition to spotlighting great food and introducing the nation to a warm, beautiful Italian family, the episode showcases Newtown in the spring with beautiful shots of the town from above and from the ground, some of which are framed by the town’s blossoming Bradford Pears.

The Palino family owns and operates Vecchia Osteria where they have built a reputation for authentic Italian dishes and endeared themselves to the community.

“We cannot express how excited, appreciative and honored we feel to be sharing our journey as a family business, but most of all sharing our love of food and our community,” said Pasquale in talking to Patch last December. “Make sure you tune in to see all the craziness that makes up our family.”

The Newtown segment was filmed at the Newtown restaurant where Zimmern met Pasquale and his wife, Anna, who have owned and operated the restaurant since 2009. They were joined by their children, Jerry, Nancy, Crescenzo, Aniello and Carmela.

“They were here for three days,” said Pasquale of Zimmern and the film crew. “They cooked with us. They heard our story - who we are. They met our five children who all work with us. It was exciting. The show is like a family dinner - the way we cook, our culture, where we come from - our roots,” he adds.

Andrew and the Palino’s sat down to a family dinner that included pork ragu, Bronzino, escarole pie and sacchetti, a homemade pasta which Anna can be seen making in the show.

Bronzino with greens. (photo by Jeff Werner)

“At the beginning it was very scary,” admitted Anna, especially when the camera crews arrived and started changing everything around. “But they made us feel comfortable. It was a nice experience. We were honored because they contacted us. They wanted to do the show in Pennsylvania and we were among the top two restaurants they considered. It’s a privilege.”

Pasquale said he was impressed with Chef Zimmern, who he described as very knowledgeable and very mellow. Zimmern is a four-time winner of the James Beard Foundation Award.

“He appreciated what we were doing. It was very busy that night and he was very impressed with how we operated,” he said.

Pasquale was also proud of his family, who he said has work hard to make the business a success. “They know it’s not about money. It’s about your name. Your reputation. And what kind of person you are.”

Editor's Note: This story was updated to reflect the accurate name of the show. The show is the first episode in a new series called "Family Restaurant" hosted by Zimmern. It is not part of the "Family Dinner" series.