Tre Fratelli Restaurant

Newtown’s favorite family affair.
By Alina Makhnovetsky

Tre Fratelli may mean three brothers in Italian, but in Newtown, Tre Fratelli is a seasoned restaurant that has grown into a local favorite—surprisingly under two Irish lads.

Larry Murphy and Jim Murray assumed ownership of the restaurant over ten years ago and knew their success relied on two things—keeping their perfect pizza recipe and altering the inner workings of your typical Italian restaurant. Today, both proved to be smart choices.

First it was Murphy who leaped into the business, buying out the original three brothers and calling Murray along to revamp the menu and advance the restaurant. Both men spent a considerable amount of time in the service industry, but like most viewed their time spent in restaurants as transitional. Even while cooking at Newtown’s famed Isaac Newton’s, Murray had different aspirations, focusing on a promising teaching career. Turns out, there was an alternate plan at work for the two future partners, who not only met each other at Isaac Newton’s, but also their respective spouses. Soon, the restaurant industry wasn’t just a passing phase, but an inspired venture and family affair.

Today, Murphy runs the front of the house and Murray heads the kitchen. However, at Tre Fratelli, you won’t find anyone calling Murray, “chef.” This is not to say this kitchen whiz isn’t a superbly talented chef. In fact, before Murray started honing his culinary skills professionally at the tender age of 14, he was already a foodie and completely enthralled with his Italian mother’s cooking at home. “We had nightly dinners and my friends would come over and say ‘you always have pasta,’ but to us it was a completely different meal. Linguini and clams one night, then spaghetti and meatballs the next, never tired us, or felt repetitious” says Murray. Many of the recipes on Tre Fratelli’s menu reflect Murray’s love affair with Italian cuisine and his exposure to his mother’s side of the family. The black and white lobster ravioli is a favorite of the regulars, of which Tre Fratelli has hundreds.Murphy and Murray even serve the raviolis at the yearly Tyler Tasting charity event, donating their signature dish for the event held at Bucks County Community College.

However, what resonates with customers is not only the generosity of both owners, (just check out their portions) but also the dedication and respect they show their staff, a rare occurrence in this day and age. Long ago, Murphy and Murray dismissed the popular business model and instead of creating a strict hierarchy, opted to craft a restaurant that is a pleasant work place, even on those busy Friday nights. “Being good to our employees is of up most importance to us,” says Murray. In truth, the restaurant has had much of the same staff for the last ten years and for them as well as the two owners, Tre Fratelli has obviously become a home away from home. “Customers can see in the eyes of our employees that they enjoy their job, you just can’t fake being happy,” confirms Murray, who insists on being called by his first name on the line. In turn, the ambiance feels warm, friendly and extremely genuine. This is undoubtedly a family restaurant, on more than one level; Murray’s brother Todd is also his sous-chef.

Continuing the family theme, Murray’s recipes also cater to comfort, there is pizza and simple pasta dishes for the kids, a filet mignon for dad, veal, fish or chicken options for mom and Murray’s wife’s Trisha’s favorite, Tre Fratelli salad, with gorgonzola cheese, mandarin orange slices, pine nuts, grape tomatoes and red onions in a citrus vinaigrette. The three main sauces at Tre Fratelli are also all made vegetarian, again accommodating everyone in the community.

“We still have the best pizza around,” says Murray, who inherited Tre Fratelli’s original recipe of thin crust, light cheese and sweet sauce. “Giuseppe, the eldest brother, stayed on and insisted we keep the same ingredients, he was tough and we would have it out, but he was right,” cheerfully remembers Murray.

From an outside glance, Tre Fratelli looks like your typical neighborhood pizza shop.Once inside, it’s hard to miss the dining room that easily sits a 100 and is usually rumbling with pleasant sounds of forks being put to work. Tre Fratelli also transformed its business with the introduction of corporate catering and on and off-premise catering party options, planting the roots of this Newtown staple even deeper into a community that has already fallen for their charm and delicious food.

Tre Fratelli is located at 17 Summit Square Shopping Center in Langhorne. For more information, call (215) 968-1700 or visit www.trefratelli.biz. Flowers for the photo shoot were provided by Bucks County Roses.

Alina Makhnovetsky is a freelance writer and lives in Philadelphia, PA.