Bella Tori Restaurant, Langhorne

Bella Tori Restaurant's white, Victorian mansion sprawls atop a rolling lawn, its shingles and surrounding oaks gleaming in the sunlight. Past the covered porch, the entranceway opens to tiled floors and Doric columns holding a balcony reached by a carpeted staircase with wrought-iron banisters. Then to the dining rooms, where gold-draped windows surround white and red tablecloths, and bookshelves and fireplaces lend a classic, comfortable touch that complements a menu of rustic Italian dishes.

Chef Mark and his team bathe pastas in cream sauce, grill Mediterranean salmon, crisp up their celebrated house-made crab cakes, crust chicken in pecans, and roast racks of lamb. As servers carry these culinary artworks through the space, wafting their savory scents, they suggest pairings from an extensive wine list. But on Friday nights, customers follow their passions: they bring a bottle of wine from home to complement live classical guitar—from Bach to the Beatles. In addition to dinner and Sunday brunch, the kitchen also whips up dishes for rehearsal dinners and weddings, which, in warmer weather, can spill out onto the private lawn or attempt to huddle in the walk-in refrigerator.