BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Wilbur Mansion’s terrace flickered with firelight as guests raised their glasses and the air filled with the warm strains of fiddle and guitar from a trio playing parlor tunes.
Inside, wine aficionados and foodies gathered in the stately mansion, built in 1864, to sample small bites and artisan cocktails as part of the property's transformation and rebranding of its restaurant and bar, Swift.
“We really looked at everything from the ground up. It wasn’t just new dishes. It was culture, service — even how we move through the dining room.Swift restaurant's food and beverage director Sundiata White
On Thursday, about 100 diners got a sneak peek of the "experience" at the Swift Launch party, organized in partnership with the Great Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“We really looked at everything from the ground up,” the restaurant's food and beverage director, Sundiata White, said.
“It wasn’t just new dishes. It was culture, service — even how we move through the dining room.
"The idea is not to ask, ‘Are you ready to eat?’ but instead to host an experience.”
Locally sourced
That "experience" begins with the food.
The new menu, created by Swift Executive Chef Brandon Otto, leans on familiarity, but with a modern twist.
The lump crab cake ($42), which Otto said he has carried with him over the years, is made with red bell peppers, scallions, sweet corn puree, asparagus and apple vinegar slaw.
Also for $42, Otto's spin on duck à l'orange is served with lemon and oregano marble potatoes and roasted tri-colored carrots.
Seasonal salads highlight peaches and tomatoes at their peak, while desserts and sides pull from local farms and purveyors, according to staff.
Among the local partners are Scholl Orchards in Bethlehem, Valley Milkhouse in Oley, Homestead Coffee Roasters in Upper Black Eddy, and Inside Scoop Cremery in Coopersburg.
“People are savvy now,” White said. “They cook at home, they have access to great ingredients. So the menu had to be both approachable and exacting.”
Pennsylvania distilleries
At the bar, the philosophy is similar.
Bar Manager Katy Mead, who joined the team in March, dubs her approach “farm-to-glass.”
Many of her cocktails feature spirits from Pennsylvania distilleries and syrups made by hand.
“Yesterday I spent 10 hours just making syrups,” Mead said. “It’s not glamorous, but it’s what makes the drinks stand out.”
Mead also sources honey, berries and herbs from local farms, along with premium spirits from Bluebird Distilling in Phoenixville, and products from High Point Kambucha in Allentown and the Green House Tea Room in Bethlehem.
The result: cocktails that are fresh, seasonal and layered with notes and flavors.
It's a tasty sip that comes with a price tag (artisan cocktails start at $16), but Mead defends the cost.
“When you order an $18 cocktail here, you’re not just paying for what’s in the glass,” she said. “You’re paying for the labor, the craftsmanship, and the fact that it’s rooted in local partnerships.”
Honors Bethlehem's history
John and Lynn Noble bought Wilbur Mansion in 2015 with the idea to transform it into a boutique hotel, restaurant and event venue.
The mansion, which was built for Lehigh Valley Railroad President E.P. Wilbur, now blends tradition with flashes of whimsy — think modern chandeliers and stonework accented by Lynn Noble's contemporary abstract art.
Though historians and architecture enthusiasts will quickly spot the mansion’s Gothic Revival roots in its stained-glass windows, wooden doors, staircase, fireplace and columns.
“We want people to feel like they’re part of something,” White said.
"Something that honors Bethlehem’s history but also feels fresh, fun, and rooted in community.”
Swift is at 201 Cherokee St.
Hours are 4:30 p.m. to 8 pm. Sunday - Thursday and 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday - Saturday.
Sunday brunch is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Happy hour specials (4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday) include $10 Handcrafted cocktails, $10 chef-inspired appetizers, $8 curated wines, and $2 off local draft beers.
For reservations, visit Swift's page on Opentable.com.
