Welcome to Starfish Brasserie, located at the southeast corner of West Broad and Guetter streets, Bethlehem, PA
Dick and Sue Barrows established a home in Easton, while still operating Forager House in New Hope. The commute began to take its toll, and they sold Forager after a successful 16-year run to open a place closer to home.
After investigating sites in Easton, they finally found a site at the corner of Broad and Guetter Streets, in the heart of downtown Bethlehem. The property was the site of a failed Irish pub so had some basic equipment but it needed a lot of work!
Dick had long wanted to have a restaurant that specialized in seafood, so began planning a menu and investigating suppliers of fresh fish.
In the meantime, Sue was working on a plan to renovate the space and turn it into a friendly welcoming space with a nautical motif, complete with fish decorations. Dick and Sue both had a concept firmly in mind and, using a contractor and a designer, both of whom were long time friends, they created Starfish Brasserie.
"It's not a run-of-the-mill place," says Dick, "The bar has kind of an industrial feel to it, with its stained concrete floor, copper countertop and overhead lighting. We were trying to create something that's going to be fun."
Susan says the bar area is the focal point of the establishment, with a "cutting-edge, contemporary look. We took out the acoustic ceiling, leaving it open." In the dining room itself, a French bistro theme prevails with paper covers over the tablecloths emphasizing the informal nature of the restaurant.
Starfish won “Best New Restaurant” in its first year and has won “Best of the Valley” awards in every succeeding year. Dick wanted the wine list to be on a par with the food and décor and was pleased when in 2005 the Wine Spectator magazine recognized Starfish with an “Award of Excellence.”
2006 brought one big change. Starfish is now a totally non-smoking restaurant. In a ceremony attended by Bethlehem’s mayor and other dignitaries, Dick broke a cigarette piñata signifying an era of clean air that can only enhance the ambience.
Dick & Sue Barrows
Dick earned a degree in Anthropology from Ball State (IN) University and then moved back to Bucks County, PA, where he grew up and was a standout athlete, excelling in wrestling and baseball. He had grown up in a family where his mother Pearl, who was an excellent cook, often encouraged him to try his hand in the kitchen. The family did go out to restaurants and he learned to experience many different foods.
After working as a waiter in a crepe restaurant in Philadelphia, he began working as a prep cook at Frog, one of the first places in the Philadelphia restaurant renaissance. Dick took to the work and quickly learned all of the positions in Frog’s busy kitchen.
Dick then worked at a number of Bucks County restaurants before buying Forager House. In addition to receiving many fine reviews, including The New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer, he was selected for the honor of cooking at the James Beard House in New York on three occasions.
Sue grew up in West Lafayette, IN, where she met Dick. She later moved to the Philadelphia area where she worked in the front of the house at Frog. When she and Dick bought Forager House, Sue planned the décor and ran the dining room, as well as making a variety of delicious desserts.
After Dick and Sue’s daughter Leslie arrived, the couple moved to Easton and enjoyed watching her grow up. Leslie, a four sport athlete with softball and field hockey her specialties, is now an honor student at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Dick and Sue have made Starfish Brasserie into one of the finest and most popular spots in the Lehigh Valley. Starfish has won a “Best of the Valley” award from Lehigh Valley Magazine in each year of its existence.
We welcome guests for dinner and private functions. We also encourage you to stop by for an appetizer or light meal in the bar.