Feeding Frenzy

Restaurants opening, closing and pending

by Drew Lazor

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Published: Jun 11, 2008

>> NOW SEATING

Chef/owner Francesco Parmisciano and his chef brothers Marco and Massimo introduced this Passyunk Ave. Italiano last Thursday. Taking over for Tre Scalini, the bilevel BYO has a rustic feel and holds about 110. The Parmiscianos, natives of Salerno, previously owned Wilmington, Del., restaurant Pomodoro; Marco says the menu spans Italy "from north to south," and emphasizes daily seafood specials (whole fish filleted tableside, calamari, octopus, etc.) and cavatelli and risotto dishes as specialties. Don't fret, classic South Philly fare fans: "We have veal chops," Marco vows.

>> WAITING LIST

Expect Heather and Charlie Collazo's The Institute to be open by early next week. The story behind the name? The couple had their first date at the Franklin Institute in 1996. Nowadays, they have a membership and take their five kids there regularly; the idea for the name came to them on a visit. The bilevel bar features about 50 seats on the ground with about 40 up top. Heather reached out to contributors on the Beer Advocate and NoLibs message boards for suggestions on how to load up their 12-tap system — the result is a boss draft list that includes Founders Centennial IPA and Red Rye, and locals like PBC's Walt Wit. ("I was asking people, 'What would be your wet dream draft list?'" says Heather.) Food program is still in the works, but expect them to keep it simple.

The third warship in Jose Garces' Philly resto-armada should set sail sometime in July. Think of them as siblings: If Amada is the well-dressed, well-read sister with super-hot hair and Tinto is her jet-setting, Rioja-swirling grad-school hermano, Distrito's gonna be the boisterous baby of the family, the one who's into DayGlo tees and expensive sneaks and had the new Weezy two years before it dropped. He's being described as "high-energy" and "over the top." He's going to have swinging seats, Mexican toy vending machines and a wall constructed from 600 luchador masks. He's going to feed you masa cakes topped with trumpet mushrooms and huitlacoche sauce. He's going to pour you hibiscus cosmos and capirinhas with double-distilled cachaca. Can't wait to meet you, brother.

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