Staff Blog
PASSING THE BAR: JL Sullivan’s Speakeasy, The Institute
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Follow the jump to read about two upcoming drinkity spots — JL Sullivan's Speakeasy (pictured) and The Institute.
We recently got a walkthrough of JL Sullivan's Speakeasy, the high-end, 200-capacity restaurant/sports bar/lounge filling in the big ol' Bellevue space long occupied by Zanzibar Blue. Grand opening, they say, is May 15.
- The concept was birthed by the people behind McFadden's. GM Michael Churbuck headed up places like Pasion, Striped Bass and Denim before relocating to the West Coast to work for Aramark. Now he's back in Philly to spearhead the flagship Sullivan's, which'll serve as a template for national expansion. Bar manager is Billy Magee, a 4 Corners vet. Chef is Jason Peabody, formerly of Lacroix and the Four Seasons. (Though he was extremely modest and did not point this out on his own, Peabody's pals were quick to claim that he was also the real mind behind the award-winning Cheesesteak BLT at Vesuvio, where he worked as head chef.)
- Concept-wise, you basically want to think about a plush sports bar capable of attracting multiple crowds — a more accessible 40/40, so to speak. "When you think of sports bars, you think either "Champps or Fox and Hound," says Churbuck. "Here, we're trying to exceed both elements." There's 4500 square feet dedicated to "dining and fun space," as Churbuck puts it. Interior features will include 34 plasma HD TVs, concrete tiling, a backlit, white onyx-topped bar wrapped in black leather, 360-degree banquettes and a portable DJ booth that they'll be able to stow away during lunch hours. There are also "luxury suites" available for private parties — these'll feature frosted one-way windows, 60-inch plasmas and authentic Trump Casino poker tables encased in Plexiglass to rest your drinks and grub on.
- Magee was able to share some info about the bar program — first off, they'll carry quite a few offerings from San Fran's Speakeasy Ales & Lagers — nice name synergy there. There'll be a 10-tap system with choices like Yards, Rogue, Troegs, Blue Moon and Pilsner Urquell; around 40 choices in bottles. Signature cocktails will carry a classic feel, with standbys like Sidecars and Manhattans. Magee also talks up his water filtration system, which'll purify agua behind the bar.
- Peabody's menu is split into two halves — plates and platters, or small plates and entrées. It's upscale but recognizable stuff — examples include beef tartare, lobster thermidor, beef wellington, truffle mac 'n' cheese, Carolina-style pulled pork, bibb and frisee salads, sliders, halibut kiev, etc.
The Institute is the name of the bar/lounge progressing nicely at the corner of 12th and Green streets in that not-quite-Chinatown, not-quite-North Philly area some call "Spring Garden" or "West Poplar." (We call it the Eraserhead District.)
- The owners are Charlie and Heather Collazo, locals who've worked in a number of clubs here in Philly — Transit, Pure, 8th Street Lounge and Palmer Social Club among them. (He designs sound and lighting systems; she's a bartender.) They live just a few blocks from the space.
- Downstairs will feel like a classic neighborhood pub — an "antique look" with oak paneling and a copper-finished tin ceiling. Upstairs, however, will reflect the couple's background, with a brightly colored lounge area with a DJ booth. (They'll be spinning house and old-school hip-hop mostly, says Heather.) They're also working on a roof deck.
- Heather says The Institute wants to cater to people who "want to go and hear good music and have a drink, but [aren't] into the large club scene. Not to knock other places, but it'll be a little more relaxed than bars and lounges in the Old City area."
- They'll have a 12-tap system, with plans to eventually expand that number to 24. They're also looking to serve food — simple sandwiches and burgers, says Heather, with nothing over $10.
- Something worth noting about the location itself — it's the soon-to-be-former home of Jesse's Tenderline Pub, a purported "nuisance bar" whose reputation for seediness has pissed off residents for several years now. (Thanks to CP copy editor — and former Tenderline regular — Joel Tannenbaum for digging up this PhillyBlog thread about the spot.)
[...] PASSING THE BAR: JL Sullivan’s Speakeasy, The Institute [The Clog] [...]
That is great about the 12th and Green location. I live around the corner - and that block is so scary right now. There was a shooting the week that we moved in. Now someone just needs to take over the J & J Trestle Inn!!
If JL Sullivan’s without any resemblance of a Speakeasy, then why are they calling it a speakeasy?
[...] Lazor What’s in an acronym?Looks like JL Sullivan’s Speakeasy, the McFadden’s-backed concept that took over the old Zanzibar Blue back in May, wasn’t gaining much traction in its original form. The space is being rebranded [...]
@ Michael - I was thinking the EXACT same thing!! Have you found out anything why? I was going to e-mail someone involved to see if I could find out. The only thing that looks “incognito” is the entrance from the picture above.