The HeadHouse in pictures

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The HeadHouse in pictures

POSTED: Friday, June 11, 2010, 4:49 PM

Filed Under: Menu Time | Openings | Photos

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Philly Beer Week forefather Bruce Nichols, who's run Museum Catering for the past 20 years, officially opened The HeadHouse (122 Lombard St.) yesterday evening. Nichols has been out of the bar/restaurant game for awhile, but this is far from his first venture — he and wife Beatrice ran ECCO in the '80s and early '90s. He decided to jump back into the fray after Madame Saito, who owns the adjacent Le Champignon de Tokio in addition to the HeadHouse's bricks, informed him that the space would be available; he loves the Society Hill area and felt "that there was room for this kind of bar" in the neighborhood. Aesthetically, Nichols has lightened up the front room a bit with wood-paneled walls, framed photos of 18th- and 19th-century British ale glasses. The back room has been kept largely the same as Zot's — the main bar's back here, and there are high-tops tricked out with neat metal pint caddies for added oh-shit-I'm-drunk beer stability. The HeadHouse is primarily a showcase for Nichols' craft beer passion — he's doing 20 beers on tap on the ground floor, and there's an entirely separate system on the second level, which Nichols looks forward to using for private events, through his catering company and otherwise. (Here's an unorthodox feature — four of those 20 taps feature are designated for beer cocktails. Right now the HeadHouse has ginger beer and a Dark 'n' Stormy concoction on draft.) Chef Jimmy Chiu, who's worked for Museum Catering for 12 years, has designed an affordable, globally influenced menu that's got everything from carnitas and takoyaki to mussels and falafel (check it out in full below). The HeadHouse's food and bev director is Tom Pittakas, formerly of Alison Two in Fort Washington. Nichols was instrumental in founding Beer Week, so it's only right that the HeadHouse hosts some events. Tonight starting at 9 p.m., they're hosting a "Pime My Rye, Pimp Yourself" party with Dock Street — the West Philly brewery's "pimped out" a batch of their tasty rye IPA with various spices, and they encourage people to pimp out their attire accordingly. ("There might will even be some hos," Nichols postulates.) And tomorrow, June 12, the bar will host the 20th annual Michael Jackson Tutored Tastings, the event that basically started this whole Beer Week thing in the first place.


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danya

Posted 2010-06-11 12:31:24

Is Bruce Nichols related to Rick Nichols?

T-Mac

Posted 2010-06-11 12:59:26

They gotta reel that chef back in! This menu is all over the place.

daytime drinker

Posted 2010-06-11 16:54:24

Designed by Pottery Barn?
decor looks suburbia boring
muted washed out colors

Greg

Posted 2010-06-15 09:27:28

This looks awesome; I see it as a variety of food to match a variety of beer.  NomNom + GlugGlug = YUMYUM!!!

CE Phood

Posted 2010-06-17 23:47:03

I hate to say it but the menu looks like a doozy...unfocused and hit-or-miss. Spanish mussels were my Waterloo. Check out my review here: http://cephood.blogspot.com/2010/06/headhouse-pub-opening-review.html

RIP Bruce Nichols, Philly Beer Week founder :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-11-30 17:47:47

[...] of the founders of Philly Beer Week. Nichols, who when we last spoke was involved in the opening of The HeadHouse, has succumbed to a battle with leukemia. He is remembered very beautifully in this writeup by Tom [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 4:49 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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