Watkins Drinkery in pictures

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Watkins Drinkery in pictures

POSTED: Friday, September 24, 2010, 11:11 PM

Filed Under: Booze | Menu Time | Openings | Photos

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Watkins Drinkery, from Jonn Klein of The Dive, is officially open to the public as of 5 p.m. today, but we dropped into a soft-open dinner service last night to snag a few photos for y'all. Sitting right on the corner of 10th and Watkins (near Morris), Klein's bar is the product of nearly-three-year, red tape-laden struggle chalk it up to the property's sordid past as a cocaine distribution hub, plus some heavy doses of Philadelphia Bureaucracy, the most trusted name in bureaucracy. He's done a bunch of changes to the space, but points out that it's mainly stuff you can't see (electrical, tap system, plumbing, kitchen renovations, etc.), meaning the Drinkery still holds that South Philly neighborhood tappie vibe. Just take a look at the light-up starscape ceiling panels above the bar, a holdover from the Bella Rosa II that Klein actually paid to get back into working order. (Klein can't wait to for February to roll around, as he plans on organizing a tongue-in-cheek "Valentine's Day Under the Stars" event.) The interior, dotted with photos Klein took throughout his travels of Europe, has been given a fresh start, especially the second-level floor, which features a dart board, billiards table and a 40-games-in-one 1980s arcade machine the floor up here is the beautiful original oak, but Klein had to rip up something like five layers of crappy board and linoleum up to actually find it. John Morris, a Dive regular who's cooked all over the place, in and out of the city, is the Drinkery's head chef, and he's put together a selection of atypical bar food (see full food/drink menus here) that's priced extremely well (top price: $9.95). What we ate, in order (food till 1 a.m. nightly):

Ostrich carpaccio with micro arugula
Grilled vegetable salad (zucchini, corn, asparagus, etc.) with a vanilla vinaigrette
House-cured duck prosciutto and buffalo mozzarealla sandwich with beef tomato
Rabbit sausage sandwich with pickled jalapenos
Fish and chips (beer-battered mahi mahi with malt vinegar mayo)

Another big selling point for this brand-new spot will be its happy hour, running seven days a week from 5 to 7 p.m. half off everything on draft.

Miss Fidget

Posted 2010-10-22 15:29:26

WOW, I can not fricking WAIT to check this joint out. A much welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Giant Congrats John!

Adam Erace

Posted 2010-09-25 11:08:18

Dope. So glad this deal finally got done.

Foobooz » Quick Bites

Posted 2010-09-28 12:14:35

[...] Meal Ticket takes a look inside Watkins Drinkery taking photos of food, pool tables and the starscape ceiling. [Meal Ticket] [...]

Watkins Drinkery?

Posted 2010-09-27 18:26:43

[...] with pickled jalapenos * Fish and chips (beer-battered mahi mahi with malt vinegar mayo)    Watkins Drinkery in pictures :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper    "It has shown me that everything is illuminated in the light of the past" Jonathan [...]

Meal Ticket’s 2010 in Pictures: September :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2011-01-01 12:02:31

[...] - Watkins Drinkery in pictures [24sept10] [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 11:11 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews here — those are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to caroline@citypaper.net.

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