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Menu Time
Peter McAndrews, the most Italian Irish guy we know, says his Media restaurant in the old Locust Crest Tavern (1191 N. Middletown Road) should be ready by next week. Name of the pizzeria has changed a bit, and changed sex, from Il Porto to La Porta — romance languages, you just gotta break balls with your masculine/feminine suffixes, don't you? — but still means "the door." Only now the door keeps saying how cute Jon Snow is.
View galleryGarces Group has decided to turn its westward charge eastward — Jose and Co. are opening three new restaurants in Atlantic City. Located in Revel, the newly built casino on the AC boardwalk that already houses a bunch of restaurants, Garces' Jersey expansion includes new locations of Amada, Village Whiskey and Distrito.
- The soft-open Nom Nom Ramen (20 S. 18th St.) has eased its way into regular operating hours that include lunch. Get yourself some shoyu or shio weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner hours are 5 to 9 Monday to Thursday and Sunday and 5 to 10 on Friday and Saturay.
- Last Thursday marked the start of lunch at Matt Levin's Square Peg (929 Walnut St.). They're doing a slightly modified version of the dinner menu (view it here) Monday to Friay from 11 to 3.
- Last week also saw the debut of lunch service at Tapestry (700 S. Fifth St.). Here's their menu (PDF) — the Queen Village restaurant now serves straight through every day, with lunch frmo 11:30 to 5 and dinner from 5 to 1:30 in the morning.
Photo: Drew Lazor
Chauncey Scates at Tapestry (700 S. Fifth St.) is rolling out a new spring-friendly cocktail menu. Along with the mainstays that have been on point from go (Sazeracs, Sidecars, Negronis, proper Daiquiris), she's introduced a number of new-to-Tapestry drinks, like the daiquiri variation Hotel Nacional, rum, Marie Brizzard apry, pineapple and lime; or the gangster-y Bensonhurst, with rye, dry vermouth, Cynar and maraschino liqueur. Full menu's after the jump (click to enlarge). Tapestry still has the distinction of having one of the best-priced cocktail lists in town, with per-drink damage maxing out at $11.
The beer garden/tiki bar deal from the owners of The Farmers' Cabinet (1113 Walnut St.) may be off, but they're still intent on expanding their brand. They just debuted a new place, The Boilermaker, right around the corner from F-Cab in the space once occupied by Blue Bear Tavern (216 S. 11th St.). Chef Steve Forte plans on keeping the classic comfort food-inspired menu affordable and simple — think cornbread and double cheeseburgers. (The kitchen stays open until 1:30 a.m., too.) The edible offerings, however, are modest in comparison to the one-and-half pages (PDF) of draft beers, bottles, cocktails and (yes) boilermakers, old work-a-day slang for a beer and a shot.
Kevin Sbraga, who we reviewed in the winter, is easing into spring. From Monday, April 23 to Thursday, April 26, the Top Chef winner will be previewing his new warm(er)-weather menu items at five-course chef counter tastings at his restaurant, Sbraga (440 S. Broad St.). Think parsley risotto with snails, chanterelles and sorrel; branzino en croute with charcoal oil, spring garlic soup and grapes; and a Thai take on chicken and dumplings with green curry sauce and coconut rice foam. The preview tasting is $55, and with seating for only six at the chef's counter, reservations are highly suggested. Two seatings, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Get on it.
Photo: Jason Varney
Last Friday, XFINITY Live!, Comcast's indoor/outdoor entertainment district on the site of the demolished Spectrum, cracked its first beers. The sprawling complex features five distinct eating/drinking venues, plus the Philly Marketplace, which features stands from Nick's Roast Beef and Chickie's & Pete's. The main concepts range in price point and casualness, from the HD orgy NBC Sports Arena to the classy Spectrum Grill. Here at Meal Ticket, the Victory Beer Hall (pictured) piques our interest most, with its 2000-square foot patio, fire pits and Bavarian pretzels, but in the interest of fairness, we've vetted each XFINITY Live! menu so you don't have to. Here's the meal we'd order at each.
It's about that time, kids, when we begin inundating you with fresh menus greened with fiddleheads and asparagus and spring garlic and rhubarb and ramps. Chadd Jenkins of Little Fish (746 S. Sixth St.) just dropped his new bill of fare last week. What are we excited to try? Scallops with foe and rhubarb. Lobster with avocado, tangerine and polenta. Skate with mussels, razor clams and Swiss chard. Check out a snapshot of the newly chalked blackboard menu after the jump. They're also noting the recent delivery of outdoor furniture for the BYOB's sidewalk. Jerked cobia al fresco? We're so there.
Monday, March 19
Local 44 debuts its attached bottle shop in West Philly.
Vegan chef/caterer Rachel Klein is opening her own space in South Philly.
Insomnia Cookies opens a location in Center City.
Choo choo pho, mini shepherd's pies, our peoples at Tacconelli's at more in Notes from the Weekend.
Tuesday, March 20
Jean-Georges alum Greg Vernick is opening his own restaurant in Philly this spring.
The NAAAP is hosting its first-ever dumpling-eating contest at Sang Kee.
DAVID LYNCH WAS SPOTTED HANGING OUT AND LONDON GRILL AND WE FREAKED OUT A LITTLE.
Check out the cool "green" wall blocking off construction of Shake Shack.
Wednesday, March 21
The guys behind Little Baby's Ice Cream sometimes turn into a Springsteen cover band.
Brick American Eatery is now open in the old Fish.
Cheu Noodle Bar (formerly Roundeye) is hosting its final Matyson pop-up on April 1.
Thursday, March 22
Running down all the food coverage in CP's March 22 issue.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi opens in Philly theaters.
Friday, March 23
New brunch options abound in Philly.
Han Dynasty is aiming to open a location in West Philly and wants to open a speakeasy in Old City.
Robert Amar's Underdogs (132 S. 17th St.), which has become quite the go-to for Center City restaurant workers since opening about three weeks ago, is ready to get its late-night thing going. Starting tonight, he'll keep his subterranean forcemeat emporium open until 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. No night-owl-specific discounts or dealage, just his regular menu, which you can check out after the jump.
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