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Archive: December, 2011
"We're pumped about the seven fishes," chef Brad Spence tells Meal Ticket. This Friday, Dec. 23, at Amis (412 S. 13th St.), he's cooking baccala, monkfish, eel and more aquatic creatures for the classic Italian-American repast. "This is the second year we’re doing it. It's become a huge hit." Spence didn't grow up feasting on flounder on Dec. 24, "but now my Irish-rooted family won't have Christmas Eve any other way." The four-course dinner, which features dishes like housemade squid ink linguine (above), is $65 per person, and we’ve got the full menu after the jump.
Photo: Brad Spence on Twitter
Center City institution Portofino (1227 Walnut St., 215-923-8208), owned by Ralph Berarducci since the early '70s, shut down quietly over the summer under the vague guise of "renovations." Turns out the genial septuagenarian, long one of the most generous and colorful members of the Phllly food community, was ready for something new. This Wednesday, Dec. 28, Berarducci and Midtown Village Association founder James McManaman will unveil what's been going in on the other side of all that window paper — Walnut Street Supper Club, a Stork Club-esque venue that will mix Portofino's housemade pastas and Italian specialties with old-school classics from a bygone restaurant era (think ritzy, jacket-required steakhouse). The food and drink at the 175-seater will be complemented by live music overseen by musical director Jeremiah Downes. (The waitstaff will be among the performers, a la Victor Café.) The Supper club will be open nightly from 5 p.m.
UPDATE [03jan12]: Here's Walnut Street Supper Club's full menu (PDF).
Stopped by a dry run at Hickory Lane last night to see what's going on at the brand-new Fairmount bistro (2025 Fairmount Ave.), run by chef Matt Zagorski (ex-Rouge) and partner Jack Henderson, who was involved in the corner space's previous tenant, L'Oca. Officially opening today for dinner (lunch starts on/around Dec. 28, says Zagorski), Hickory Lane's name pays homage to Fairmount Avenue's moniker in the Philadelphia of old. The cooking, however, is new — reasonable neighborhood prices dot a menu featuring both comfy, bone-warming dishes (French onion soup; calamari bolognese, literally those two ingredients in a big bowl — awesome) and more artful plates reflective of Zagorski's stuff at Rouge (chard-topped medallions of pork with caramel ginger pork jus; yellowfin tuna with riotta saffron gnudi).
The room itself has been augmented from the L'Oca days to carry a darker, more contemporary feel (say hi to Eastern State peeking in through the burlap curtains), with a bunch of outdoor seating along the 16-foot sidewalks coming in the spring. Hickory Lane is BYO for now, but there's talk of a liquor license in the near future. Here they are on Facebook and Twitter.
UPDATE [03jan12]: Peep PDFs of Hickory Lane's opening lunch, breakfast/brunch and dinner menus.
In October we mentioned that Rex would be the name of the restaurant Jet Wine Bar owners Jill Weber and Evan Malone are opening at 1516 South Street, right across the street from Jet. Here's a little more on Rex 1516, as it'll be known properly. The space itself will carry the feel of a "faded mansion," with wrought iron, chandeliers, antique mirrors and plenty of distressed woodwork. Reclaimed materials, too, such as the paneling on the marble-topped bar, salvaged from the Rittenhouse Club (designed by Frank Furness). Food, from 'bama native Regis Jansen (1601, Royal Tavern, Latest Dish), is being billed a "comfort food with Creole roots" — crawfish pie, stuffed pork roulade and vegan meatloaf are among the proposed menu items. The restaurant should be opening in January.
Last night, the inimitable David Katz put out a Twitter call to all his "Jewish friends and Gentiles who hate their families" for the Christmas Eve feast he's hosting at Mémé (22012 Spruce St.). On Saturday, the free egg nog will flow as citybound merrymakers dig into roasted goose, glazed ham, Brussels sprouts with green beans, mashed potatoes and cornbread-chorizo stuffing for $35 a head. (Apple or coconut custard pie is $4.) Reservations are available from 4:30 to 8, and the diner who comes wearing the "the most outlandish Christmas sweater" will eat for free (!).
Photo: Drew Lazor
In addition to offering extended hours on Boxing Day and New Year's Day as they did last year, Pub & Kitchen (1946 Lombard St.) will be open all this week for lunch, too. (Full holiday schedule here.) Chef Jonathan Adams has created a few new dishes exclusive to the holiday menu, like a South Philly-style chicken cutlet sandwich and ribollita, Tuscan white bean soup. You can also find tried-and-true favorites like the Churchill Burger (above) and the barbecue pork sandwich, and even the fish and chips (currently served on Sundays only). They've also got Wells Bombardier, a classic English bitter, on tap, and are pouring $3 martinis today until 2 p.m. Full menu after the jump.
Photo: Drew Lazor
Han Chiang of Han Dynasty (108 Chestnut St.) tells Meal Ticket he's taken over Manayunk's Beijing Homestyle (4358 Main St.) for a new location of his Sichuan restaurant, which also has locations in Exton and Royersford. Though Chiang admits the expansion "wasn't in my plan," the Zhang family, which owns Homestyle, offered the opportunity at a solid price, so the restaurateur jumped on it. Since it's a relatively new restaurant it won't require much lead time to prepare it — in fact, Chiang has his sights set on this Friday, Dec. 23, to start serving (same menu as Old City). The BYO will do both lunch and dinner.
Chiang's got another new restaurant in the works, too, but this one's far from Philly — he says he's working hard to finalize a lease for a location in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass. If all goes as planned that spot should open in the next four to six months.
Photo: Neal Santos
Notes from the Weekend is a Monday Tuesday (this week) feature that sees the members of Team Meal Ticket compiling all the food/drink highlights uncovered during prime eatin' time, Friday to Sunday. Consider this a place for good deals, great dishes, wicked cocktails, recipe triumphs (and tragedies), bizarro conversations and more. We're eager to share our notes, but especially excited to read yours.We encourage you to leave notes from YOUR weekend in the comments. Have at it! (View past NFTW installments at citypaper.net/notes.)
Rob Holloway, who purchased Fathom Seafood House from partner Mike Stollenwerk in October (Stollenwerk also sold Little Fish to focus on the about-to-relocate Fish), has finished all the tweaks required to make the Fishtown corner bar his own. The chef has officially been running the space as East Girard Gastropub (200 E. Girard Ave., 267-751-9343) — call it The E.G.G. — for a week.
The big ol' bar is still the focal point of the room, but there are now new tables, new lighting and new paint; the main old-to-new shift, though, can be found on the menu. "There's meat," laughs Holloway when asked what distinguishes Egg's food from Fathom's. While they've kept the raw bar station for oysters, you can now order burgers, hanger steak, housemade bangers and lobster mac 'n' cheese with housemade cavatelli during dinner nightly. Lobster empanadas have been a big hit, too. (Full menu on Facebook.) There's also Sunday brunch from noon to 3 p.m., with options like crab hash omelettes, challah Fresh toast and grits and eggs. Holloway has a grand opening party planned for Thursday, Jan. 12.
UPDATE [5 p.m.]: Added latest version of Egg's menu after the jump (click to enlarge).
At 3 a.m., I don't always have the heart (or the wherewithal) to bike to Chinatown and acquire the shrimp lo mein my body demands. I'm clearly not the only one in this predicament, as the mysterious Chinatown Express services a host of drunk regulars who order everything from spring rolls to cheesesteaks in those early-morning hours.
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