Feeding Frenzy

Restaurants opening, closing and pending

by Drew Lazor

>> NOW SEATING

Goji owners Grace and David Murata recently announced that Makoto Ono, a rising French-Japanese chef from Winnipeg, has taken on the task of reinventing the year-old restaurant in his own image. While the original menu leaned on simple, timeless recipes from Japan's Edo period, Ono has introduced a slew of refined entrees centered on his signature sauces. Former proprietor Jake Takahashi says he's currently looking into opening a steak house somewhere in Society Hill. Bite This: Ono's dishes include a fillet with peppercorn sauce and a Chilean sea bass with citrus truffle.

Meritage owners Michele DiPietro and Irene Landy, who took over the restaurant from Taylor Barneby last June, have hired Jason Goodman as executive chef. Goodman, who's done time at Circa, Novelty and Next BYOB, came to the award-winning Meritage from the high-end Callahan Catering. DiPietro says the American-Euro menu is now more vegetarian- and wine-friendly. Bite This: The roasted chicken is served with a Yukon potato puree, haricot vert and a rosemary jus.

And you may find yourself at the Dunkin' Donuts on Broad and Christian. And you may find yourself flabbergasted at the bizarre choices on the menu, like flatbread sandwiches and pizzas. And you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here, to this weird "new concept" flagship DD project? This is not my beautiful greezy croissantwich. These are not my beautiful stale Munchkins. Remove the sugar at the bottom of the coffee! Bite This: The flatbread sammies come in three chee, ham 'n' chee and turkey, bacon 'n' chee varieties. My God, what have they done?

>> LITTLE VITTLES

Ross Essner, chef/owner of Django (526 S. Fourth St., 215-922-7151), is offering a $30 three-course special Sundays through Thursdays for the month of March; the restaurant is now open for dinner seven days a week. >> Get over your tainted peanut butter phobia by checking out the new "gourmet nut butter and jelly" lunch menu at Café Loftus (136 S. 15th St., 215-988-9486). Example: pistachio butter with Anjou pear slices and cherry jam on homemade golden wheat bread.