Feeding Frenzy

Restaurants opening, closing and pending

by Drew Lazor

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Published: Mar 28, 2007

>> NOW SEATING

Last May's closing of maritime-tastic Misconduct made many a drunken sailor mist up. But now it's back, so dust off your worst pirate jokes and pull up a stool. New co-owner and former Misconduct bartender Chris Markham says that while they've added more plasma TVs and "spruced things up," the interior and mood is essentially the same. Except for the food, that is: New chef Christopher Lee, late of Fairmount's (LaBan-blasted) L'Oca, will work off a blackboard menu for main courses, offering three to five entrees a day. Bite This: Markham highlighted a few non-entree nibblers, including pan-fried mozzarella, dry wings with a slew of dipping sauces and a skirt steak sandwich topped with roasted onions.

Keeping with the Nauti By Nature theme, here comes news of Carson's, a month-old seafooder on the waterfront at the Ridley Park Marina. Sure, PHL is within eyeshot, but owners Cindi and Doug Rooney are confident that their menu will put any anxious plane-watcher at ease. The grill has three seating areas, including an open-air deck with a koi pond. Chef Curt Cornman (Opus 251, Stephen's Prime in Media) works off French and Italian influences — check out the seared sea scallops served over crawfish risotto with a shellfish beurre blanc; or the dockside cioppino, clams, mussels, calamari and other goodies over linguini in marinara or fra diavolo sauce. Bite This: The signature pork wings — a slow-roasted, dry-rubbed mini shank slathered in BBQ sauce — are worth the drive.

Owner John Duva's Old City Italiano has reopened after a month of heavy renovations. He's expanded the kitchen, and the bar surface, light fixtures and seats have been replaced with modernized fanciness; they even tore up the floor to install Brazilian cherry wood and tiling. Head chef Vince Tancredi is working on a farm-fresh menu revamp that should be ready by tomorrow. Bite This: Tancredi's new dishes include a roasted spring lamb ragu and golden tilefish over saffron risotto.

>> LITTLE VITTLES

It's in with the new — and old — at The Palm Restaurant (200 S. Broad St., 215-546-7256). They've added new dishes galore (a 20-ounce bone-in New York strip; a 2-pound Nova Scotia lobster; pan-fried oysters), plus a few "Palm Classics," plates served at the original Palm on the Upper East Side. Be a pig and order the double-cut pork chops (10-ounce portions served with applesauce relish).

 

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