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Archive for the 'Menu Exclusive' Category



October 6

Novità Bistro opens tonight

Photo | Drew Lazor

Novità Bistro (1608 South St., 215-545-4665), which we first told you about in early August, opens for dinner tonight at 5 p.m.

The 36-seat BYO, formerly a barber shop/salon, is rustic and simple, with a glazed exposed brick wall, gold votives and an open kitchen that shows off some beautiful copper cookware. Though the original idea was to design the menu as a roundabout tour of the Mediterranean, the opening concept has been tweaked bit — it’s mostly Italian at the moment. (Chef Hassan Zanzoul, a French Culinary Institute alum, began his culinary career in Italy in 1987.) GM Hatim Saaboul, Zanzoul’s brother-in-law, says they’ll change the menu up regularly — expect the addition of some French dishes, as well as some specialties of their native Morocco, in the coming months.

More photos and the opening menu after the jump.

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September 18

Zinc’s new fall and winter menu

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Check out Zinc chef Justin Bennett’s new fall/winter menu after the jump.

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September 11

First day of Parc breakfast service

First mentioned this last week but now have all the info: Rittenhouse’s Parc, fresh off some sweet words from our Trey Popp, officially started serving breakfast today.

They’re doing it Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Click below to grab the simple menu, which features a quiche du jour, three-minute egg with brioche, two eggs any way with Nueske’s bacon or sausage etc. The whole thing’s quite affordable: Prices peak at $12 for polenta served with eggs and rapini.

PARC’S BREAKFAST MENU


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August 19

Privé eyes, they’re watching you

Photo | Drew Lazor

Privé (246 Market St.), the 150-seat Mediterranean tapas restaurant from cousins Nick and Billy Lavdas and chef Peter Karapanagiotis, is set to open on or around Monday, Aug. 25. (We first mentioned it here.)

Details, a menu preview and more photos after the jump.

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August 18

MENU ALERT: Du Jour Cafe @ Symphony House

Marty Grims says that the second location of his Du Jour Gourmet Market, on the ground floor of the Symphony House at Broad and Pine, will almost definitely open this Friday., Aug. 22. (The original’s in Haverford.)

Follow the jump to download the breakfast and dinner menus. (They’re also doing lunch.)

What are we most intrigued by? Dinner menu, small plates column: FOIE GRAS PB&J — foie gras mousse served on toasted brioche with huckleberry jam and plum ginger caramel.

Foie is back, kids!

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August 15

Inside Bugfest

“They make a nice substitute for walnuts,” says Jackie Genovese, Senior Director of Education for the Academy of Natural Sciences. She’s referring to mealworms, of course. “If you can get over the fact that you’re eating bugs, then they really just taste like nuts.” Sound gross? Well, Genovese claims that her cricket-and-mealworm chocolate chip cookies were actually quite delectable. I think I’ll take her word for it.

Last week, we previewed Bugfest at the Academy of Natural Sciences this weekend. Now, to whet your appetite, we’re taking you inside.

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May 27

Azul Cantina opens tomorrow

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Follow the jump for some pics of Azul Cantina, opening tomorrow, May 28, at 10th and Spruce. We’ve got the menu, too!

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March 24

MENU EXCLUSIVE: Les Bons Temps

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Follow the jump to check out the appetizer, entrée and small plates menus for Les Bons Temps ("the good times"), which will officially open on Friday, April 4 at 114 S. 12th St. (Some of our coverage here and here.) It’s owned by Carmine’s Creole Café’s John Mims and partner Howard Taylor.

What has us craving dinner at 10:30 in the morning:

  • Duck jambalaya croquettes, creole sauce, crispy tasso ham
  • Smoked gouda crabmeat tart, green onion aioli
  • Cochon po-boy slider, cajun style roast pork
  • 12-hour red wine-braised beef short ribs, truffled mashed sweet potatoes, natural jus

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    January 13

    MENU EXCLUSIVE: Devil’s Den

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    Sunshine is my destroyer!

    We’ve got our cloven hooves on the dinner and brunch menus for Devil’s Den (1148-1150 S. 11th St.), set to open the first week of February in the former Felicia’s. (Appropriately enough, we first mentioned it right around Halloween.)

    Though much of the preliminary chatter about the Den has been centered around its burly beer selection, chef Joe Turrisi, late of the Union League, looks like he’s poised to cook up some creative gastropub fare that really runs with the theme (see his “sinnach salad,” “fiendish fritters,” “grilled satan tips” and the “parmesan hell toasts” accompanying the caesar salad).

    Elsewhere, GM Mick Hally says he wants the spot to become an accessible brunch destination in an area notorious for two-hour weekend waits. That probably won’t be an issue here, as the bilevel space (owned by Scott and Erin Wallace of Manayunk’s Old Eagle Tavern) can accommodate over 200.

    Look for more in Thursday’s Feeding Frenzy.

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    January 8

    Some new(ish) menu items at Vietnam Cafe

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    Vietnam owner Benny Lai
    eatatvietnam.com

    Earlier today, we got the menu for Vietnam Café (814 S. 47th St.), the West Philly offshoot of Chinatown’s always-excellent Vietnam (221 N. 11th St.). It’s slated to open later this month.

    Once we started reading, though, we had one of those Memento moments. Something seemed so … familiar. Come to realize that they’ll basically be serving the same exact stuff. Don’t get it twisted — this is a very, very good thing. It’d be foolish to mess with the best. But we were able to pinpoint a handful of NEW items (some are simply variations on existing dishes) not offered at the original. Check them out after the jump.

    And though it’s disappointing that the 30-seat Café will be BYOB (sorry, no Flaming Volcanos or Virgin’s Downfalls for you), it’s definitely a smart idea. Penn kids + Bacardi 151 = something/someone catching on fire.

     


    December 20

    MENU EXCLUSIVE: Peppercorns

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    Corn-y

    After the jump, check the menu for Peppercorns, which opened last Tuesday down Pennsport way (1401 E. Moyamensing Avenue).

    They don’t have their logo ready just yet, so please enjoy this stock image of some peppercorns courtesy of the always-amazing Photos.com.

    More on the restaurant and its chef (who comes from an unlikely place) in next week’s Feeding Frenzy.

     

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    December 6

    MENU EXCLUSIVE: Pat Bombino’s

     

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    Attention, gravyheads: The fellas over at Pat Bombino’s (which we first reported on in August) have hooked us up with the menu for their new Italian Market BYO, open for going on a month in the space that formerly housed Meze Mediterranean (767 S. Ninth St.).

    Owners are Al Paris (you know him from his work with Neil Stein, Philippe Daouphars and the Bynum brothers as well as the owner of Rittenhouse’s Mantra) and chef Matthew DiNatale, who’s worked at Mantra among other places. If you haven’t been yet (we’re looking forward to visiting very soon), check out the menu after the jump and try your best to decide what sounds best. (Good luck.) Like the logo says, the food is “generational Italian” — that means the classics, folks (fritto misto, tortellini en brodo, bolognese, carbonara, cavatelli, baked manicotti, etc).

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    November 19

    FIRST LOOK: Sonam

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    Drew Lazor

    Last night, I had the pleasure of checking out Sonam, which has taken over the niche-y, one-of-a-kind South Street facade (223 South St.) formerly occupied by The Table, and, before that, Next BYOB. Chef and owner is Ben Byruch, a local guy who’s put in time at Pod as well as the Brickside Grill in nearby Exton. Byruch’s menu is based off a “global dim sum” concept (read about it here), but it’s less push cart than a la carte in execution. It officially opens for business tonight.

    While I’m no photographer (seriously, I am NO photographer), I managed to rattle off a few shots that you can check out after the jump. (The actual dining area was too packed to get good photos of, but it seats a little over 40.) I’ve also gotten my hands on the menu. The items we sampled — the hamachi nachos, the buffalo falafel balls and the Italian egg roll (think a classic roast pork sandwich in spring roll form) — were all kinds of delicious.

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    November 17

    MENU EXCLUSIVE: The Ugly American

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    Tripp hungry!

    After the jump, enjoy a sneak peek at the appetizer, entree, bar and dessert menus for The Ugly American, which is on course to open soon in the South Philly space (1100 Front St.) that housed La Vigna. Former 4 Corners manager Kevin Kelly is the owner; chef is Loie Brasserie vet David Gilberg, with his wife, Carla Gilberg, on delicious baking duties.

    We promise that Linda Tripp is in no way involved with the restaurant.

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    October 8

    MENU EXCLUSIVE: Beneluxx Tasting Room

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    BELGIUM!

    Eulogy owner Mike Naessens says he hopes to soft-open his Beneluxx Tasting Room (33 S. Third St.) sometime this week. Check out some background about the place here and here, and follow the jump for a sneak peek at what’s in store foodwise.

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