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New Philadelphia Restaurants / Bars / Beer Travel / → All Tags

New Pub Keeps New Year's Spirit Going

Philly boozehounds who didn't get enough partying in on New Year's Eve have a shiny new watering hole in which to continue the celebration. Local 44 just opened Thursday night, but this West Philly pub isn't for those resolving to take it easy, as it boasts one of the town's best beer lists.

From the husband-and-wife team behind Fishtown favorite Memphis Taproom, Local 44 ups even that bar's impressive brew offerings, with a full 20 taps pouring an impressive array of craft beers, from East Coast standbys like Allagash White and Dogfish Head Raison d'Etre, to rarer brews from Belgium, England, Scotland and Germany, as well as cask ales by Philly's own Yards Brewing Company.

Local 44 doesn't have enough pretension to adopt the gastropub label, but the bar snacks are a step above the usual, with specialties like honey-ginger-red pepper flake hot wings and mahi mahi fish tacos served on homemade tortillas.

Related Stories:
· Local 44 [Official Site]
· New Philly Restaurant: Pub and Kitchen [Jaunted]
· Philadelphia Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: bunch of pants]

New Philadelphia Restaurants / Food Travel / Restaurants / → All Tags

Chifa

Jose Garces is Philadelphia's closest thing to a chef-lebrity, so when he makes an announcement, the foodies in town listen. Garces, the local Latin restaurant demigod behind Tinto, Amada and Distrito, has announced his highly anticipated next venture, Chifa, set to open early next year.

The innovative new spot celebrates the fusion-y cuisine that grew out of the Chinese immigrant community in Peru. Trend alert! Garces' unique take on Sino-Peruvian food features dishes like slow-poached chicken steeped in a spicy sauce with walnuts and queso fresco and roast duck buns over foie gras mousse.

The lavish restaurant, featuring a central ceviche bar set on top of a Chinese apothecary cabinet, is set in the old 707 Restaurant space on Chestnut Street, just a block from Independence National Historical Park.

Related Stories:
· Chifa [Official Site]
· Philly Gets Its Own Iron Chef [Jaunted]
· Trendsetters Agree: Peru Is For Foodies [Jaunted]

[Garces Restaurant Group]

New Philadelphia Restaurants / Restaurants / Stephen Starr / → All Tags

Butcher & Singer

The sagging economy and rising food prices are making most restaurateurs want to go back in time. Philadelphia dining honcho Stephen Starr decided to go way back to the 1940s with his latest eatery, Butcher & Singer.

Starr (of Buddakan, Moriomto, and most recently, Parc) took over the opulent former National Bank building that most recently housed the restaurant Striped Bass and converted it into a pretty-damn-close-to-genuine Old Hollywood hangout.

Among the tufted leather booths, marble columns and low lighting, you almost expect Lana Turner to be puffing a cigarette at the table next to you.

The menu forgoes the trendy tendencies of Starr's other restaurants, sticking to simple steakhouse classics like prime rib, lobster Newberg and baked Alaska. Although, as you might expect, there's no nostalgia on the pricing: Butcher & Singer pushes Philly firmly into that three-digits-per-person price range.

Related Stories:
· Butcher & Singer [Official Site]
· New Philly Restaurant: Parc [Jaunted]
· New Philadelphia Restaurants coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: the busy brain]

Restaurants / New Philadelphia Restaurants / → All Tags

New Philly Restaurant: Pub and Kitchen

Philadelphia is becoming quite the foodie town lately, but with all the brasseries and bistros popping up, this city is ripe for a solid old-fashioned pub that can make a damn good burger and fries.

Philly has that in the way of the recently opened Pub and Kitchen, a new Rittenhouse Square spot from chef Jonathan McDonald. Not that this is any sort of dingy neighborhood dive--just like its freaky rabbit-pig hybrid logo, Pub and Kitchen manages to be all things to all people: Laid-back enough for most Philly locals, but with just a little bit of foodie flair that brings in the bistro crowd too.

If Pub and Kitchen were just a little more pretentious, it would surely be billed as a gastropub (in addition to the burger, there are some trendier menu items, like a lobster BLT with truffled mayo). But it's just chill enough that you feel at home kicking back with fish and chips and a few pints.

Related Stories:
· Pub and Kitchen [Official Site]
· Philadelphia Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Pub and Kitchen]

Restaurants / New Philadelphia Restaurants / → All Tags

New Philly Restaurant: Bistrot La Minette

The hottest topic on the Philadelphia dining scene this summer was Parc, which had locals debating whether Philly restaurant mogul Stephen Starr's massive new bistro would be the next Buddakan or an overpriced faux-French stand-in.

Meanwhile, the much less hyped Bistrot La Minette opened on Sixth Street last week and more than a few Philly foodies are saying this one is the real deal.

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Restaurants / Holidays / Bastille Day / New Philadelphia Restaurants / → All Tags

New Philly Restaurant: Parc

If you're in Philly and craving steak frites or escargot, you're in luck, because a brand new French bistro opens today, just in time to celebrate Bastille Day.

Parc is the latest endeavor from Philadelphia restaurant mogul Stephen Starr, the man behind hotspots like Buddakan, Moriomto and El Vez. If you're familiar with any of those places, you can probably guess that the ambiance at Parc is less Left Bank, more Champs-Élysées.

Philadelphia City Paper has a walk-through of the elegant new space, which includes details like a 50-foot hand-crafted solid zinc bar, vintage fans and intricate tile work. No word yet on whether the food will be as exciting as the décor, so if anyone stops by today, be sure to let us know.

Related Stories:
· Parc [Official Site]
· Stephen Starr Gives us the Grand Tour [City Paper]
· Francophile Travel: Bastille Day in New York [Jaunted]

[Photo: Philadelphia City Paper]