Philly Fare by Laura Koster
March 2008 vol 7 #3
Springtime Brings New Brunches, Openings and Menus
Philadelphia is thawing out from winter and heralding in spring. Spend the last of the chilly weekends cozying up to new brunches or explore some special menus going on around the region. March also kicks off the rush of spring restaurant openings. Here’s a few to start checking out. Stay tuned, because this May Philly Fare will round-up all the new dining options around the region.
Look for celeb chef Eric Ripert’s new namesake spot this spring, 10 Arts by Eric Ripert. His Philly debut is described as being all things “sexy, modern, sophisticated and casually elegant.” The restaurant will be housed at the Ritz-Carlton at Ten Avenue of the Arts. Heading up the kitchen will be Northeast Philly native Jennifer Carroll, who will offer a menu of American cuisine with an emphasis on organic ingredients from local farmers.
In mid-March, try out the restaurant/bar combo Time, which will be housed in the space of the recently closed Ludwig’s Garten (1315 Sansom St.). Owners are husband and wife team Jason and Delphine Evenchik who currently run Vintage. The bar will be the bigger focus, with a drink menu ranging from 20 beers on tap to a large selection of single malts, ryes, whiskeys and bourbon. The restaurant’s menu will be “updated country club fare.”
After a brief opening this past summer, WineO is ready for business again at their location in Northern Liberties (447 Poplar St.). Sip on wine made onsite by owners John Nolano and Massimo Cifelli or choose from an extensive selection from regions including Australia, Italy, France, and Spain, by the bottle or glass. Fare will be a fusion of Mediterranean and American cuisines.
Basil Bistro is introducing a Sunday “Gospel” Brunch from 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Make a beeline towards the Bloody Mary Fixings Bar and find the ultimate brunch comfort food with Banana Pancakes Sticky Bun Style with Pecan Butter Caramel Maple Syrup. Basil Bistro Bar is located at 522 King Road in Paoli.
If you’ve been on an Indian food kick lately, it’s time to think beyond lunch and dinner. Last year’s newbie Palace at the Ben has rolled out an authentic Indian brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., featuring a selection of dishes for less than $10 each. Order a refreshing strawberry lassi and executive chef Subhash Sarpal’s traditional dishes such as Idli, ground rice batter steamed dumplings served with freshly ground coconut chutney and Dahi Puri, hard mini size balloon bread stuffed with chickpeas, potato and tamarind chutney. Located at 834 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia.
Groups have been flocking to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to check out the new Frida Kahlo exhibit, which will be open through May 18. Make an evening of it by stopping by Xochitl in Society Hill for a four-course Frida-inspired meal. The $35 per person menu features some of the artist’s favorite Mexican dishes. Revoltijo, a dish of shrimp, cactus and potato in guajillo sauce, is what Frida and her hometown dined on during their holiday season celebrations. Check out www.xochitlphilly.com for more details.
On Philadelphia’s Main Line, Trattoria San Nicola in Berwyn will offer two wine dinners that highlight the Italian island of Sicily. The meal reflects the region’s variety of influences which include Greek, Spanish and French. Featured dishes include Tona alla Griglia, grilled tuna served over sautéed cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, pancetta and spinach drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The dinners will be held the evenings of March 5 and March 13. The five-course meal, paired with wine, is $65 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Reservations can be made by calling 610-296-3141. Check out www.sannicola.net for the full menu.
Celeb chef-crafted cuisine is now as easy as stopping by favorite lunchtime destination Saladworks. In 2008, the salad spot, which started in Cherry Hill, is featuring four different innovative salads crafted by four different A-list chefs. Through March, order up chef Jim Coleman’s Wild Alaskan Grilled Salmon Salad, which is garnished with a spicy pepper/cucumber slaw and tossed with a raspberry-maple vinaigrette dressing. Here’s a tip – you can breeze past the lengthily lunch lines by ordering online before leaving the office at www.saladworks.com .
A self professed foodie, Laura Koster leads public relations campaigns for high-profile resorts, restaurants and other consumer clients at Boyd Tamney Cross. Located just outside of Philadelphia, the full-service marketing communications firm specializes in public relations, ROI and search engine marketing, and Web services. Have a tip on the Philly restaurant scene? Contact Laura at lkoster@btcmarketing.com or 610-254-7432.
